Renovating a home is exciting, but it’s also complicated, expensive, and occasionally chaotic, something I know first-hand after several years of doing exactly that to our own house.
In this category, I share practical, honest advice covering every stage of a renovation project, from budgeting and finding the right tradespeople to the details of plumbing, electrics and structural work. My aim is to help you avoid the costly mistakes we’ve made along the way, so you can get through your renovation with your sanity (and your budget) intact.
Renovations rarely go entirely to plan, and mine certainly haven’t, but with the right preparation, you can avoid a lot of the common pitfalls. I’ve covered everything from kitchen and bathroom renovations to protecting your home during building work and choosing the right contractors, and I’ll keep adding to this category as our own renovation journey continues.
If you’re just starting to plan a project, it’s worth reading through a few posts on budgeting and contractors first, as they’ll save you time (and probably money) before you get stuck into the more hands-on posts.
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Everyone wants a home that they can call theirs, a sanctuary they can return to after a long day, even if part of the space doesn’t belong to you. This is exactly what a strata home is, but there are ways you can personalise and design your strata home, while still respecting the community guidelines…
When you think about a home renovation, you might be excited to consider what floor you’ll have, where the new freestanding bath will go and what appliances your new kitchen might have. But, it’s equally important to plan for the bits you won’t see – the plumbing and the electrics. I know, asethetic choices create…
When planning a home renovation, it’s tempting to focus on exciting aspects like choosing new paint colours, stylish floor covering, or dazzling lighting fittings. These eye-catching features often steal the show, but some key details quietly ensure your home runs smoothly—out of sight but vital for the transformation. One such component is the access door….
When you own a home, you also own the responsibility to look after it. Unfortunately, that means it’s down to you to fix things when they go wrong (which they inevitably do). We recently found a leak that we had no idea about in our en-suite. We never use that en-suite as it’s near our…
There’s lots you’re probably thinking about before embarking on a home renovation – what order you’ll do things in, what walls need to be put up and taken down, when the kitchen can be installed, where the windows will go. But while it’s exciting to consider all the new things going in, it’s also important…
Let’s talk windows. They’re a critical aspect of your home that can contribute to its energy efficiency and general aesthetics, and yet many homeowners delay replacing them, unaware of the telltale signs that the windows are no longer serving their purpose. When you should replace your windows might not always be obvious. However, ignoring the…
Dealing with and renovating an old property is a whole different kettle of fish to a newer property. The materials they’re made from are generally weaker (such as lime plaster), but they’re also in desperate need of repair because of their age. When it comes to electrical works such as rewiring, your approach should be…
Homeowners are always looking for ways to reduce costs and become more environmentally friendly. I know that this has been a big mission of mine over the last few years, and we are always trying to reduce waste at home. Approaches include smart meters, reducing expenses, saving water, and more, but how do you tackle…
Building your dream home is so exciting. I can’t even imagine what the process must be like, but it’s certainly one we’ve considered and would like to do ourselves. I imagine it’s a very fulfilling process but also full of challenges. Having watched Grand Designs (a lot), it seems many people make mistakes that could…
It’s finally here, the day you’ve been waiting for. You’ve dreamed about renovating or extending your home for years, and you’ve put up with leaky bathrooms, falling apart kitchens and dodgy flooring. When you’re spending so much money on a renovation, you expect it to go smoothly and turn out exactly as you wanted, but…
If you’re planning a home renovation, you may want to consider acrylic sheets instead of glass for some applications. With their durability, ease of handling, and cost-effectiveness, they could be a smart choice for a wide range of applications around the house. Below, you can find just some of the advantages of acrylic sheets and…
Ever given yourself the target of making over an entire room in 5 DAYS? That’s exactly what we did. In Dec 2021, COVID finally caught up with us and we tested positive on the 12th December. This meant our holiday to New York on the 13th was off and cancelled. But rather than spend our…