Anyone that has ever renovated can attest that careful planning and communication is key to making your renovation succeed on time and on budget. Make sure you take the time and really consider what you want to achieve from your renovation before the wrecking ball starts swinging.

It seems like an obvious question, but think carefully about which rooms you want to renovate. I have seen it time and time again that someone will invest in a beautiful, modern new kitchen and not touch the outdated living room that sits right next to it. Consider how the renovated room will affect adjoining areas and plan accordingly to ensure spaces flow and consistency is upheld throughout the whole dwelling. It can be as simple as using the same colour in the adjoining room or making minor modifications to floor coverings etc.

You also obviously have to be realistic and ask yourself how much you can really afford to spend. Having tons of amazing design ideas is great and be sure to let yourself be inspired by looking at lots of references, but make sure you then source accurate quotes (which might bring you back down to earth). Remember also that there often hidden costs involved that your contractor may not have included in their quote. These include accommodation for you if you have to move out for a few months, lighting fixtures, furniture and appliances. Make sure you ask your designer if these costs are included in the quote.

Once you budget is locked in, you’ll need to consider exactly how you intend to use the new space. Will it be a space for you to entertain guests, or for you to entertain yourself and your family? Will the cook have the run of the kitchen or will it be more of a communal family space. Do you have lots of things to store or are you lucky enough to have liberated yourself from too many possessions and can live in a minimalist style. Do you have kids that need their own space or toy storage. All these decisions can dramatically effect the overall design success of the renovation.

Colours have been proven to affect people’s moods, so make sure you tell your designer your colour preferences from the start. Do you like bold and bright, muted and warm, dark and moody, natural and earthy. The best idea is to have a look online at colour combinations that you like and then show these to your designer to see if they will work with the space and furnishings you already have. You really have three choices – keep with the current style of the dwelling, or take a more a radical completely different approach, or combine elements of both.