BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RENOVATION PART 18: Top 20 essential renovation tips
1 COMPILE A WISHLIST BEFORE YOU START
Before you approach an architect or break ground with your renovation plans, spend time coming up with a comprehensive wishlist of what you want from your project — how you envisage the end result and what you think is a realistic budget.
“We compiled a wishlist for our new home, gaining ideas from magazines, visiting properties and talking to friends,” says David Vasey who, along with wife Jan, extended and remodelled a 1980s estate house (right). “This helped us better understand our requirements, enabling us to create an achievable renovation plan.”
2 BEWARE OF HIDDEN COSTS
When you are figuring out whether or not you can afford to buy and renovate a development opportunity make sure you have checked and double checked that you haven’t missed anything. Common costs that get overlooked include fees to reconnect services, valuation fees, and roof repairs. With old property it is usually better to assume that a rewire will be required, along with a new heating system. It’s always possible that you’ll get lucky, but the majority of period properties require some kind of upgrade, so proceed on the assumption yours will.
3 DON’T BE AFRAID TO ADD MODERN TOUCHES
Renovating a period property needn’t
