New Year's resolutions - The dos and don’ts of home renovation

Happy 2017! Is this the year you turn those New Year's resolutions into New Year's renovations?

The warmer weather and longer days are ideal to get some work done on your home and backyard, and whether you’re having a go yourself with some DIY, or you’re hiring in a professional, here are some things to keep in mind...

Do check all the details

The more time you spend considering options and planning, the smoother your renovation will be. It’s much easier and cheaper to draw and correct something, than it is to build and correct something, especially if you’re going to be doing things with your plumbing and electrics, or underground works like irrigation. If you don’t stop to consider these details at the beginning, then they can easily end up costing you more by the end.

Do work with your environment

It is important to plan and work with what you have, and not try to shoe-horn in a design that is at odds with the area. A sloping backyard is a good example of this. You should try to work with the levels, and use them to your advantage. If you don’t have a lot of extra space to work with, then you may need to do some careful planning to make sure you can fit in all of the different elements you’re hoping for.

Do ensure you're adequately insured

A good renovation will usually add considerable value to your property, so you should ensure your insurance is up to date and sufficient to cover the increased value.

Don't forget about saleability

We all want the house of our dreams, but we shouldn’t throw caution to the wind and end up with something that may turnoff future buyers. It’s different if you’ve found your 'forever home', but many of us will buy and improve homes, only to move on a few years later, so you don’t want to make changes to your property that might harm your re-sale value.

Don't forget your approvals

If you’re getting your home renovations done through a professional then they should know which parts of the project are going to require council approval. Some may even do the application for you, or help you with the submission. But if you’re doing some significant DIY renovations then it may be best to call your local council, or check out their website, and find out what sort of things require their approval. The last thing you want is to go through all the effort and cost of building a carport, or granny flat, only to find out that you need to change it significantly in order to meet council guidelines.

Let's get things happening!

Whether you’re going to be getting stuck into some DIY, or contracting a professional, you’re going to need to fund the project. Perhaps you’re a diligent saver, and have money available in your savings or home loan redraw, but if you need some extra money to get you going, a Credit Union SA personal loan might be the key to unlocking your inner renovator. If you haven’t got your home loan with Credit Union SA then you may want to think about refinancing, and then adding some extra funds to the loan in order to bank roll your renovations. This is a great way to secure renovation funds at a lower interest rate.

To find out more call (08) 8202 7777 or read about home renovations.