How to have a home you can be proud of!
If you are undergoing renovations in your home you don’t need to blow your budget out of the water or require a whole lot of handyman help! Here are some tips to improve your DIY renovations and help you transform your house into your dream home.
Know the building landscape — make sure if you want to knock out any walls or add that extra bedroom that you are well versed on what building consents you may require.
Old carpet? It has to go — If you have old carpet it is time to rip it up. Modern homes are all about floorboards and exposed flooring. You may find a hidden gem hiding underneath your carpet. Also if the floor area is large you can use rugs to complement the space.
Seek inspiration — the internet is full of fantastic DIY, renovation and design tips. There are thousands of blogs dedicated to home improvements as well as Pinterest which is a goldmine for creative design ideas.
Set a budget — This is important to set from the outset. It will help you keep restraint throughout the DIY process and also provide clarity on which jobs are the most important around the home.
Do not skimp on the lighting — Lighting is often overlooked however it should be given priority. It helps create mood and feeling in the house and can transform spaces to appear bigger and more welcoming.
Think ahead with storage — No matter what the size of your home storage is always going to be important. Having an efficient and effective way to store all your stuff should be a priority. It may even be as simple as buying furniture that has storage capabilities, or introducing popular open shelving units that blend into the space.
Make sure you have a simple bathroom plan — It is easy to get carried away on re-organising your whole bathroom. Make sure the use of space is managed effectively and floor space is not compromised. If you are worried about your storage space get creative with how you display your bathroom amenities.
Give your house a lick of paint — This is the easiest and most cost effective way of upgrading the aesthetic look of your house. Again make sure you have planned out the colours of the whole house in advance and have a consistent theme regarding your colour scheme and feature walls.
Renovating the kitchen — It is not always necessary to hack everything out of the kitchen and start from scratch. Check if the cupboards and drawers are salvageable with new handles or a fresh coat of paint before ripping them out.
Utilise greenery — Indoor plants are a great way to add refinement to your home. Make sure that you use indoor plants to add to the space and liven up your living area. It may be as simple as adding a popular living wall to feature in an appropriate space.
Have space in your laundry — Even if your laundry is small make sure there is enough space to fit in a reasonably sized sink. There is nothing worse than having limited room to do some cleaning and no one wants to take this through to the kitchen!
Happy renovating!
Ryan is Co-Founder and Director of Waggle New Zealand. www.waggle.co.nz is an easy way to outsource any job that you may have around the house or the office.
