Renovating a property, at its essence, is about turning a dream into a reality. Your budget set, your Pinterest mood boards at the ready, and a deadline for completion in mind. What could go wrong? As it transpires, quite a lot!
As I learned the hard way, renovation projects are bumpy roads, full of surprises. While I’m overjoyed with the results, there are a few things I wish I knew before I began. If nothing else, this would’ve helped me manage my expectations before getting stuck in. To help you with your own renovating journey, here are some of the biggest lessons I learned along the way.
Choosing the wrong contractor can really affect things
My first ever solo renovation project was on our Dubai Marina apartment. Although I was happy with the result, there were a ton of obstacles along the way. Most of these issues were caused by choosing the wrong contractor. From not being able to get hold of them certain weeks, to cracking a mountain of tiles and our custom-made marble sink (!!!). It was one thing after the other meaning that the renovation journey wasn’t as enjoyable as I had always hoped it would be. I’ve since whittled down my contractor list, so I have trusted partners for each area – but it’s taken a while to perfect!
Emergency budgets are 100% necessary
Everybody begins their renovation project with a budget in mind. Just because you have this budget all laid out before the contractor starts, bear in mind that extras are bound to crop up. For example, in our villa renovation, we had unexpected drainage drilling to do. This, along with the replacement of the ceiling beneath the bathroom, added a fair bit onto our final expenditure.
Consider the small things
When setting aside money for your renovation, don’t make the mistake of only considering the big things like knocking down walls and replacing bathrooms. Remember to also plan ahead for the small things. From changing the light switches and power sockets to updating the AC control panels, the little costs soon add up.
Get your timelines right for sourcing materials
As I wanted to get a jumpstart on the villa project (mainly due to an overload of excitement!) I picked the tiles we wanted two or three months before construction began. This seemed like a great idea, as I had planned ahead. However, fast-forward to when I needed to go and order them, and they were all sold out! So back to the drawing board we went. We were now left with little to no time as the contractors were needing to start the tiling the following week. I spent 6 hours sourcing tiles on a weekend, which wasn’t the most fun, especially with a very active toddler in tow! So if you are going to source ahead, make sure to always have a backup plan.
Don’t underestimate the appliance budget
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not the world’s best cook. When it came to choosing all of our kitchen appliances, design and aesthetic came above functionality! I had tried to get an idea of an appliances budget by looking online but looking online and going into the stores where you’re sold the dream on everything are two very different things. With that in mind, make sure you allocate and stick to your appliances budget, otherwise you’ll quickly find yourself spending more than you had hoped.
Without doubt, renovating a property is no plain sailing. However you do learn so much along the way. I’ve learnt many valuable lessons that I can take forward to future renovation projects, which I hope will allow me to better manage all the ups and downs. If you’re looking to begin your own project, I wish you the best of luck, it is an incredibly rewarding time. And at the end, you’re left with your dream home to enjoy.
If you need help with the design or renovation of your new home, reach out now.