Perhaps you’re having your first child and making a comfy nest for your new little one to come home to. Or perhaps you’re building an extension to make room for a third or fourth child. Either way, you’re craving more space, more storage and some peace of mind when it comes to making your place safe and sound for the family to enjoy.
The benefits of renovating can sometimes seem far off when you’re in the middle of what seems like a scrap heap, with hazards poking their heads out everywhere, dust from floor to ceiling (and everywhere in between) and some weather that’s looking gloomy and wet!
So as you can imagine, there are a number of elements to consider when deciding to renovate and today we’re going to give you some top tips to hopefully make this projects easier.
It’s all in the timing. Get started as early as possible. You don’t want to be home (with newborn child) while the banging and sawing and drilling is going on and disturbing little one’s slumber (not to mention YOUR pre-requisite day time naps).
If you have to move out (to keep the peace) – do so! If you can afford it, rent somewhere close by or have a relative take pity on you and move in with them for a couple of months…particularly if it’s proving to be unsafe for the kids. It’s a serious consideration and needs careful thought and planning – but unfortunately with factors such as bad weather, things don’t always go to plan – so have contingencies.
Government figures estimate that on average, 5,000 children seek medical attention because of accidents per day. Many of these accidents occur at home; therefore, it is very worthwhile to install safety features in the home. Check out Kidsafe Queensland for more information.
Are you a handy DIYer or are you going to get a builder in? Either way, you’ll need to make sure you get some good plans drawn up and check whether you need to get them approved by council. Again this can take time.
It’s a relief when you only need a couple of trades for a bedroom, but if you need a new bathroom, expect the budget to be a lot more and that it will take more time. In the long term though, the benefits of a second or newly renovated bathroom, in a growing family, far out way all the cons!
Choosing the finishing touches such as flooring and furnishings is so much fun! Make sure you enjoy this bit! If you do need new blinds or flooring, be sure to talk to Andersens Flooring, who can give you the best advice when it comes to the different types of flooring for your kids room, living areas, bathroom or deck. We also have expert interior decorators and designers in store to give you some ideas to fit in with your existing furnishings.
If you have any other ideas or advice when renovating, please be sure to let us know. We love hearing about your renovation tales.
