Are you looking at the same four walls with the urge to change them, dramatically? We all get that itch every now and then. We get bored of what we already have, or maybe you’re moving into
somewhere “new” with wallpaper that belongs back in the disco era. Maybe you need a more drastic transformation, complete with knocking down walls and ripping up carpets. If that’s the case,
you might want to look at these Helpful Tips to Prepare for Renovation Work. These tips are focussed on what you need to do before the real work begins.
Collaborative post
Helpful Tips to Prepare for Renovation Work
Apply For Planning Permission
If you are building extra rooms, extending you will need to apply for planning permission. To do this you need to contact your local planning authority. This can be a very lengthy process, especially if not granted on your first application. In some cases, a few variations may need to be given before it’ll be accepted. Permission is required to be done in advance of any work starting on your home.
Create a Budget
Before getting started on any work you need to have a plan. You can create a budget to begin with that is in line with what you have available to spend. Also, make sure you allow a budget for unforeseen items and emergencies. When the budget is limited, many will look to do some or as much work as they can themselves. Will you opt for solid wood floors or could you live with laminate? In some cases, it can be worth delaying work until you have the resources to pay for better quality products than having to settle for something that may not look as good or last as long. It isn’t cost-effective to have to redo work again within a few years.
Cover Everything
If you choose to keep all your furniture in the house while you’re working on it, you’ll need to make sure it’s covered. It’s very easy to damage a good sofa no matter how careful you are. You could paint your room and get a large drip paint right in the middle of it the sofa, or you can pull apart a wall and see the dust fill the room. Cover your furniture with old bedsheets if you don’t have dust sheets when work will produce dust. If you’re using wet products and are worried about getting paint or wood stain etc on furniture you can use plastic sheets.
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Move Furniture Somewhere Safe
If you’re refurbishing a number of rooms at the same time and have limited space it might be a good idea to rent out a storage unit where you can keep items until it’s safe for them to be returned back home. This way you can avoid damaging your furniture and it won’t be in your or the builders/painters etc way whilst work is being done. You can find a storage unit that will allow you to put everything away in a water-tight and secure unit so that you can protect your furniture from any kind of damage. The good thing is you’ll only need the storage space whilst the renovation is being done. If you decide to keep the space for longer that is an option that can come in useful.
Rent a Skip
If you are thinking of pulling down walls back to the insulation or ripping up old laminate floorboards, you’re going to need a skip. There’s going to be a lot of mess. Even if your project isn’t quite that extensive, you might want to think about renting a skip anyway. You’ll always find plenty of items you need to throw out. If you’re replacing a floor, there’ll be a lot of boxes, old floorboards, if you’re replacing old kitchen cabinets, you’ve got the same thing. It will be too much for a normal car to handle in one trip and will require numerous trips to the dump. Why not skip the stress and rent a skip from a reputable company and let them do all the work.
I hope you found my post Helpful Tips to Prepare for Renovation Work useful. Are there any tips you might suggest would be helpful to other readers?
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These are really useful tips on how to prepare for renovation work. If you are having to do renovation work whilst living in the home your tip about covering items or removing furniture is vital.
Thank you for the tips! At some point we do want to renovate areas of the house and want to be sure everything else is safe.
Renting a dumpster is an absolute must if you’re doing any kind of renovation. It’s surprising how fast junk can pile up when you’re doing that kind of work.
These are great tips! When we renovated our living room, we ended up renting a storage unit for our new furniture. We wanted to make sure it was totally safe.
Budgeting and covering are so important! You have to know what you can spend, and you have to protect your furniture and other items. REnovation is sooo messy.
I think a budget is so important. Otherwise, you may end up spending much more than expected.
These are great tips! We haven’t done any renovation work lately but I do remember a few years ago when we had to remove flooring. That was an experience in itself but removing furniture to a safer place and getting a skip definitely helps make things run smoother!
That can be very messy. It helps to have somewhere to move furniture to.
Very informative article. Thanks for sharing with us
I hate having any rrenovationn work done, as it is such an upheaval, this is great for what you need to do. Luckily, we have nothing planned now
Good tips for renovations.Thanks for sharing
These are some very useful tips. I definitely agree with covering everything. I would hate to have furniture ruined in the process. I have not undertaken any renovations and honestly hope I don’t have to in the near future.
It can be a nightmare. Covering furniture is important although moving it can be better sometimes x
Great tips! I do need to do some renovating but time is an issue this will help
I went through renovations once and I really hope I won’t have to do it again. Or that I can just go on holiday and someone else can take of it whilst I am away. It was a proper nightmare. I would add to this list hiring reputable contractors. Mine kept delaying the work, as well as keep asking for more and more money for materials, which I suspect they were taking away whilst I was at the office and just claim they used them.
Ha, it is a nightmare, especially with the mess. It can be hard to find good contractors these days. It helps if you can oversee things or pay someone to make sure work is done properly.
Covering everything and moving away what needs to be moved saves us a lot of money in repairs and damages, when the renovation works are done. Thanks for sharing about this.
It really does. So many try to take short cuts and it costs them more in the long run.
These are great tips. I hadn’t thought of hiring a skip but it does make sense to have the convenience of chucking whatever may be in the way.
Honestly, we’ve done it. It can really come in handy.
Budget budget budget!!! And then add a little more just for in case.
Creating a budget & sticking to is is always helpful when trying to complete a project like this! Having everything ready before hand is always nice too, it always sucks to be in the middle of something & realize you are missing a part, tool, etc that you need.
Yes, making sure you have everything in advance really saves time.
This is a really great and very informative post! These are all really helpful tips! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Thanks Richelle. I’m glad you liked the post.
Awesome advice! We are planning to make some changes in our house next spring. We still need to fix a budget!
Good luck, I hope it goes well.
Really great tips but I’m holding off on any and all renovations right now. Definitely things that need to get done down the road though. Thanks for sharing!
Really great tips but I’m holding off on any and all renovations right now. Definitely things that need to get done down the road though. Thanks for sharing!
You can always do your research in advance so you’re prepared.
Moving everything to the center of the area or out of the room and covering seems like the most budget-friendly move during renovations, great tips overall!
Moving and covering items can work well provided you have the space.
Covering the furniture is so worth the time and effort. Whenever I skip this step, I live to regret it.
That’s very true. Sometimes moving it can be the better option.
I am getting ready to start a renovation, so this is a very helpful post for me! Thanks!
Renovations can be chaotic. I have never heard of “rent a skip” so I had to click on the link that you provided.
A couple of years ago I decided to paint two room myself, something I have never done before. Just moving the furniture and covering what couldn’t be moved was a project in itself. But I agree it is a necessity.
We will be buying our first house sometime this year, learning about renovation is a huge part of it, I can’t be more excited about it.
I think these tips are really useful. I will be refurbishing soon so will take your advice. Covering items is very important to keep them safe from damage.
These are great tips. I may need them next year as my parents are planning to sell the family house.
These are great tips, especially to keep cherished things in our home protected.
These are some helpful tips. We don’t need any renovation right now but whenever we have too I will surely remember the tips you shared.
Some great tips here for first time home renovators or whose worried about doing diy for the first time. I would second covering everything to protect your belongings
There are so many good tips in this article! It’s so important to get a skip – and to let the neighbors know you will be having a skip near their homes – it just makes things so much easier as well.
We did some reno over here recently and we certainly created a budget. Thankful we found an affordable and reliable contractor.
That can help. Some contractors charge a fortune.
The timing on this is PERFECT!! We just bought a home and will be announcing it soon! And we do have some renovation needs!
We have slowly been renovating our house over the years. It is so much work! It is good to be prepared — renovations always take longer and cost more than anticipated!!
We are getting ready to renovate soon so these tips will come in very handy.
Amazing tips 👌🏻 Long time back, I did this mistake of not covering my favourite sofa and the painter completely ruined it 😐. I had to change that sofa set later!
We had new flooring put in and it was always a huge mess. They typically just moved the furniture around the house and laid the new carpet Then they put the furniture back.
I agree that we should create an allowable budget when planning for a renovation. Ideally, it is best to make 10 percent of your budget for emergency plans to handle unexpected events. Thank you for sharing. Contact us if you need more information about renovation or remodeling.
This is a good list of tips. There are a lot of tips here that I need to keep in mind. Your sharing is greatly appreciated.
It’s so hard to move places. We’ve done this 8 years ago and I must say your tips are great.
Thanks so much. It helps to have done it and to be organised.
I have never done any renovation work, but I am always amazed when I see the before and after comparison photographs of ronovations that have been done well!
Thank you for sharing this good advice. Renovations are so stressful, it’s better to follow a plan like yours.
It’s the preparation that’s the worst thing, especially as we’re getting older and have less energy.
I’d like to just do some DIY to my place but the thought of doing it whilst living there just puts me off!
Definitely having a budget and then keeping some aside for emergencies is so so important.
I really can help get you out of a jam x
Good tips – we did renovations a couple of years ago – alot of work!
It sure is. I’m so glad you liked my tips x
That post made me smile in recognition as I’ve spent most of this year carrying out decorating and decluttering.
It’s amazing how dusty everything gets even when it’s covered. Invest in proper elasticated covers for smoke alarms otherwise you may find yourself woken in the night by bleeping.
Make sure you fill your skip completely the same day that it arrives in case neighbours decide to ‘help’ fill it for you.
I wish I read this earlier as we rented the skip towards the end and created a mess that could have been avoided
These are great tips. I think setting a budget is so important considering how much everything costs these days!
We’re currently planning work on our home and I’m dreading getting everything ready. This is really helpful.
These are some very useful tips, I can only imagine how much time and thought has to go in to planning renovations.
Great tips I always think it is always best to over budget as there always seems to be something that comes up
Great advice, renovated my bedroom a few years aback, really stressful but rewarding once completed
Wish I had known all these tips before we renovated but we have lots of plans, so now I can plan properly, thank you x
I really dislike the upheaval of having work like this done!
no new tips just like you say cover everything and be prepared for delays and set yourself a budget