How to Plan a Successful Home Renovation

Starting any home renovation project is exciting—it’s a chance to turn your dream into reality. You can’t wait to start remodelling your home. However, as you get into the details, the ground reality presents a stark contrast. You’ll realise there’s more work than you initially anticipated—there are plans to be made, tradies to be hired, materials to be bought, cleaning to be done, and the list goes on. If this is your first time, you will need a solid plan before you venture into this.

Consider your project as an entity that requires guidance. Your plan becomes the guide that dictates how fast things move, when they move, and where they move. It will ultimately decide the outcome of the project. A well-defined plan will get the work done on time and deliver the desired results. So, how do you draw up an effective plan?

The basis of any good action plan depends on your understanding of the project, especially for DIY projects. First, you need to consider the scope of work to avoid scope creep and familiarise yourself with the different stages involved in planning. Next is the budget—knowing the costs involved and creating a comprehensive budget will lead to faster project completion.

Of course, working with professionals like KIND Kitchens has its benefits. Most of the planning is done by experts, whether it's cost calculations or hiring tradies. They’ll consult with you, understand your ideas and preferences, and then create a detailed plan within the scope and budget.

Planning Your Renovation Project

Whether you’re going solo or engaging with renovation specialists, having an action plan will prevent possible delays and provide workarounds in case of unavoidable circumstances. So, how do you come up with an effective plan? What should you consider? Where do you begin? Let us put your mind at ease by sharing these pointers.

Know the Work Sequence

Once your scope is set, you need to chart a rough pathway for things to do. This will help you hire tradies at the right stages of renovation.

With an unordered work sequence, the work might not go smoothly, putting a dent in the plan. For example, you plan to redo your cabinetry and tiled splashback. Since the tiler is available before the cabinet maker, you may be tempted to have the tiler come in first. This may upset the flow of work as installing the tiles or splashback first puts great limitations on the cabinetry work, which can lead to less-than-satisfactory cabinets.

The wrong sequence may lead to more complications and increase the risk of delay, especially with custom-made items.

Have Time and Budget Buffers

Apply Murphy’s Law while planning—know that things can go wrong and will go wrong. It’s important to have buffers in place and avoid booking tradies one after another. A lot of DIY renovators make this mistake and end up rescheduling the work.

For instance, don’t book your plumber for the same afternoon if you have benchtop installations in the morning. Space it out—it’s better to stay prepared for any eventuality. While it may only take a few hours or a day to get it done, sometimes, you will need time for stone glue and silicones to cure. So, don’t get the plumber to come in immediately after the stone installation.

Give some breathing room between every task and trade. A good piece of advice is to consult with contractors. Ask them about some common issues that may happen. Know the worst-case scenarios and how long it will take to rectify the problem. This gives you an insight into the buffer needed between two tasks. It will help you to develop a “project critical path”, which outlines the necessary components to be completed before any other sequential tasks can begin.

Knowing the Standards

If you’re new to the renovation game, you may not be familiar with the required standards. You’ll need an expert to check on the work and determine if you can proceed with the next phase and that the work done is up to standard. Few homeowners realise this, but you can hire surveyors to inspect. They will review the work done and give a green light for the next stage. This is an excellent option if you’re managing the project yourself.

Knowing the quality of the work will determine the final output. Let’s take another example—once the stone benchtop is installed, you can’t change the cabinet’s structure. So, if there are issues with the installation, you’re stuck with it. Redoing the whole section will not only cost time and money but can also lead to legal issues with your tradies.

You can hire a professional surveyor to ensure the work is finished to the minimum building standard. A better option is to hire an experienced, reputable, and customer-orientated renovation company. Though it might be pricier than a DIY renovation, you can rest assured that they’ll get the work done within the specified budget and on time. So, the finished product is your KIND of renovation. It’s a win-win situation!

Your Home Renovation Specialists in Melbourne

Behind every successful home renovation project is a reliable action plan. At KIND Kitchens, we create a plan for every conceivable delay. Our team has done this a thousand times and knows how the contractors work. You don’t have to deal with the headaches, point us in the right direction and our team will make it happen.

We understand the excitement and stress of a home renovation project—it’s a huge deal. The last thing we want to do is burden you with the details. So, allow us to show you why we are the preferred choice for home renovations in Melbourne. You can contact any one of our four showrooms in Bentleigh, Blackburn, Chadstone, or Hawthorn for a detailed consultation. Our team will be happy to help.