10 top renovation tips

1. The first thing to do, when thinking about renovating, is to sit down and plan. What do you want to achieve? What impact is it going to have on your everyday life, what is it you need, who do you need (if you don’t think you can do it yourself) and what are the costs involved.
2. If you intend to sell your house in the future, make sure your renovations add value to the house. What may be a lifestyle improvement for you and your family may not be to everybody’s taste. So make sure the property, and the end of the renovation, is worth more than the cost of the work itself (a carport is a great idea to add value to your property).
3. Have you considered the impact bad windows have on your electricity bill? A loose fitting of your new window frames will result in drafts that will make your property colder in winter and warmer in summer, resulting in a higher use of your air conditioning system. Window films can also help you save energy.
4. A quick way of rejuvenating your house is cleaning the outside (this can be done by professional for about for an average-size home) and paint the inside.
5. Letting more light into your home can be done in many ways. You can opt for skylights which will turn a dark kitchen into a welcoming breakfast area or you can replace windows by French doors (caution: this is often subject to Council approval).
6. If you get professionals to help you renovate, bear in mind that time is money. Make sure you do as much preparation before the team turns up. Put things in boxes and label them, for example: nothing is more time consuming than having to empty your kitchen cupboards!
7. If your renovation is major, use an architect, and one that is experienced with the style and level of renovation you desire. View images or their previous work. Talk to their previous clients. Suss them out. Can you form a constructive, working relationship with them? While they are the expert, you are the user. Will they be too precious about changes to their proposals. And... make sure you can read plans.
8. You will require a permit if you change the footprint of the house, change the position of exterior windows and doors, make structural changes, or alter the roof line. Permits are also required if you change the plumbing diagram or you are altering load bearing walls. However if you move the plumbing slightly within a room, a permit can be avoided if no extra toilets are required. (Often a kitchen and bathroom can be swapped around with minimal change to the plumbing diagram).
9. Any building work worth more than ,000 requires home warranty insurance. Home Warranty protects the owner (either the original or subsequent owners) against : non completion of the building contract due to death, disappearance or insolvency of the builder, and failure of the builder to correct faults, (which are deemed by law to be the builder's responsibility for a nominated warranty period); Construction and Public Liability Insurance is a must for owner-builders.
10. Electrical: think very carefully about furniture layout so outlets they are conveniently placed yet hidden as much as possible. Mark the positions for the electricity outlets and media jacks on the wall. If the house is 60 years old insurance companies may require rewiring.