The Complete Guide to Home Renovations

Deciding to go forward with home renovations can increase your property’s value, transform your living space, and even improve your quality of life. Whether you’re creating a dream property for yourself or you’re planning to sell, there’s no doubt that renovations can be a great investment.

But getting all that bang for your buck means you need to get those home renovations right. From choosing the right areas in your home to renovate for maximum effect to partnering with the right contractor, there are plenty of things that go into this process.

Stick around for our complete guide to home renovations, including a bit about different types of home renovations, what to expect from the process, and top tips from our experienced team.

Types of Home Renovations

There are many different kinds of home renovations, from garage conversions to loft renovations and everything in between. For the purposes of this article, we’re going to focus on the top three renovation types we encounter day-to-day: kitchen renovations, bathroom renovations, and home extensions. Let’s dive in.

Kitchen Renovations

There’s an argument for the kitchen being the true centre of your home. It’s the place where you and your family gather to eat, talk, and generally spend time with one another after a long day. A stellar kitchen is also one of the biggest motivators for prospective buyers to sign on the dotted line. This is why kitchen renovations are so popular, especially for older homes!

Before diving in, consider:

• Who you’re renovating for – are you honing in on your own needs, or are you considering the needs of a potential future buyer?
• The layout – how can you optimise the kitchen to have the perfect layout with the space you’re working with? Are you seeking an open-plan style, a great room for entertaining or a more snug, intimate set-up.
• The conveniences – appliances, stovetops, dishwashers, the works. What are you including in the space, and what do you need to plan for?

Bathroom Renovations

Bathroom renovations are about balancing form and function. Your home’s bathroom is meant to be a sanctuary, a place where you can get ready to face the day or come home to relax in. Revitalising this space is a great way to majorly improve your home, making it more appealing to potential buyers, or just for you!

Before diving in, consider:

• The aesthetic of the rest of your home – your bathroom can tie together your home’s entire aesthetic. How can you elevate your bathroom’s design while staying in touch with what the rest of your home is doing?
• Necessary additions – are you a bath person or a shower person? How many sinks do you want? Start with these major pieces, then plan around them.
• Lighting – your lighting makes a major difference in the final product. Soft and moody or bright with natural light, this decision will impact how your final bathroom looks and feels.

Home Extensions

Finally, we have home extensions. Home extensions are the perfect solution if you’re looking for extra space, and a great choice if you want to maximise your enjoyment of your property without leaving your existing home.

Home extensions can expand single rooms, or they can expand multiple rooms at once to provide more space overall.

Before diving in, consider:

• How much space you have on your property – the amount of land you have to work with will define how far you can extend certain pieces of your property. Of course, there will be rules and regulations to check here.
• Your priority spots – there are some limitations to home extensions, so make sure to line up which rooms matter most to you and communicate that information to your contractor.
• How you want to use the expanded space – that way, you and your contractor can plan for any additional features in the expanding space and get them sorted out during construction rather than doubling back on work.

What to Expect from the Process

When it comes to home renovations, there are generally three stages:

1. Design and planning: Once you’ve chosen your contractors, they can help guide you through the design and planning stage. This is meant to capture all your wants as a homeowner. This will also include getting the consent for relevant work, which is why working with Licensed Building Practitioners is important.
2. Executing the renovation: Once consents are obtained and plans are made, it’s time to start work! Your contractor will communicate how they work with you and consistently update you on how the timeline and budget of your project are tracking.
3. Finalising the renovation: Finalising work and having it inspected will cap off the home renovation process, and with that, your home is yours once again – but better.

From kitchen to bathroom renovations, there are so many ways to make your home perfect. The key is to partner with the right contractor.

The right team will listen carefully to your vision, capture it in the planning stage, communicate throughout the building process, and do high-quality work for excellent outcomes.

Kick off your home renovations with an experienced team.

Stehr Brothers is an Auckland-based, family-owned construction company with almost forty years of experience. We deliver everything from kitchen renovations to large-scale home extensions, ensuring you can transform your property into the home of your dreams.

Ready to begin? Get in touch with our team to discuss your project and start laying the groundwork for your vision today.