You know what they say; ‘if you can survive renovating with your partner, you’ll survive anything.’ The stress of renovating a home can be particularly high, especially when you have a deadline to meet. Having lived through renovating 5 houses, I’ve collected a few tips that will help spouses as well as family members deal with the stress of pulling apart your home.
It’s important to know your goals. Prior to renovating, construct a list of thing you want to do to your home. This list must be agreed upon by your partner/roommate or landlord if you’re renting. It will help you to know the direction in which you want to go with renovating, as well as minimise any future design disagreements.
Then, work out which tasks you can handle yourselves and which will need expert advice or assistance. Renovating seems to work best when you have contrasting yet cohesive talents, like a designer and a builder would. If either of you has a particular skill that you can apply properly, doing it yourself is an effective way to save money.
Painting in a no brainer, unless you have the money, hiring someone else to do it is pointless. Youtube some videos on how to use a roller brush and simply work at one wall at a time. Remember to buy sample pots of colour to ensure you like it in the room before you buy a large tin and keep in mind that colours may look different in different rooms due to lighting and the size of the area.
Most importantly, if sometime is taking longer than planned, try not to panic. There are always options that you can take to get the job done; whether it’s calling in a friend to help with moving furniture or postponing the job ‘till the next weekend.
