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Before you renovate or decorate…
It’s 2024 whoooo. Who’s moving home this year? Exciting times ahead 😀.
Soon you’ll be house hunting, negotiating, packing and before you know it collecting the keys to your brand-new home 🔑.
Then what?
The plans, the ideas, the lists, the paint samples (so many paint samples 😂).
But before you rush in and start decorating, you might want to slow down and take a breather.
Here are my top three things to do in your new home, before you even pick up a paintbrush.
Three things to do in your new home…
#1. Approach the layout with a fresh pair of eyes
Don’t assume the previous owners knew what they were doing, or lived the same way you do! Just because they used a certain room a certain way doesn’t mean you have to do the same. You are totally unique and you should plan the layout of your new home to meet your needs. How the previous owners arranged something is just one example of how the space in your home can be used. So when you move to your new home try and approach it with a totally fresh pair of eyes. Think about how YOU want to use each space.
Here are some examples of very typical ways we use certain spaces, which could be switched up!
- Adults/parents always take the biggest room. Why? Because that’s how it’s always done. But what if a smaller bedroom actually has a prettier view and is quieter as it’s at the back of the house? What if you gave a child the bigger room as they play in their rooms, do homework in their rooms, entertain in their rooms and generally have loads more stuff to store?
- The first baby is on the way, the ‘second’ bedroom will be a guest/spare room and the box room will be the nursery. Why? Because that’s how it’s always done. But maybe the baby could go in the ‘second’ bedroom so you don’t have to flip things around and redecorate when they are older and need more space. Maybe the guest bedroom should be the smallest room because it’s not slept in every night (or maybe your guests could use an Airbnb or a hotel 😉).
- The smallest bedroom is used as a home office. Why? Because that’s how it’s always done. But what if the smallest bedroom isn’t actually very inspiring? What if an area of the kitchen, or living room, or another bedroom was more appealing? Work is hard enough, try to make your home workspace somewhere that will stimulate your creativity or focus.
Every family and every home is unique. Of course, you may want the largest room for yourself. And the box room may be the most practical space for the new baby. And that is all good. As long as you really analyse the space in your home and do what is best for you, rather than doing the norm because that’s what everyone else does.
Three things to do in your new home…
#2. Live in it for as long as you can before you start
In an ideal world, you would live in your home for at least one year before starting the renovations or redecoration. This is so you can see the house during every season. It’s so hard in the height of summer to get an appreciation of how the home feels during winter. And if there’s snow on the ground when you move in you have no idea how different the home may feel in summer.
It’s the changing sunlight during the seasons that will influence how the home feels. Natural daylight (or lack of) affects our mood and mental health and also affects the physical warmth and coolness of a space. Being aware of how each space feels throughout the seasons can guide your decor choices. But if you are fully renovating this knowledge is even more important to inform your placement of windows and doors and to help you plan the best layout. Try to take advantage of the sunny areas of the home and allocate these to the kitchen, any open plan and living spaces, whilst allocating the less desirable spaces to more practical spaces.
Aside from the changing natural light, there are other things you may discover about your new home that won’t necessarily be immediately apparent. Things like lack of storage, dampness, plumbing and electric issues often only come to light when you have tried living in the house for some time. So whilst it is not always practical to do this, just give yourself as long as you can before you crack on.
Three things to do in your new home…
#3. Work out your priorities
Unless you have an endless budget it’s a good idea not to rush into your renovations. Instead, come up with a priority project list. There are a couple of ways of approaching this.
- Work from the top down – If you are doing a full-scale redecoration and are confident your budget can achieve everything you need, then this is the most practical approach. Start upstairs and get the bedrooms and bathrooms done and then move down to the ground floor. This is the least messy and most systematic approach.
- Start with the projects that will have the biggest impact – If you are going to be renovating slowly over a few years or more, which is often the case for most of us, then put your money into the areas that will transform your lives the most. So this is generally the kitchen, living area and bathrooms. These also sink the most money, so it’s sensible to get these done before you move onto bedrooms, home offices and playrooms.
- Do the boring but sensible things first – This may be dull, but if you are going to be living in your home for years, maybe decades, then invest money into the projects that you will benefit from for years to come. Good plumbing, electrics, insulation, windows and flooring. They may not be pretty but you do not want to be upgrading these elements once you have done all the pretty decorating. Plus they will save you time and money in the long run.
- Go hard – If it’s a full top-to-bottom renovation/extension project and you have the budget then go all in. It will be stressful, all-consuming and tiring and you will probably have to dedicate a year of your life to making interior design decisions, crying over tiles and washing up in a bath, but it will all be worth it in the end.
Three things to do in your new home…
Don’t forget to enjoy it.
Home is home whatever the decor or how hideous the carpets are. Don’t forget to take time to be together and enjoy the journey.
Let me help you.
With our Room-By-Room Renovation Planner, you can feel more inspired, more creative and in control of your projects.
Achieve your home goals one beautiful room at a time. Check it out here!
And if you want some one-on-one time then book a Design Surgery appointment with me. It’s a ninety-minute session where I will answer all your questions and help you with your design or renovation dilemmas. You can book the service or find out more here.
If you have any questions let me know in the comments below or drop me an email.
Until next time,
Sarah x
