A dream house is something that everybody desires to have. However, building a new house is no easy task considering the amount of time, money, and other resources spent. Given factors like inflation, growing population, and rising real estate prices, constructing your home from scratch is relatively difficult and costly. Thus, many homeowners want to renovate their houses.
Do you want to add extra room? Do you want to transform your loft into a functional area? Then, house renovation is the key. With professional house renovation, it is possible to modify your home the way you want it, be it to fix structural issues, enhance functionality, or increase comfort.
You need to create a detailed house renovation plan because many homeowners often fail to complete home renovations because of improper planning. That is why we curated this home renovation guide.
Introduction to House Renovation
If you are familiar with home renovation basics and understand the importance of proper planning, then it will be very simple to remodel your home without much difficulty.
Understanding the Basics of Home Renovations
Before anything, it is necessary to learn about the different types of house renovations and understand what renovations your property needs. When hiring a professional renovation company, it is recommended to contact numerous contractors and get multiple quotes. Make sure to estimate the costs and check for financing options. In addition, you need to acquire the applicable planning permissions.
The Importance of Planning in House Renovations
Without a proper plan, it will become difficult to complete the house renovation project. Make sure to plan all the estimated renovations and inquire about the progress from the contractor regularly. You can talk to professional contractors to understand how long it will take and how much money you need to spend.Â
Types of Home Renovation Projects
There are different types of renovations to increase the functionality and comfort of your home. Nevertheless, we can categorize home renovations into two categories: interior and exterior renovations.
Interior Renovation: Transforming Your Living Space
There is one primary reason why many homeowners choose interior renovations — transform the living space and increase the efficiency of your home. You can find some of the best interior renovation projects below:
- Installing new fittings
- Replacing old, worn-out-looking appliances with new ones
- Using classy wood flooring instead of carpets
- Taking down walls between the dining room and kitchen to create a bigger area
- Replacing old flooring with the latest, trendy tile designs
- Removing walls between two congested rooms
- Plastering walls
- Taking out existing fire surround
- Substituting old doors with new composite doors
- Using wrought iron rads instead of radiators
- Throwing away damaged items and using new decor
- Building a new resin driveway
Exterior Upgrades: Enhancing Curb Appeal
Homeowners who want to improve the curb appeal mostly opt for exterior renovations. Let’s have a look at the most common exterior upgrades:
- Painting the exterior of the house
- Substituting sliding doors with the latest French doors
- Doing brickwork in the yard
- Cleaning and repairing roof tiles
- Fixing chimney
- Substituting old tiles with new ones
- Eliminating climbers and ascending foliage
- Substitute elevated windows
Setting Your House Renovation Budget
It is time to set up your budget, which is an important part of house renovation. You need to estimate all the costs and look for financing options, which makes home renovation a breeze.
Estimating Costs for Your Renovation House Project
When estimating the house renovation cost, you should consider material costs, labor costs, legal costs, and many more. Also, the price varies for different renovations.
- Cost of major renovation like loft conversion or extension = £25,000 to £50,000
- Cost of common renovations like kitchen or bathroom renovations = £7,000 to £15,000
- Cost of minor renovations like installing new windows = £400 to £600
Financing Options for Home Renovations
After understanding the total costs involved in house renovation, you need to find and finalize financing options. You can get traditional mortgages or self-building mortgages. However, check the interest rates and application process before applying.
For homeowners who need financial assistance for their house renovation, the UK government offers a few grants. In order to know if you are qualified for such grants, you can visit your local housing council. You can also browse the National Heritage official website to know about the available grants.Â
Finding the Right Property for Renovation
You need to find the right property for renovation – one that is suitable for remodeling and also gives you profit after reselling.
Evaluating the Potential for House Reconstruction
When searching for the property, you should consider the house’s potential for reconstruction. Is it possible to remodel the house? Will the existing structure survive the renovation? It is best to avoid too old houses because they might have structural issues, making it difficult to renovate them.
It is important to consider the price of the property and estimate the renovation cost to know if it will be profitable after reselling. Here is an example:
- Imagine the cost of property = £300,000
- Cost of renovations = £80,000
- Resale value of the renovated property = £370,000
Based on this example, it will be a complete loss for you because the house’s resale value is relatively low. That is why you should consider the reselling value of the property as well.
Assessing Renovation Home Needs
After finding the right property, you need to evaluate the renovation needs of the house. Does the house need major renovations like room extension, loft conversion, entire kitchen renovation, or bathroom renovation? Is the house structurally fit and only needs small aesthetic details like new windows, painting, or decor? Hiring a professional to get a full building survey is best, which can help you find any hidden issues.
The Planning Stage: Laying the Groundwork for Success
You need to consider the planning permissions, design, and architecture before starting the house renovation.
Securing Planning Permission for House Renovations
First, check if the property already has outline planning permission or full permission, which means the officials know that the property needs renovations and agree to them. Most of the time, there is no need to acquire planning permission unless the renovations include electrical or structural work. This is because most of the renovations can be done under permitted development, from kitchen renovation to extension.
Design and Architecture: Visualizing Your Renovated Home
Make sure to draw layout designs to know how the renovated house will look like. You can draw on paper, mobile apps, or 3D software tools. However, make sure that you are drawing the designs based on the real measurements of the house. Also, you can decide the type of design and architecture you want, be it minimalist design, smart home design, ancient architecture, modern architecture, etc.
Assembling Your Renovation Team
It is time to gather your renovation team, responsible for remodeling your house as per your preferred design and architecture.
Choosing the Right Builders and Contractors
You need to hire expert architects, builders, and contractors. When choosing builders and contractors, look at their experience, portfolio, reviews, and budget. It is best to search for the best house extension company near me, get quotes from multiple companies, compare them, and choose the best renovation company.
Importance of Professional Consultancy in Home Renovations
Make sure to hire only professional renovation companies, as they can complete the renovation safely within the given budget and timeframe. Avoid contacting builders or contractors who have negative reviews and not much experience.
The Renovation Process: Step-by-Step
It is time for the main work, renovating your house. You need to create a list of the works in order and ensure that the house is being renovated effectively.
Developing a Comprehensive Schedule of Works
It is best to create a detailed schedule of renovation works by discussing it with the builders and contractors. This way, you can ensure that the renovations are done as per the agreed-upon schedule without delay. Here is the typical schedule of works:
- Structural stability checks
- Demolition of old or unwanted structures
- Handling damps and drains
- Making the exterior weathertight
- Exterior finishes and external works
- First fix
- Wall and ceiling plastering
- Flooring
- Second fix
- Decorating and cleaning
- Snagging
Managing Renovations House Projects Effectively
After the schedule of work is created, the renovation company will start renovating your house. They will demolish and fix structural issues (if any) and complete the exterior works. Then, the builders will focus on the first fix, which includes plumbing, electrical, insulation, etc. They will plaster the walls and ceilings and focus on flooring. After that, they will install new fittings, radiators, etc.
Key Considerations During Renovations
There are some key factors that you need to consider when renovating your house. They include making sure that the existing features balance with modern upgrades and overcoming the access and layout challenges.
Balancing Original Features with Modern Upgrades
Many renovation projects fail for one reason — failing to balance the original features with modern upgrades, which makes the house look odd. So, when planning the house remodeling, make sure that the renovations are in harmony with the existing features. You should consider Windows, doors, timber beams, and roofs as important balancing factors.
Navigating Access and Layout Challenges
Regardless of how prepared you are, some access and layout challenges might arise during the house renovation, affecting your budget, project timeline, and resources required. So, it is best to discuss it with the builders and contractors to find the most suitable solutions.Â
Ensuring Quality and Compliance
After the house renovation is done, it is time for quality and compliance checks, which are essential for overall safety.
Building Control and Inspections for Renovation House
When the house reconstruction is completed, you must apply for a mandatory site inspection. The official authorities will inspect your renovated property. They will review the foundation, structural stability, and the renovated features.
Adhering to Safety and Building Standards
The officials will inspect the house to check if the renovation complies with the safety and building code regulations. They will check how deep the foundation is, the grade and size of insulation, the depth of concrete fillings, and many more.
The Final Stages: Snagging and Finishing Touches
Here comes the last step, where you must focus on snagging and finishing touches on the property.
Conducting Thorough Snagging for Quality Assurance
When the renovation is done, make sure to inspect the house thoroughly. You may find minor snagging issues that can be easily fixed by the builders. These issues include cracks in wall plastering, scrapes, leaks, and many more.
Interior Decoration and Final Touches
It is time to decorate the interior and do the final touches to increase the aesthetic appeal of your renovated house. For example, you can paint the walls, doors, cabinets, etc. You can install trendy light fixtures, window treatments, and many more. Put classy decor pieces in the living room, kitchen, and bedroom. Â
Why Choose Fittra for Your House Renovation
Fittra is a professional refurbishment company based in the UK with an expert team who have several years of experience in the house renovation industry. We are a one-stop house renovation service provider.
Fittra: Your Partner in Quality Home Renovation
Fittra is a 10+ year experienced house renovation London based company specializing in high-quality residential and commercial renovations. Our dedicated team comprises designers, architects, builders, contractors, project managers, and legal advisors. We have FMB, NHBC, and NFB accreditations and are known for our quality services. We offer free consultation and affordable house renovation services.
Services Offered by Fittra: From Extensions to New Builds
Fittra offers a wide variety of complete renovation services. These services include new house construction, house refurbishment, house renovation, loft conversion, house extension, and many more. Apart from that, we also supply and install high-quality windows and doors.
The Fittra Advantage: Stress-Free Process and Expert Guidance
At Fittra, we have a highly professional team who follow a simple, stress-free process to renovate your house. Our on-site team will conduct a site analysis, understand your requirements, provide a proposal, create an estimated timeline, start the renovation, and update the progress. We also provide expert guidance throughout every step and ensure that the renovation is done safely and timely.
Conclusion: Realizing Your Dream Home with Professional Renovation
Hire a professional renovation company if you want to renovate a property and transform it into your dream home. With professional guidance, getting structural design assistance and planning permissions will be easy. The experts will also provide good renovation designs and architecture that balance the house’s original features. Make sure to contact Fittra to get free consultations and instant quotes for your house renovation project.Â
FAQs on House and Home Renovations
Where to Start House Renovation?
No two renovations are the same. Here is the proper order for those who want to know how to start house renovation.
- Demolish and fix structural problems
- Make the home’s exterior weathertight and focus on the exterior finishes
- Do the plumbing, electrical, and insulation systems
- Wall and ceiling plastering
- Install lights and other fittings
- Paint the walls and focus on the flooring
- Do a thorough inspection to see any flaws
How to Plan a House Renovation?
Before starting the house renovation, make sure to create a renovation checklist and set your budget. Hire a professional renovation company to check the house and get multiple quotes thoroughly. Learn and acquire the required planning permissions and get an estimated timeline.
How Long Does a House Renovation Take?
There are plenty of factors that affect the house renovation timeline. However, here is a brief timeline for different types of house renovations.
| Type Of Renovation | Average Time Period |
| Bathroom remodeling | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Kitchen renovation | 4 to 10 weeks |
| 1 or 2-storey extension | 8 to 16 weeks |
| Loft remodeling | 7 to 12 weeks |
How to Save Money on Home Renovation?
If you want to save money on home renovations, you can follow the below factors:
- Set a practical budget after estimating the cost of renovation
- Hire an expert property survey team for detailed inspection and escape from costly repairs
- Reuse old materials instead of buying new ones
- Stick to DIY for minor renovation tasks like painting, installing cabinets, etc
- Get multiple quotes from professional contractors
- Clean the debris by yourself
How to Clean a House After Renovation?
Many homeowners do not know how to clean their houses after renovation properly. Here is the best cleaning after renovating a house checklist:
- Cover the furniture, decor, and appliances
- Dust the walls and ceilings
- Wipe windows, doors, and mirrors
- Vacuum and mop the floor
How to Manage Living Arrangements During Extensive Home Renovations?
Many people stress about housing during extensive home renovations. Staying at nearby short-term rental flats is one of the best choices. If you have an RV, you can stay in your van. Nevertheless, you can follow the below steps if you plan to stay in your home while it is being renovated:
- Create a separate room
- Pack and arrange your necessities in the room
- Set up a small kitchen corner in the room (if your kitchen is getting renovated)
- Keep the door closed not to allow the dust into the room
What are the Latest Trends in House Renovation for 2024?
The 2024 house renovation trends are often inclined toward sustainability. According to many experts, the following house renovation trends will be relatively popular in 2024:
- Eco-friendly upgrades
- Bright color kitchens
- Warm and neutral finishes
- Tile backsplash
- Biophilic design
- Under-counter refrigerators
- Faux built-ins
- Bold pattern and texture wallpapers
- In-home water filtration system
- Home hardening improvements
What are the Common Pitfalls to Avoid in DIY House Renovations?
When remodeling the house by themselves, some homeowners often make a few common mistakes, making the house renovation a difficult task. Avoid the below-listed mistakes if you want to do DIY house renovation:
- Not hiring a professional survey and inspection team
- Ignoring structural and safety inspections
- Not estimating budget and timeline
- Choosing paints in the wrong shades
- Forgetting planning permissions
- Mistakes while measuring
- Acquiring low-quality materials to cut down budget
- Selecting the wrong architectural elements
- Buying materials or decor early without checking if they will fit
- Only focusing on appearance without considering safety
