Renovating
Ask an Expert: What’s the Top Priority When Planning a Renovation?
Professionals in the Houzz community share the most important points to keep in mind when planning a renovation
Are you planning to renovate your home this year? If so, the task may initially seem daunting. So we asked eight professionals from the Houzz community, ranging from architects and interior designers to contractors, what they would prioritise when planning a property project.
Prioritise the layout
Andrew Dunning of APD Interiors explains the importance of ensuring you’re working with an efficient layout:
‘Does the layout work for you and, if it doesn’t, how can you improve it? This is often where the skills of a professional are needed, as we will take the floorplan back to basics and make it work for you. When you have a layout you like, you then need to plan the electrics and lighting – these need to be fixed and fitted before you start thinking about the colour of your walls.’
Browse 10 smart kitchen layouts
Andrew Dunning of APD Interiors explains the importance of ensuring you’re working with an efficient layout:
‘Does the layout work for you and, if it doesn’t, how can you improve it? This is often where the skills of a professional are needed, as we will take the floorplan back to basics and make it work for you. When you have a layout you like, you then need to plan the electrics and lighting – these need to be fixed and fitted before you start thinking about the colour of your walls.’
Browse 10 smart kitchen layouts
Keep your daily routine in mind
Rebecca Leivars of LEIVARS emphasises the importance of prioritising your daily routine when planning a renovation:
‘Homeowners should ask themselves what they want to achieve by thinking about how their family lives and making a list of their needs. What is their routine? Why does the current space not deliver and, if they could have a blank canvas, what would they do? What can the homeowners afford? Will the work add value, or is this a forever home?
‘Be practical. Can it be maintained? Is there enough storage? Will the work comply with regulations? And most importantly, do not ignore the benefits of good lighting.’
Learn how to budget for your home redesign
Rebecca Leivars of LEIVARS emphasises the importance of prioritising your daily routine when planning a renovation:
‘Homeowners should ask themselves what they want to achieve by thinking about how their family lives and making a list of their needs. What is their routine? Why does the current space not deliver and, if they could have a blank canvas, what would they do? What can the homeowners afford? Will the work add value, or is this a forever home?
‘Be practical. Can it be maintained? Is there enough storage? Will the work comply with regulations? And most importantly, do not ignore the benefits of good lighting.’
Learn how to budget for your home redesign
Avoid big egos
Andrew Petherick of Artichoke prioritises a good team of architects and builders:
‘Choose the right team and make sure they know what their responsibilities are. Avoid having anyone on your team with an ego.’
Find top rated architects and building designers near you
Andrew Petherick of Artichoke prioritises a good team of architects and builders:
‘Choose the right team and make sure they know what their responsibilities are. Avoid having anyone on your team with an ego.’
Find top rated architects and building designers near you
Make sure you and your architect/designer click, and understand your property’s planning permits
Andrew Brown of Brown + Brown Architects emphasises the importance of communicating your vision to your architect or designer, as well as understanding the legal framework you may be operating under:
‘Appoint the right architect or designer. It’s important to find someone who you think understands what you want, and you also need to like the style of work they do. Not every architect is a good fit with every client.
‘Then figure out how you live your life. Would open plan work, or do modular rooms suit you better? How will your family want to live in one, five and 10 years’ time, as kids grow up?
‘Also, make sure your house isn’t listed. A listing can cause unexpected problems when it comes to renovations, as the conservation officer appointed by the local council – rightly – has a great deal of power to preserve the historic built environment.’
Andrew Brown of Brown + Brown Architects emphasises the importance of communicating your vision to your architect or designer, as well as understanding the legal framework you may be operating under:
‘Appoint the right architect or designer. It’s important to find someone who you think understands what you want, and you also need to like the style of work they do. Not every architect is a good fit with every client.
‘Then figure out how you live your life. Would open plan work, or do modular rooms suit you better? How will your family want to live in one, five and 10 years’ time, as kids grow up?
‘Also, make sure your house isn’t listed. A listing can cause unexpected problems when it comes to renovations, as the conservation officer appointed by the local council – rightly – has a great deal of power to preserve the historic built environment.’
Consider energy efficiency
Stuart Duncan from the building company Build Different advises considering energy-efficient design in your next renovation:
‘For me, it’s all about energy efficiency, so I would be considering how to retrofit energy-saving technologies, such as mechanical ventilation heat recovery, additional insulation, airtightness, triple glazing and solar panels.’
Stuart Duncan from the building company Build Different advises considering energy-efficient design in your next renovation:
‘For me, it’s all about energy efficiency, so I would be considering how to retrofit energy-saving technologies, such as mechanical ventilation heat recovery, additional insulation, airtightness, triple glazing and solar panels.’
Think of the future
Michael Parinchy of Pro Build 360 explains the value of keeping the future use of a home in mind:
‘The first things to consider are future possibilities relevant to the design process. These include family planning, age/disabilities, and future phases to the home improvement project. Generally, it’s important to think about what the coming years are likely to hold, and design the home to accommodate that.’
Michael Parinchy of Pro Build 360 explains the value of keeping the future use of a home in mind:
‘The first things to consider are future possibilities relevant to the design process. These include family planning, age/disabilities, and future phases to the home improvement project. Generally, it’s important to think about what the coming years are likely to hold, and design the home to accommodate that.’
Practicality first, fun later
Camilla Pringle of Camilla Pringle Interiors believes it’s important to prioritise a space’s practical function before beginning to plan colours and materials.
‘A space must function and support everyday life. Once the space-planning side of the project is done, then the fun of choosing colours and textures can follow.’
TELL US…
Are you planning a renovation anytime soon? What are your priorities? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
Camilla Pringle of Camilla Pringle Interiors believes it’s important to prioritise a space’s practical function before beginning to plan colours and materials.
‘A space must function and support everyday life. Once the space-planning side of the project is done, then the fun of choosing colours and textures can follow.’
TELL US…
Are you planning a renovation anytime soon? What are your priorities? Share your thoughts and ideas in the Comments below.
Egon Walesch of Egon Walesch Interiors & Flowers emphasises the importance of understanding how a space is used by members of the household:
‘The first thing to consider in planning a redesign is to get a complete understanding of the needs of all users of the space. The design process will put some order on these, prioritise them, resolve conflicting needs and work out how they will be met – given the constraints of budget and practicalities – but the requirements of the people who will live there should be the starting point.’