29 Apr 2019

How To Plan And Budget For Your Renovation

THREE BIRDS RENOVATIONS

BY LANA, THREE BIRDS RENOVATIONS

Setting yourself up for a successful reno is all about how you manage the process. And hiring the right people for your reno is SO essential – it’s the magic that enables us to complete our renos quickly. Believe me when I tell you it’s a hell of a lot easier to spend extra time during the hiring process to find the right person than it is to get the wrong person to do a good job.

Our number one tip when it comes to planning a renovation is to save yourself heartache by getting your dream team right from the start. We learned this lesson the hard way. In the beginning, we were hellbent on getting the cheapest trades so we could spend more money on the fun stuff, like a million pretty throw rugs and pillows. In the end, this cost us time and money #neveragain. Obviously, you need to decide on the overall look, feel and style of your home nice and early in your reno process, but we should also talk about some things you might not realise you need to get on top of early. You’ll be surprised by how many there are.

Too many rookie renovators get caught out by failing to select things like fixtures and fittings early enough. This can mean they don’t get exactly what they want OR they end up delaying the completion date. Even worse, it can cost more money #doublewhammy #yuck.

We’ve created a checklist of items you need to get moving on quickly – and, believe it or not, window coverings are one of them!

When it comes to budget, everyone’s desperate to know what their Reno is going to cost upfront! In the early stages you can only talk ballpark figures because there are too many variables to consider. #sorrynoshortcutshere Your level of fit-out, design and site conditions will all affect the actual cost. For example, a kitchen reno can cost as little as A$10k or as much as A$100k ... and every number in between. Your taste in tapware and benchtops alone could triple the cost of a kitchen. The ONLY way to draw up an accurate budget for your reno is to go through the quoting process.

So, where to start? There are lots of decisions that need to be made early in the renovation process, like flooring, lighting, tiles, tapware – and window coverings! They all have a flow on effect to other design and construction decisions and you need to nail them upfront. Getting quotes for and deciding on these items will go a long way to helping you budget for the total job as well.

Three Birds Renovations - Luxaflex Powerview Motorisation

Three Birds Renovations - Lana's Forever Home

Most people leave choosing their window coverings ‘til last, which can prove to be a real missed opportunity because blinds aren’t what they used to be. You can now get amazing motorised window shades that open and close automatically with the rising of the sun.

With so many gorgeous options now available from Luxaflex^® (we’ve used most of them in our renos), you want to plan for window coverings early in the process for two reasons:

1. Budget: Blinds can make a huge difference to your comfort levels – they’re one of my favourite things in my renovated home. But if you leave them as an afterthought, you’ll realise you can’t afford anything more than a crummy plastic venetian. Get down to your local Luxaflex^® showroom to see what’s available as soon as you can. If your experience at the showroom is anything like our local, prepare to have your mind blown!

2. Planning: Take your plans with you and the amazing team at Luxaflex^® will talk you through structural and electrical requirements you might never have even considered. If you want motorised blinds (and trust me, you do!), the electrics for them should ideally be roughed in before the wall linings go on. Again, you need to choose your blinds early!