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If you’ve just bought your first home, you may find you’re able to do more of the renovations yourself than you think, without having to hire extra help. Home renovations can be a slow and daunting process, but it takes time to get your dream home just how you want it. With this beginner’s guide you can easily begin the process of turning your run-down property into a tranquil oasis with minimal fuss and extra cost. Here are some great tips to get you started.
Plan your budget
Before you begin your renovation, make sure you plan your budget carefully, especially if you’re renovating with a partner or friend. Leave extra room in your budget for unexpected costs – renovations can easily go over budget when things don’t go exactly according to plan. Decide what your priorities are and where you’re happy cutting costs. For example, you may not need to replace your entire kitchen counters but only the tops and handles. Decide which parts of the renovation you’re planning to cover costs for each month and how much money you will need to save for each task.
Check out social media for inspiration
You don’t need to hire a fancy designer to work out a plan for you – there are so many free DIY hacks, tutorials and inspiration boards on sites such as Pinterest, Instagram and TikTok. Save them all to a Pinterest board or spreadsheet so you can collate a theme and come back to each idea when you’re ready to renovate.
Make sure you’re prepared by hiring a skip
There’s no point starting on your renovation until you know you have somewhere to put all the rubbish! Hiring a skip doesn’t have to break your budget and it will save so much time and stress compared to dragging multiple loads of waste to the tip. Hire your skip with ease with Hurleys if you’re in the North London area and ease the burden of waste disposal so you can save money and time on renovating.
Enlist the help of friends and family
There may be some renovation jobs that you simply won’t have the time or skill to be able to complete yourself. Before you hire expensive contractors, ask friends and family if they would be able to donate an afternoon of their time or skills to help. Even if they can’t contribute, they may be familiar with tradespeople who are able to offer mates rates or advice.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
Renovating a home is a marathon not a sprint, and getting your home exactly how you want it will take time. Make sure you get the big things out of the way first before worrying about the smaller things like soft furnishings and decorations. They may not fit into your budget right away, but you can add personal touches to your home as time goes on to create a lived-in feel. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make things show-home perfect in a matter of months – take things at your own pace safe in the knowledge that everything will come together eventually.