If you’re up for the challenge of a home refurbishment project, or if you’ve purchased a property with the intention of doing it up, we’d like to offer you a helping hand and show you, step by step, how to plan the project. To do this, we’re using a classic business tool – S.M.A.R.T. planning.
S.M.A.R.T. stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-Bound…
Specific – Define your refurbishment goals
Are you going to keep the property, or flip it for a profit? How much of the work do you want to do yourself? Do you want to modernise, restore or change the function of the layout? Is it space you’re looking for, or is it more about the aesthetics? Specifying your goals helps you prioritise the work, keep control of the budget and timeline and make those harder decisions when you’re half way through! Specifics will also determine whether your project falls within permitted development rights.
Look at the overall goal of your project and break it down into a separate plan for each area of your property and look for similarities. For example, can you have the kitchen and bathroom ready for the plumber at the same time? Or will it suit your plan to do one room at a time? This might also be the perfect time to get the whole family invested and make a group vision board.
Measurable – Keeping control
The budget is the foundation of your refurbishment project and will undoubtedly influence the scope of your refurbishment, so make sure you have a good way to measure your spending. To work out what you’ll spend we’d advise you to break your project down into key areas:
- Professionals (architect, engineer, plumber, electrician, landscaping…)
- Major materials
- Fixtures and fittings
- Unexpected cost contingency (10-15%)
It would be advantageous to look at similar projects that have been completed and compare the costs. Try researching Checkatrade, Zoopla or the Home Owners Alliance for example.
Achievable – How much can you achieve alone?
For large home refurbishments you may need a structural engineer, architect, and principal contractors to act as your project manager. Be honest about your own skill limitations and get quotes for different jobs – we’d say from three companies for comparison. And always research their credentials – personal recommendations are good, but check Google Reviews and Facebook too…
Relevant – Is it the right decision?
There will be numerous decisions to make along the way, so to help you keep control of your budget and stay on track timewise, ask yourself, is this right for the project? You may get side-tracked into looking at ultra-modern fixtures for the kitchen when actually you’ll be selling the house, and the spending is no longer relevant.
Try considering your ‘wants’ vs ‘needs’ to keep all your decisions relevant to the project.
Time-Bound – When does it need to be done by?
Bearing mind that around 30% of homeowners go over budget and many home refurbishments are delayed thanks to the British weather and hidden damage, you need to be realistic about the timeline. If you want it done in a short time, you either need to adjust your budget or your expectations!
Setting a deadline though does help you stay focused on the priorities and often helps you determine when you need to hire professional help or an extra pair of hands (or three).
Speaking of professional help for home refurbishment 😉
Refurb Property Renovations undertake home improvement projects, acting as principal contractor and project manager. We work closely with the homeowner to help define the goals and budget, what professional help is required and even go through the process of gaining permissions and meeting regulations for you.
If you’d like to enquire about our services for your home refurbishment, please get in touch on 01993 685998 or admin@refurb-pr.co.uk. We look forward to hearing all about your plans.
