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This March and April, it’s all about renovation. Whether you’ve just bought a new build, are ripping out a period property or are just looking for an update, we’ve teamed up with four Instagrammers to give you the ideas you need to get started. We’ve got every style from industrial to boho, rustic to ultra-modern, there’s bound to be something for you so sit tight, stay tuned and EMBRACE YOUR SPACE… To kick us off, we’ve asked around, searched high and low, listened to the stories and learnt the lessons to provide you with the 10 renovation tips you need so that you don’t make the same mistakes we all have.
1. Test your Tradies. Go with tried and tested trades people, whether it’s tested through you or recommended by a friend. Make sure you’re getting someone that you can trust will get the job done in the time you want it done and most importantly, will do it well
2. Use who you know. You’d be surprised how many people you can find to help you simply by asking around. Also, use what you know, Emma from @behind_door_28 has renovated her whole kitchen diner herself including tiling and flooring by watching videos on YouTube. If you’re confident enough, do it yourself!
3. Make a schedule and give yourself more time than you need. Sometimes, life happens, it rains, and you can’t work outside, it snows, and materials don’t arrive in time, give yourself more time then you need to avoid disappointment. And be realistic, don’t expect things to be done overnight.
4. Focus on one thing at a time as to not overwhelm yourself. If you’re renovating a whole house or have multiple ideas, it’s easy to get bogged down by the sheer amount of time (and money) you’re spending on it so, concentrate on one room at time and making that perfect.
5. MOODBOARD EVERYTHING. Similarly, don’t lose track of your end goal. Pinterest and the Instagram ‘save’ feature is perfect for this. Moodboarding your ideas is a great way to keep motivated and create a ‘dumping ground’ for all your great ideas. Do it nice or do twice.
6. Budget, budget, budget. Be real with what you can spend and be strict with yourself. Shop around and shop local. Local hardware stores, carpet shops and paint shops can stock the same products as the big name’s brands but without the price tags.
7. Do the bedroom first and keep it dust free. That way, you always have somewhere nice to go at the end of the day to get away from the mess and clutter.
8. Look at what you’ve got already, maybe you can restore some original features rather than buying everything new. Painting, staining or even just sanding your existing kitchen cupboards and finding new handles or pulls will instantly update your kitchen without having to fork out on brand new cupboards.
9. Don’t get carried away with decorative features too soon. ‘I bought plants before I had a bathroom and I have no where to put them’. This one is hard. You’re bound to find ‘the most perfect chopping board’ to go on the kitchen shelf but don’t move too fast. Focus on the things that are going to help you move in or feel comfortable first.
10.Lastly, and most importantly, get your electrics, plumbing, windows and the roof checked and fixed or fitted first, they’re the hardest things to change if they’re wrong.