Over the last couple of years, many of us have taken to looking inwardly and renovating our homes.
We’ve run competitions to find the best and the worst renovations and spoken to several people* about how they went about making the changes they wanted to make.
We revealed that more than half (52%) of homeowners have made mistakes and 36% regret their renovations!
So some have seen great success, while others have wished they never picked up that wallpaper scraper to begin with!
To help you to avoid DIY renovation disappointment, we put together this short list of top priorities to consider when renovating your home.
What To Focus On When Renovating Your Home
We polled homeowners on their renovation habits and found that nine in every 10 had taken on a renovation since 2020.
When renovating a home, it can be confusing to know exactly what to focus on first and what will add value to the property.
More than a third (37%) of people we polled spend less than £10,000 when making home updates, so hopefully the advice below, on five priority updates, will provide some guidance on getting it right the first time and help to not waste money!
1 – Any Structural Issues
Results from our survey show that one-in-ten have made mistakes when changing a property’s structure, and these issues put people off more than any other factor when purchasing a new home (63%).
Before any work is done, the building needs to be structurally sound, so this should be the first part of any renovation.
This includes replacing ceilings, stabilising walls and fixing damp or leak problems.
2 – The Doors
Once the property is safe, an important renovation to make is the doors as this is easier to sort before making bigger changes.
Ensure there are no cracks, and that each lines up in the frame and closes properly.
Doors also leave a lasting impression on guests and even smaller adjustments such as replacing handles or adding a door knocker to the front provide character.
If you’re on a tight budget, paint and sand doors rather than replace, as this will transform and bring doors to life without the expenditure.
3 – The Radiators
With the recent rise in costs, next on the list should be replacing radiators, which add value to a house and save money on bills if new and efficient.
The average three or four bedroomed home has 10 radiators and would cost around £1,600 to switch.
Doing this is estimated to add £10,000 to the price of a property, representing a high return on investment.
With the current economy, it is vital to focus on future costs when renovating, and modern radiators are 50% more efficient and can save more than 10% on heating bills, which is a massive benefit following the energy price cap rise.
4 – The Kitchen
When these tasks are done, if needed, the kitchen should be the first full room to be renovated as it is one of the busiest areas in a home and will require lots of coordination to get it looking and feeling right.
Consider if the electrics are all secure, the positioning of your oven and fridge, and perhaps need to get a designer to help with the layout.
A new kitchen costs about £8,000* but can add as much as 10% to the price of a property, showing it holds value well.
5 – The Flooring
Next in line are floors where the main purposes are to change up the design, get rid of markings caused by wear and tear, and problems such as damp and creaks.
When replacing flooring it could be good to install underfloor heating at the same time which provides good efficiency, comfort and freedom as it allows space to be maximised in a room.
If new flooring isn’t within budget, then painting wooden boards instantly transforms a room affordably.
Write A List & Check It Off
When it comes to home renovations, write down the order of plans and priorities as this will provide a list to stick to, and budgets can be set for each change.
If the transformation involves structural or electrical wiring work, professional help should be sought as a substandard job could cause huge problems in the future.
Good luck with your future home renovations and remember where to come when you need new radiators!
Stay safe and happy renovating!
Sources
*We independently surveyed 2,003 homeowners
**Loftera
