We all know someone who has had that “nightmare” renovation situation. This could be running out of money halfway through, builders walking off the job or uncovering unpleasant surprises along the way. It’s no wonder it can be one of the most stressful things homeowners put themselves through – and many of them will be doing it with little to no knowledge about construction or project management. On top of this, these building projects are often done when people are expecting a baby or working full-time so it’s no wonder people feel overwhelmed.
One person who has seen it all, both through painful personal experience and as part of her job, is renovation consultant Becks Perfect. “I’ve made every mistake, made and lost money and employed the good, the bad and the ugly of the building trade in all of my experience,” she says. The trick is to make sure “the renovation becomes something you’re steering rather than something that is happening to you”. This is an idea she dubs “renomaxxing”. Here are her tips for achieving it.
What is ‘renomaxxing’?
Perfect says: “I’d define it as squeezing every bit of value out of every pound you spend on your house. For example, instead of upsizing because you feel cramped in your house, think about ways you can rework layouts, reconfigure storage and upgrade finishes to make the space perform at its absolute best, which in theory should reward you not only in giving your home a new lease of life, but also in potentially adding more value to it as well.”
Set out the scope of your works
One of the most common things to go wrong in a renovation is for costs to spiral. This can easily happen if you go with a quote which is missing key parts of the work or doesn’t set out the scope of work clearly. Perfect advises clients to always get a minimum of three quotes and says you should “never be afraid to interrogate a quote until you’re completely happy and fully informed”. She says having a quote which accounts for everything will give you “leverage and confidence” in the conversations you have with the construction team throughout the project.
Focus on the journey, not just the end result
Choosing the right people for the job can also have a huge impact on how stressful your experience will be. Greg Drain is the CEO and co-founder of Narrative Ltd, an architecture and construction company based in south London. His key piece of advice is: “Try not to prioritise the vision of the finished product and enjoy the journey getting there. You aren’t buying a pair of shoes, you’re designing, costing and building a detailed and complex renovation. The best chance we have of getting the most bang for our buck is to invest in people with the expertise in achieving this.”
Invest in the most important spaces
Even if you’re building your “forever home”, Perfect believes it’s still worth investing in the rooms future buyers will scrutinise the hardest: the kitchen and bathrooms. “Quite simply, pound for pound, they’re the most expensive rooms to build (even if the bathroom is tiny),” she explains. “They’re also the most used rooms in the house on a daily basis, so making sure the layout, flow and finish are as good as they can be can only add to your daily enjoyment of the space whether you’re planning to sell or stay in it for the long term.”
Time specific works with the weather
Many people choose to start a project when conditions are drier and warmer. So, if your costs are climbing, Perfect recommends starting in autumn or winter. “Winter tends to be quieter, so you can expect better rates and availability, but weather here is the biggest factor for anything structural or external such as groundworks, roofing, render, which can be slowed due to damp conditions. If you can, I would advise booking structural and internal works for more off-peak timings to get better pricing and availability, and time anything weather-dependent for what would be a typically drier stretch of the year.”
You can be timeless and on trend
Deciding on your interior design can feel overwhelming when you have multiple rooms to decorate and endless decisions to make. Plus, trends change fast. Perfect suggests spending your money on a timeless design for things which would cost a lot to change in the future. This could be kitchen cabinetry, tiling and flooring, for example. But having fun with trends isn’t a no-no. Perfect says things like lighting, paint colour, soft furnishings can all be changed quite easily so if you want to go for 2026’s butter yellow or plaster pink trends, what’s stopping you?
‘I would advise booking structural and internal works for more off-peak timings to get better pricing and availability,’ says Becks PerfectKeep plumbing in the same place
A renovation project will never be cheap but there are ways to save money. Perfect says: “Try and keep plumbing and structural walls in roughly the same place, wherever you can. Moving drains and load-bearing walls is one of the most expensive things you can do.”
She also suggests making sure your builder and other tradespeople are sticking to the sequence of your works. If you’re not making sure the plumbing and electrics are complete before plastering, for example, you’ll end up slowing the work down and incurring extra costs. No one wants to pay for someone’s hard work to be redone because a stage was skipped or rushed.”
There will be snags
One important final aspect to remember when budgeting for your project is snagging. These are the final bits that need fixing or finishing once everything else has been done, such as paintwork, fitting hooks or knobs or adding flooring thresholds. Some homeowners have been hit with invoices for thousands of pounds for final fixes which weren’t included in the contract. Perfect says to ensure you have a retention clause and defects period built into your contract. This is where you hold back a sum of money to pay for any snagging, with an agreement they’ll be rectified once the house settles over a period of time i.e. six months.
Where to turn if things go wrong
It’s horrible to think about things going awry when planning a beautiful new home, but as we all know, it pays to be realistic about the risks. A contract is one of the most important documents you need when employing builders. “A properly written one, like one published by the Joint Contracts Tribunal, should include a dispute resolution process,” says Perfect. “If your tradesperson belongs to a trade body like the Federation of Master Builders, Trustmark or Niceic (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting), there’s normally a formal complaints procedure or mediation route.”
Perfect says things like staging payments and tying them to completed work is a good idea otherwise you’re handing over large amounts of money with no idea what it’s being used for. “Additionally, having someone independent reviewing contracts, scopes, quotes and progress before money changes hands can help negate problems further down the line.” A consultant like Perfect can assist with any queries and questions to make everything feel less overwhelming and remind you that it’s an exciting journey with something special at the end.
Hence then, the article about the biggest mistakes people make when renovating their homes according to experts was published today ( ) and is available on inews ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( The biggest mistakes people make when renovating their homes, according to experts )
Also on site :
- Kendra Scott’s Dainty Pumpkin Necklace Is a Festive Finishing Touch for Fall Outfits, and It’s Under $35
- Dolly Parton’s Final Message to Millions of Children Is Breaking Hearts After Her Death: ‘Promise Me’
- ‘Nashville’ Star Connie Britton Breaks Silence on Dolly Parton’s Death: ‘The Blondes Are Really Taking Heaven By Storm This Week’