ENSURE your building improvements run smoothly from demolition to completion with these top tips from Houzz’s Rebekah Zaveloff.
1. List items you need on-site when construction begins. Once building works start, life gets more chaotic. Having a list of items and a renovation timeline helps. Tasks like ordering a sink can slip your mind, and you’ll find yourself scrambling when your builder asks for something if you’re not prepared with a schedule.
2. Establish expectations with your trades. As the homeowner, you have some control over the schedule. Taking too long to finalise decisions can cause significant delays. This isn’t just about telling your designer, builder and tradespeople what you expect, this is also about your builder and other professionals giving you realistic expectations. This will make you a happier client and ensure a more pleasant process overall.
3. Clear any cupboards. Renovations are the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning! Instead of throwing everything into boxes and deferring the editing process to the end, get it done now to make moving back in that much more fun. If you have too much on your plate to deal with this now, it can always be done later.
4. Create a temporary kitchen. Even if you don’t have kids and plan to eat out every night, you’ll want a place to make a cup of coffee or a snack. Where you have room, set up one or two tables and seating with appliances you might need during renovations.
