Experts reveal how they beat their biggest reno regrets
WHEN you’re spending this much money. it’s worth getting it right the first time. Avoid a case of renovator’s regret with advice from those who’ve been there before.
Home Mag
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A HOME makeover gone wrong is not like a bad haircut that you will grow out of or simply get used to. Renovation regret is a reality, particularly with so many Australians now diving into the DIY deep end.
While the wrong paint or curtain choice is a reasonably quick fix, moving a bathtub or kitchen sink once the job is done is a whole other hurdle.
A recent survey by James Hardie showed a third of renovators are unhappy with their finished home — one in four projects go over budget, and a fifth of them go over time.
“During the renovation process, we often have to make concessions on our vision and the biggest sacrifice can be the look of the home,” says Steve Pisani, national builder business manager for James Hardie.
The research also showed that 40 per cent of homeowners were forced to make multiple compromises on the layout of their homes.
To avoid nightmare renovation mistakes, consider some of these simple but significant guidelines to keep your project on track.
SAVE BUT DON’T SCRIMP
The Block alumni Kyal and Kara Demmrich, who are such supporters of the ‘secondhand economy' they’ve become Gumtree design experts, says preloved items should always be considered.
However, they do warn that the cheaper option is not always cheerful.
“If you need to compromise, maybe up cycle a vanity, or reconsider the tiles, but don’t compromise on tapware,” Kara says. “It’s expensive to install and if anything does goes wrong you’re going to have to get the plumber back in. It just costs more in the long run.”
Kyal says if you’re on a tight budget there are definitely things you can shave off here and there, but don’t take it to the extreme.
“I see DIY-ers taking shortcuts on things you don’t see like waterproofing, or soundproofing, or insulation, but that’s going to really impact on how the house is going to perform,” he says.
PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS
Despite being serial renovators who have completed almost 30 projects, The Block alumni Kyal and Kara Demmrich advise DIY-ers not to take on too much themselves.
“I’m guilty of it,” says Kyal. “You think you’re going to save money doing it yourself, but the reality is it’s going to take you twice as long and you won’t get it to a professional standard.”
“Maybe assess at the start how much time it’s going to take, and what standard you expect,” Kara says.
But Kyal admits it can take time for rookie renovators to discover where their skills lie.
“There are a lot of influencers out there spurring the DIY-ers on, but know your limits,” he says. “Is this a weekend project that’s going to take five years?”
ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS
Kara says she regrets not asking enough of tradies in the early days.
“In one of our first bathrooms our tiler was putting some standard tiles in really far apart,”
she says. “I told him I wanted a thinner grout line but he just said he couldn’t and I took his word for it. Years later when I see photos of that bathroom
I still can’t look at that grout line!”
George McGarry, managing director of McGarry Constructions, says poorly planned bathrooms and kitchens can lead to regret, particularly when space is limited.
“If you’ve completely finished a bathroom renovation and then you feel that the layout isn’t right for you, there isn’t a whole lot you can do about,” he says.
“In our case, when we spot anything we think isn’t going to work well, or there may be a better way, then we let our clients know.”
TO DIY — OR NOT TO DIY
It’s important to know when to bring in the professionals to manage the project for you, says George.
Larger projects, like entertaining areas, are generally left to those with construction experience.
“People with experience in the industry will know the right sequences for each job,” he says.
“If you’re not in the industry you might not know the timing which can lead to costly mistakes.
“That’s when I’ve seen people come unstuck. We’ve come across new bathrooms that haven’t been sealed correctly or haven’t been sequenced properly so the waterproofing has been put on too soon after the render. You learn that after being years in the trade.”
TALK TO THE PROFESSIONALS
“More than one in three of the renovators surveyed turn to a builder for advice on where to compromise,” Steve, from James Hardie, says.
George, from McGarry Constructions, says for smaller jobs, such as bathroom renovations (pictured), people might decide to design it themselves.
But it’s always worth getting some professional advice.
“We always suggest that a client get a designer or architect on board, especially if they’re going to change around the floorplan to get the best use of the space,” George says.
“We’ve had clients who did their own sketches and once the space starts coming together they thought ‘Maybe we should have laid it out a bit better’.
“That’s quite common.”
More:jameshardie.com.au; kyalandkara.com; mcgarryconstructions.com.au; haymespaint.com.au
WHEN RENOVATING GOES WRONG
39 per cent have to make compromises due to budget
26 per cent of projects go over budget
22 per cent have to settle because of design issues including heritage restrictions
20 per cent are not completed in time
2 per cent would advise other renovators to do better research and planning
Conducted on behalf of Scyon Walls (James Hardie)