How to Plan a Major Home Renovation | Top Tips

[00:00] Hello and welcome to House Move Heroes in collaboration with Wix and Move IQ. We've teamed up to bring you our expert tips for moving and improving your home.

[00:12] In this episode, we're tackling the big one. How to plan a major home renovation. Renovating your house or flat can be a fantastically rewarding project. It could also add value to your home, give you more or better planned living space

[00:29] and actually improve your quality of life. But it's no small undertaking and both the work and the budget can run away from you if you're not fully prepared. So you do need a plan and that's exactly what we're about to share with you.

[00:45] Stay tuned for the House Move Heroes step by step guide to renovating your home. Number one is of course workout what it is you want. It sounds so obvious but so many homeowners go into a project without a clear idea

[01:01] of what it is they want to achieve. For example, do you need to add more living space or more sleeping space? Perhaps your desperate for extra storage or would love more of a live work environment

[01:14] to improve your work from home setup. Perhaps you've an eye to the future so that when the time comes to sell your home appeals to a wider pool of buyers. It's worth being clear about the why and not just the what.

[01:28] Then when you get down to budgeting you can evaluate whether the outcome justifies the expense. And that is our number two tip budget budget and then recheck your budget a couple more times

[01:41] factor in the cost of renting if you'd have to temporarily move out. Think about how you'll decorate and first your new space. Will there be fees for architects? fees for structural engineers, planning permissions, things like that?

[01:55] Am I absolute top tip for budgeting? It's to set aside a contingency fund. A good rule is to anticipate over spending by around 10 to 15%.

[02:07] Harsh but true. Particularly on older properties you never know what's lurking behind walls or above ceilings. With your budget in place you can move to step three. How to finance the project.

[02:20] Would it be on a credit card? Paid four from savings, we mortgage it or will you have to take out a loan? Home improvement loan is worth comparing with a standard personal loan as it offers flexibility and is easy to apply for.

[02:35] However you decide to finance your project be sure not to overstretch yourself and do please budget realistically. Step four is to get a specialist to check the project is viable by looking at load bearing walls

[02:49] and seeking out damp and cracks etc. In some cases you can extend your home without planning permission but it is essential you check first. Each local authority has its own guidelines and rules and if you break them the council has the right to force you to remove or dismantle the work.

[03:07] By the way having the planning permission granted can add value to your property even if the work isn't actually done. Do you remember the planning applications? Only last a certain amount of time typically it's three years but do check that with your council.

[03:21] I'd advise being open with your neighbours to reduce the chance of them objecting, get them on side, offer to show them your plans and reassure them of the steps that you're likely to take to minimize noise or inconvenience to them.

[03:36] Step five is to stay ahead of any potential problems. It's about being realistic not pessimistic. Think about your contingency fund if there are unforeseen costs.

[03:48] What's the plan if the project takes longer than expected? Could there be a point where you need to move out? Will the changes require new windows or new doors things like that?

[04:00] Think about the time of year as well that would be best to suit your project. Spring and summer offer better chances of dry weather while tradespeople might be easy to book in autumn or winter.

[04:12] Next up to consider is project management. Smaller scale elevations might be easy to coordinate yourself. But creating a schedule of works, juggling different trades and making sure building regulations have followed etc can be pretty demanding.

[04:28] So a good schedule of works will create a sense of order with a nice organised timeline and should help keep things on track. It should cover structural stability, demolition work dealing with dam, drains, site access, snagging and decorating.

[04:46] You might decide to appoint an architectural contractor to take this on for you that could cost five or maybe even up to 15% of the project. But you could save at least this amount in efficiencies.

[04:59] Your call. Finally step seven is to get quotes and appoint your preferred tradespeople. Aim for three quotes, freeze job and make sure that you get references from previous clients.

[05:11] You are now ready to begin. It's a good luck. Make sure you're subscribed to this series and this channel for all things property related. And do take advantage of the Wix House Move Heroes programme by signing up using the link below.

[05:27] They've got all the essentials you need for moving and renovating your home.