The real cost of a renovation

It's very important to be practically well prepared for the work, but it's equally important to be emotionally prepared for what is about to happen to you (and your home). 

It can really help to explore the feelings and emotions you are likely to have at any given point throughout the renovation before you have them, so that you are prepared and not caught off guard by the whole thing.

There are some typical stages on the emotional journey of a renovation, and while each stage can be shorter or longer depending on your particular build, they usually follow a similar pattern.

Stage One - Planning and preparing

This is the exciting part! You are imagining your dream home, and it may be something you have planned for a long time. You might be creating moodboards, scouring Pinterest, or you might be working with an architect or a designer to help you realise your vision. You are searching for the right builder to bring your dreams to life, getting your finances in place, and confirming details before work starts. Everyone is enthusiastic at this stage, and looking forward to work actually beginning.

What can help?

Be as prepared as you can be - visit those kitchen showrooms and make as many decisions as you can before the builder arrives. Be aware of and accept that things will go wrong, even though it may be nobody’s fault. A mistake or uncovering something unexpected will add extra time, money and stress to the build, and the best thing you can do is expect that it will probably happen to you.

Stage Two - Building work starts

You are ready to go, and your team of builders arrive on the first day. Everyone is in good spirits and looking forward to getting started. It's very exciting when things move forward - scaffolding going up, walls coming down, old bathrooms being ripped out. Everything seems to move very quickly at this stage, and it can be easy to fall behind. Try to keep ahead of the decisions which your builder will need you to make (where do you want your plug sockets?) as leaving them to the last minute will only cause more stress and add to the feeling of chaos. I’ve lost count of the number of people who have told me that they chose that tile because the builder needed to install it in the next few days, and it could be picked up from the local store, rather than being ordered and waiting for delivery. You don’t really want to be making your design decisions under this kind of stress.

When things move quickly, the downside is that you can almost feel a sense of grief as you say goodbye to your home as it was. Letting go can be hard, especially when the new space isn’t yet realised and your daily routines are disrupted. It's normal to feel frustrated and even regretful at this stage, and it can make you tired, both emotionally and physically - lots of people lose sleep over budgets and decision making. It can help to focus on your plans and look at your Pinterest boards or inspiration, and to try to keep your eye on the end goal.

I’d recommend keeping a written record of any changes to the plans at this stage. Ask your builder or designer what effect these changes will have on the timeline and budget, and adjust your totals accordingly. This avoids the surprise of a big bill at the end.

Try to find moments of calm when you can. If possible, keep one room clean and untouched by the build which you can retreat to when things get tough.

Stage Three - Building work continues

This is by far the worst stage. The novelty and excitement of having the work done has definitely worn off; there is dust absolutely everywhere, and the stress of making decisions is causing you and your partner to argue. Depending on how long your build will be, I find that around week 12 is when it feels the worst - the destruction and disruption are real, and it often feels like progress is really slow at this stage. The mess and dirt have spread throughout the house, and no matter how much cleaning you do, it's very hard to stay on top of it. Having trades in the house can start to get old very quickly, as they usually arrive early every day, and you can feel that you and your house have to be presentable before they arrive. Who wants the added stress of making the bed and tidying up every day before going to work?

Then there’s the noise. It can be pretty constant. The noise is a necessary part of having the work done, but it can be the most irritating and upsetting part of the build. This stage can also seem to take an age as it can be hard to see real progress. All the ‘behind the plasterwork’ bits are being done now - vital work such as running the cabling for the electrics so you can have your plug sockets exactly where you want them. These are the bits you won’t see when everything is finished, and they are nowhere near as exciting as seeing paint going on the walls or that lovely chandelier you found being fitted. It's common to feel that you are spending a lot of money only to have everything in chaos, with your whole life upside down, and whilst you want the trades there to move the build along, you also resent their presence in your home every day.

Try to agree on a general work start and end time with your team, and to know who is coming and why. Try to discuss things in person with your builder as much as possible (keeping notes of course) as things can easily be misunderstood over email or WhatsApp. Focus on the reason you are doing this and keep your eye on the end goal - keep looking at your inspiration or designs, and your progress photos.

Stage Four - Building work suddenly leaps forward

The tile selections for the pool area, the tiles being installed and our finished Luxury Pool, Gym & Sauna project

It can seem that the endless waiting for it to be over suddenly changes to excitement as you can see things happening and can almost taste the finish line. Once tangible things start being installed - kitchen cabinets, flooring, taps, doors, paint - you see real progress, and you can start to look forward to the end. On the flipside, this stage can also seem to drag on as there are lots of smaller jobs to complete. The impact of larger things happening can be dampened by the fact that nothing is quite finished, which can be very frustrating, as everything is almost done, but your new spaces can’t be used yet. The smaller details are just as important as the larger ones (grout colours, door handles, tile trims) but they can be overlooked as the big things go in relatively quickly, and have a larger impact. 

At this point, you will be tired of juggling family, work and any other commitments, so finding the energy to finish your renovation can feel like an additional burden. There is a strong sense of wanting everything to go back to normal, for the trades to be out of your house, and for everything just to be done. The end seems closer than ever, but somehow still too far away.

What can help?

Planning some time away from the house and mess of the build can give you a much needed break - go out for a meal or do something fun with your family. Try to focus on the fact that it will pass - before long it will all be over and the frustration will fade into a distant memory. It can also help to remember that you have to let the process happen and allow your team to finish everything off properly. You can’t control every stage of the build, and nor should you try. Trust the professionals working on your home to get everything done in the right order and give them time to do things the right way.

Stage Five  - the dust settles

The building work and finished dressing room and en suite from one of our recently finished projects