Thinking about renovating your home? What should you do next?

We often to talk people who tell us “We want to build an extension” or “We want to convert our loft” in order to gain more space. All good solutions if you don’t want to move house and want to create additional bedrooms or living space. And the next logical step that people think of taking is to contact an architect to get drawings for some possible design options.

However, what people haven’t often thought about is what they’re looking for those extensions or conversions to provide, or what their home is lacking other than square footage/additional rooms. What’s needed at this point is a holistic look at lifestyle and what the property needs to deliver to make life work within it. As well as how to make that possible within a given budget.

This is where we at Fresh Start Living can help. We work with people to understand what they want from their home and the best way to maximise its potential. We provide you with a proposal of changes to your home based on our understanding of how you want to live and the type of flow you want in your home. A proposal would include three key things to help you decide how best to spend money on renovating your home.

Floor plan options

As part of our initial face to face meeting we would measure the relevant areas of your home to be able to build a floor plan of the current space. We’d then provide floor plans for potential new options, which might include extensions or conversions but also reconfiguring the current space.

Ballparks costs for each option

We’ve worked on enough renovations now that we are able to ballpark costs for different types of work, so any options we provide will always come with a number attached to it. This means that you won’t end up paying for plans for renovations you can’t afford.

3D visualisations including potential furnishings and finishes

Floor plans are great at showing you the space and structure of a home, however, 3D visualisations can help you see how you might live in the space. We would provide visualisations which include furniture and finishes, making it feel like your home from the start.

Once you’re happy with the plans we would then recommend working with an architect, if relevant, to draw up more detailed plans that could then be submitted as part of a planning application or used by the builders who work on the renovation. This means that you’re only getting detailed drawings for one option, not paying for detailed drawings for multiple options. And it ensures that you are only paying for detailed drawings for plans you can afford to undertake.

If you are thinking about renovating your home and want some help to think about how best to approach it, do get in touch with us here. And don't forget to follow us via Instagram, Facebook and our upcoming blogs.