Renovation ready! How to get

Renovation ready!

Before overhauling your kitchen, bathroom or laundry, arm yourself with our planning guide

Although it can be tempting to hit the tools – or head in store – as soon as you’ve decided to renovate, the first and most important step is thorough planning. This can help to reduce overexpenditure and stress throughout the project. Here’s our checklist to a dream renovation.

1Set a clear objective Determine the aim of the renovation, advises Mike Smith, Bunnings in home services state manager. “Are you planning a bathroom update to get your house ready to sell? Do you need a quick

Overwhelmed with colour choices? For advice, see bunnings.com.au.

functional fix in the laundry, or are you redesigning the kitchen to suit your forever home?” he says. Then you can move on to project specifics such as size and scope, how much you can spend, key inclusions and the types of materials.

2Define wants versus needs Write a list of ‘must haves’ and ‘like to haves’ to prioritise spending. Once you’ve budgeted for essentials, such as tiles, taps and a tub in the bathroom, the less essential updates – like heated towel rails – can be considered. Ranking your wish list can also help you decide where to save in order to splurge. “You might choose to use off-the-shelf cabinetry to offset the cost of the luxury stone benchtop you’ve always wanted,” says Mike.

3Plan the look To help you choose a design and colour scheme, Bunnings trend and design manager Jane Wright suggests considering the overall style of your home and surrounding spaces for inspiration. “From there, you can narrow down the specific material options and various fittings and fixtures to create the look and feel that works for your home,” she says.

ESTIMATING THE EXPENSE

Dan Gibney, Bunnings national bathroom buyer, offers his tips for getting quotes on your project

 Decide if you will project manage the renovation or enlist a specialist.  Define the project scope, whether it’s cosmetic versus a full, back-to-studs reno, to help trades quote accurately.  Ask relevant questions and clearly communicate your vision to limit potential misunderstandings.  Request itemised quotes so you can better compare tradies’ prices.  Ensure all trades can provide insurance and relevant certification. 4Budget wisely Establish a set budget and stick to it. To avoid overcapitalising, use your current property value as a guide, suggests Jane. For a bathroom renovation, the formula is about 2 per cent of a property’s value; a kitchen renovation is about 3 per cent. “The complexity of the space, the level of fittings and finishes and the labour involved will influence a project’s cost,” she says. Financing the project is likely to be straightforward if funds are coming from cash savings, advises Mike.

Planning approval may be required, depending on the size and scope of a project. Check with your local council and factor this into your timeline.

5Call in the experts Major renovation work to a kitchen, bathroom or laundry requires the skills of qualified licensed trades, including a plumber and an electrician, so organise them ahead of the scheduled start date. The size of the project and your skill level will affect how much painting and general carpentry you can do yourself, or whether you’ll need a builder or cabinetry installer. For beginner renovators, signing up a designer or experienced builder as project manager can help the job run smoothly. 6 Set a schedule Map out a realistic time frame and be flexible to allow for unexpected delays. “The scale of the job, whether structural work is involved, if services need to be moved and availability of materials affect time frames,” explains Jane. “Generally, expect a kitchen renovation to take between two and nine weeks, and bathrooms and laundries between one and three weeks.”

To help the renovation stay on track, maintain good communications with your builder, be available onsite to answer questions, and organise as many materials and fixtures as possible in advance. ◆

“Good pre-planning is the single most important aspect of your renovation”

RENOVATING GOLDEN RULES

 Start with a considered plan.  Design with the future in mind, whether planning to stay or sell.  Set aside a contingency fund of about 5-10 per cent of your total budget to cover unexpected costs, advises Jane. For a larger scale reno, best to allow 10-20 per cent.  Don’t overcapitalise, cautions Mike. “Talk to experts to get a sense of what your home is worth and how much you should spend on key areas like the kitchen and bathroom.”  Get several quotes from trades and compare like with like.  Don’t rush the project. Take time to fully plan the design and use the right people and materials for the job.  Measure accurately. “If you’re not confident how to correctly measure up, for example kitchen cupboards and benchtops, enlist an expert, like a member from the In Home Services team,” suggests Jane.

DIY painting is a popular way to help reduce the overall cost of a reno.