Renovating your home is exciting, but there’s a lot that happens between deciding to renovate and enjoying the finished result. There’ll be plenty of decisions, disruption to your everyday routine and, when you’re working with an older home, probably a few surprises along the way.
After years of renovating homes, there are a few things we think every homeowner should know before getting started:
Things might not always run exactly to schedule
A renovation rarely follows the exact path you (or even your builder) imagined at the beginning.
Weather, material availability, trade scheduling and those unexpected discoveries that come with working on an existing home can all shift the timeline. That doesn’t necessarily mean the project has been poorly planned – it’s simply the reality of renovating.
The important thing is how those changes are handled. A good builder will plan ahead, keep you in the loop and explain what a delay or change means for the rest of the project. You might not be able to avoid every hiccup along the way, but you should never be left wondering what’s going on.
You need to be prepared for your routine to change
This is a massive one if you’re planning to live at home during your renovation. Even with the best planning, your normal routine is going to look a little different for a while.
Parts of your home may be off limits, and there will inevitably be periods of noise, dust, deliveries and trades coming and going. For some families, it makes more sense to stay elsewhere during the most disruptive stages. We’ve also had plenty of clients make it work by setting up temporary living areas away from the construction areas.
Before work begins, think through the everyday things you might otherwise take for granted:
Where will you cook?
Can you still use the laundry?
Where will you store the things you need day to day?
And if you have children or pets, how will you keep them safely separated from the work area?
Working through these details upfront can make living through the renovation a whole lot easier.
There’ll be more decisions than you think
There are the big choices like flooring, cabinetry and appliances, but it’s often the little ones that catch people out: grout colours, power point locations, shower niches, door hardware and even wardrobe.
Our advice is to make as many of these decisions as you can before construction begins. It gives you more time to consider your options without feeling rushed and helps avoid delays once work is underway.
This is something we work through early in the design and feasibility stage, whether we’re collaborating with your existing designer or helping connect you with a local architect or designer we trust.
You might find a few surprises along the way
One of the biggest differences between renovating and building new is that you’re working with a home that already has a history.
Once walls, floors and ceilings are opened up, you can sometimes uncover things no one could have known were there. It might be outdated plumbing or electrical work, an unexpected structural issue, or alterations made by a previous owner.
Not every surprise is a major problem, but it’s worth going into a renovation knowing that some things simply can’t be seen or planned for until the work begins.
It’s worth leaving some breathing room in the budget
Those unexpected discoveries are one reason it’s worth having a little flexibility in your renovation budget. Even with careful planning upfront, there may be things that need to be addressed once work is underway.
And it’s not always the unexpected that changes the budget. As you start seeing your home come together, you might decide to upgrade a finish, change a detail or add something that wasn’t part of the original scope.
Leaving some breathing room means you can make those decisions without every change becoming a source of stress. It’s also important to understand how your builder handles variations and makes sure you’re aware of any additional costs before work goes ahead.
The right builder can make all the difference
A major renovation is a big undertaking, and there will almost always be a few unexpected moments along the way. Having a builder you trust makes those moments much easier to navigate.
Look for someone who communicates openly, keeps you involved and is upfront when something needs to change. You should feel comfortable asking questions and confident that you know what’s happening with your home throughout the build.
That’s the kind of relationship we aim to build with every Alchemy Built client. If you’re thinking about renovating your Newcastle home, we’d be happy to hear what you have in mind and help you understand what the next steps could look like.