House renovations are an amazing way to stamp your own personality on your home. All too often we buy a house that we love but there is always something missing until we change it to the way we always dreamed of.

The truth about renovation though is that it is hard, stressful and costs a lot of money while many people don’t plan properly. But there are 3 things you should always remember about renovation, especially if this is your first time:

• Expect to go over budget
• Stick to the vision
• Don’t work too hard

Even the best-laid plans have multiple variables and factors that can affect your budgeting while non-deviation from your desired vision for a project is of paramount importance. But through all this hard work you need to take breaks and try not to do everything all at once.

You Will Spend More

Before beginning a project you will need to develop a budget and try your best to adhere to it. But even the best financial planning cannot accommodate economic uncertainty, stock availability or acts of God. While it’s a frightening prospect, even the best house builders will tell you that budgets need to be flexible.

It is possible that you will find problems along the way such as leaky pipes, dangerous electrics or unsafe flooring. Repairing or replacing these items adds additional costs to the budget, especially if you are moving the placement areas of utilities such as cookers or washing machines so that the required outlets for these also need to be moved.

Unforeseen circumstances, extended time and changes to initial design are all possible variables that often come into play when working on a renovation project. Some professionals recommend adding 20% of your initial projection to the predicted final cost of renovation.

Visualise Your Goals

One of the easiest things to do when renovating is to deviate from your initial vision and goal of what a room or area should be. One of the most common mistakes is that people change their minds along the way when it comes to choosing an item, such as getting a more upscale stove than they initially planned. This is one of the leading causes of overspending on a renovation project.

Great care should be taken to stay focused and true to your original plan for what you want to achieve or you could end up making a mess of the whole project. Always try to visualise an exact style such as Boho or Missionary, and apply it, unless of course, you want an eclectic look.

If you can afford it, or better still, do it yourself, design diagrams and concept art are an amazing benefit when it comes to applying a particular style to a room. This way you will have a tangible example of what you are trying to achieve. There are even CAD programs that can help with this.

Put Yourself First

Any renovation project is hard work and it will use all of your energy, especially if you work a job while trying to complete it. Remember that your energy needs replenishing and if you aren’t up to it on a particular day then don’t do it. It will only end up bad for you and even worse for your project.

Tiredness and irritability will cause you to make mistakes, so choose a schedule when you know you will have the time and energy to complete your goals. This could be weekends or midweek days off, and it might take longer, but at least it will be done properly.

Renovation is also stressful as things will go wrong, timelines might get messed up and the budget will increase. These will add to your general stress levels which is why it is important to expect some things to go wrong and not freak out when they do, because there is always a solution to be found if you sit back and relax.