SHOULD WE RENOVATE NOW? THIS AND OTHER TOP QUESTIONS.
Our Reno School students know by now that the Facebook group is where it’s at! It’s the heart and soul of Reno School, where we all come together as a community to share wins, seek solace when things don’t go to plan and, of course, ask questions. Lots of questions!
These are some that pop up all the time in the group so we thought we’d share them, along with our answers. We hope they help you too!
Is now the right time to renovate or should we hold off a while?
It’s been a tumultuous few years on this planet we call home - a pandemic, bushfires, war and floods, to name a few! So, you may ask, is NOW a good time to be jumping into one of the most expensive things you’ll do in your lifetime, renovating your dream home?
Our best advice? Do your sums. There’s really no other way to assess effectively if now is the right time for you to renovate. In speaking to our industry experts, we don’t believe that we’re going to see building costs drop or material shortages disappear any time soon, so if you’ve done the groundwork and your bank account says “yes”, we say “go for it!”
In Australia, moving house is a costly exercise. Once you’ve taken into account stamp duty and moving costs, staying put and renovating is still often a more cost-effective option than selling a buying. In addition to this, our biggest advice is to hone in on the planning phase of Reno School to ensure your budget is as accurate as possible (with a healthy contingency built in).
This is certainly a hot topic at the moment! Read our recent blog Is Now the Right Time to Renovate? for more info.
Which white is everyone using?
House 8 - Walls, trims and cabinetry all Dulux White on White
You’re probably not surprised to read that this is our most-asked question, EVER! We’re not shy to admit that we LOVE a fresh white interior… or exterior for that matter. But there’s not one go-to white shade that will suit every style of home. Therefore it’s super important to narrow down your selection to a warm white or cool white, depending on the look you’re going for and then to test that white in the space it’s going in. Here’s how we choose the right white for our projects.
You’ll also find the 8 most popular Dulux Whites handy to help with your shortlist.
How DO I CHOOSE THE right TAPWARE? DOES IT all need to be the same colour?
There are two things you need to consider when choosing tapware for your home - style and colour.
STYLE
For both your hardware and tapware, the style you choose should complement the overall style you’ve been working so hard to create through all your other design decisions up to this point. This is not the time to waiver, get bored or experiment with a radically new style! Stick with the look you’ve been working towards and go back to your vision board for the room you’re choosing tapware for to remind yourself of the tap styles and colours used most often in the images you love.
Chances are, if you’re designing a classic Hampton’s style home, a modern brass door handle is not for you. Similarly, a shiny chrome kitchen tap is probably not high on your wishlist for your modern Mediterranean kitchen. Keeping true to the style of home you’re creating should be top of mind.
COLOUR
These days we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to colour. Some tapware manufacturers can actually customise the colour of the metal to suit your needs. Generally speaking, you can narrow down your selection by breaking the colours into cool tones and warm tones. If your home calls for a cool, silvery tone, you might consider chrome, stainless steel, nickel or gunmetal tapware and/or hardware. Looking for a warmer tone? Copper, gold, brass or bronze might be your jam. And of course, then there are the neutrals, black and white.
TOP TIP: don’t forget the waste, plugs and toilet flush! You can select these in the same colour as your tapware for consistency throughout your bathroom.
DO MY METALS HAVE TO MATCH?
No way, rosé! We get asked this ALL.THE.TIME and we truly believe that as long as the overall style of your hardware and tapware matches throughout your home, you can select different colours in different rooms. Take Bonnie’s house for example…
DOES MY TAPWARE NEED TO MATCH MY DOOR HARDWARE?
Door furniture or door hardware refers to anything that’s attached to a door or drawer to enhance its functionality or appearance - think handles, knobs and even that big brass pineapple knocker you’ve been eyeing off. The same goes as with matching your tapware from room to room - does the style need to match the overall style of your vision board? YES! Does the colour have to match in every room? NO! Have some fun and mix it up if that’s the look you love.
Tips for living through a renovation?
Don’t do it!
Just jokes! Living through a renovation is not for the faint-hearted but if it means saving tens of thousands of dollars in rent then it might just be the most sensible, or only, option for you.
Our 5 top tips for living through a reno
Don’t leave anything you care about in your home. We all know how tempting it is to try and save a bit of money by putting things in a spare room or your garage …. but don’t underestimate the amount of dust and dirt that a reno stirs up #holymotherofduststorms
Lower your cleaning expectations. The aforementioned Mother of all dust storms will end up EVERYWHERE.
Keep the kids safe. While building sites make for great entertainment for little ones, at the end of the day, it’s your responsibility to keep them safe so adding extra locks and baby safety gates to out of bounds areas is a must.
Set up a ‘bush kitchen’. Us Aussies love to BBQ and renovating is the perfect excuse to fire up the barbie every night. Setting up a temporary kitchen away from the action will keep you out of the tradies’ way and them out of yours.
Give trades their own access way. If possible, a dedicated entry and exit for your trades will help contain mess to the area they’re working in and maintain a little privacy in the areas you’re living in.
Did you know that Bonnie chose to live on site during her massive reno? If you’re umming and aaahing about staying or going, read Bon’s list of pros and cons to help make up your mind.
HOW CAN I SAVE MONEY ON BUILT-IN WARDROBES? THEY’RE SO EXPENSIVE!
There are no two ways about it, custom cabinetry sure can be a budget breaker. When our budget hasn’t stretched to custom, we’ve used (and loved!) IKEA wardrobes in our homes. We first used them way back in House 3. They’re a much more cost-effective solution with the benefit of some customisation to make them feel special in your space. The IKEA PAX system has an ever-increasing range of fancy accessories like sunglasses trays, glass front doors and wire mesh baskets so it’s almost guaranteed that your design will be unique to you.
Sophie’s walk-in-robe at House 10 was a bit of a show-stopper, it’s hard to believe it’s IKEA!
Another tip for saving money on wardrobes is to forgo the expensive doors and opt for some beautiful whimsy curtains instead or to install a cheaper, plain door and add your own moulding to create a sophisticated look.
GOT QUESTIONS?
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GOT QUESTIONS? 〰️
Our Reno School Facebook group is the perfect place to ask! Reno School is opening for enrolments soon and our current students tell us that this group is one of their favourite parts of the course.
If you’d like to join our amazing community, make sure you’re on the waitlist to be the first to hear when it’s time to join.
