Many renovators I support tell me one of their biggest concerns is running into a costly, expensive, unforeseen issue during their build. Completely smashing their budget, putting a stop to the work they’d painstakingly planned.

Surprise, unforeseen costs pop up in renovations all the time.

In fact, they’re fairly common. And the costs are completely unknown until the issue is discovered and investigated.

You might get unlucky facing a shocking £10,000+ repair, or a little more fortunate with a £500 fix on something you didn't have a clue about.

It still sucks.

But what if I told you there are 4 things that are more likely to go wrong BEFORE your renovation starts.

And in fact, by preparing for these correctly, you'll prevent any major issues drastically affecting you and your plans - like that £10,000 bill you didn't expect!

Let's take a closer look at the 4 things to watch out for before you renovate and make sure you're doing everything you can now to create a beautiful home, sanity still intact, with money left over – not disappointed because of the lacklustre results that cost you over the odds and stressed you out!

If you're doing any of these 4 things, stop 🙅🏻‍♀️

You’re buying the wrong property

You're dreaming about how you'll be adding an extension, loft conversion or removing a wall here and there, to make this property the right size and layout for you and your lifestyle. But have you done the necessary investigations to understand whether the property can be remodelled the way you're visualising on paper? Some properties can't have footprint added in the way you might have imagined, which could leave you feeling annoyed you didn't buy the property that could. Or you wished you’d sat tight and waited a little longer for a different renovation that gives you more flexibility.

Underestimating the scale of your project, not researching well enough regarding planning regulations or doubting you'll be able to make something great with the current layout can lead to major regrets, disappointment & an earlier move than planned.

What should you do?

Use sites like Zoopla to see how your neighbouring properties have legally renovated.
Search the Register of Planning Decisions to see all planning applications by postcode. You’ll get a temperature check on the type of plans your local council are approving, disputing or declining.
Preferably do this before you buy!

You aren't getting the right survey

If you haven’t opted for a full structural survey, you’re completely in the dark about the level of maintenance required to the property structure, drainage, electrics & grounds and you can't budget for any remedial costs.

Without a full building survey, you're on the path to unexpected, costly problems revealing themselves during your project, shattering your budgets or damaging your newly finished design.

And timing is key. Getting a basic home buyers report means you're saying goodbye to your opportunity to negotiate the cost of the repair work from the purchase price. So don't let things slide just because a Home Buyer’s report is a couple of hundred pounds less than a Full Building survey.

What should you do?

Instruct a reputable Chartered Building Surveyor to conduct a Level 3: Full Building Survey (aka ‘Full structural’ survey)
Remember you don’t need to be buying a property to have it surveyed. If you’ve owned a property for 20+ years that you’re planning to renovate, it may be prudent to conduct a Building Survey to get a clear indication of maintenance costs.

You’re underestimating how much your renovation will cost

Many renovators have a specific figure they can use for the renovation work. Often, it’s the equity from your previous house purchase or the amount you’ve comfortably been able to extend on your mortgage.

But what you need to avoid is the tendency to tell yourself ‘£100K should cover it' and keep proceeding with your property purchase or the build itself without drilling down realistic pricing.

This naivety and hopeful mentality is damaging to all projects. You could be massively underestimating your costs and leave yourself out of pocket mid-way through your build, with big regrets about even starting.

What should you do?

There’s a lot of information about renovation pricing online, but most of it is complete rubbish and not to be relied on as it’s typically written by staff writers who are researching the same articles and repeating estimates.
Avoid inaccurate sources and access renovation costs that are up to date, in your area, and submitted by UK renovators who are on the ground doing the same work you’re aspiring to do.
We provide a wealth of accurate costs and resources to students
Students are also sharing costs live in the private community!

You’re not planning in enough detail

The renovators we support through our online courses were already planners when they started. But even they get shocked by the areas they didn’t know they needed to plan before the builders come knocking.

It’s the details that add up to become the high-quality finish you’re hoping for. But it’s also the details that often get miscommunicated, overlooked or leave you stressed and rushed when your builder is putting you on the spot and they need an answer now.

I’ve said this so many times you’re probably sick of hearing it again 😅.

The best-planned projects get the best results.

Before you renovate, you need to have all of your plans and decisions made, ready to go. This will drastically reduce the stress when the build is underway and will allow you to estimate your costs more accurately, giving you time to find cheaper alternatives that won’t compromise your design, if you need to.

What can you do right now?

Access our online courses anywhere, anytime and you’ll confidently create your dream home without the need for expensive designers
I’m passionate about helping you design a warm, nurturing environment for you and your family and I’m here to help!

You’re doing your renovation alone

Renovating throws a HUGE amount of unknowns resulting in the project being stressful and disorganised, with costly mistakes.

We took the approach of going it alone when we started out in 2016. Never again. It was painfully slow and we made mistakes.

Instead, I’d love to support you closer.

You can start working with us and our 1200-strong renovation community who are applying a tried and tested framework to prepare correctly.

You’ll get clarity on accurate renovation costs and I’ll show you how to create your dream home (that friends and family are wowed by!)

There's no risk to you as we offer a 100% no-quibbles refund policy. To learn more about what we do, join the waitlist for our upcoming enrolment.

I hope this information has helped you and I’m rooting for you and your renovation!

Speak soon,

Fi

The 4 things that can go wrong BEFORE you renovate