There's a lot of buzz around renovations at the moment, and since the pandemic started in 2020, appreciation for our homes has grown immensely. Scrolling through instagram, you can see how our understanding of what works and what doesn't work in the home impacts our lives so deeply, and this was particularly evident during extended lockdown periods. It's no surprise then, that home owners are rushing to renovate. But before you jump on the bandwagon you need to make sure you answer these three questions first.

Balgownie House - we took 8 weeks to plan every aspect of the design for the Balgownie House and another 4 weeks to get this custom joinery piece perfect, months before we started the renovation.

“Are you wondering why planning is more critical than budget and timeframe? The answer is simple - if you don’t plan you’re never going to be able to price your project and you can’t set a timeframe unless you’ve planned.”

— Kathryn Trentini

If you’re lucky enough to be renovating your dream home you may be busy thinking of the insta-worthy home you’re going to create. Before you get there, you’re going to have to live through the renovation and this can bring all sorts of pain and anxiety, sleepless nights and you’re going to be bombarded with a plethora of choices. Before you jump in, here are my top tips on getting to the other end in one piece.

Planning is critical for a smooth road to your dream home. When I talk about planning I mean plan for each and every stage - design, sourcing, trades and project management. Take your time during the planning process. It’s much easier to pick up on a mistake in the planning stage than it is during the build or renovation. There is nothing worse than having to make a decision on the fly when the pressure is on from your builder for an answer. And there is nothing worse than paying your trades to stand around waiting for products to arrive! Are you wondering why planning is more critical than budget and timeframe? The answer is simple - if you don't plan you're never going to be able to price your project and you can't set a timeframe unless you've planned.

Having a clear budget before you begin means you can make good decisions. If you’ve planned your project well, then you will know what is important to you and what isn’t. If something needs to be cut from your design because of budget constraints the decision is going to be pretty obvious. And if you’re renovating then you budget for surprises. You never know what you are going to find when you pull those old tiles off the wall!

Set a realistic time frame for the renovation. Don’t expect you are going to renovate a bathroom in a week! If you’ve engaged a project manager for your renovation then it’s your job to make sure you keep up-to-date with progress and understand who they are expecting to be in and out of the property that week. If you’re taking on the project management yourself then forewarned is forearmed! This is the hardest part of your renovation and will give you the highest levels of anxiety. Having trades turn up when you need them to takes skill, negotiation and an understanding of each step of the renovation process. Even with the best planning, things just happen. So, remember to add a buffer to your time frame for any unexpected issues that crop up.