Wanda Michelle Interiors : How To Execute A Stylish Renovation On A Budget

We can’t all afford a new home or a major renovation to suit our needs. So what do we do when we need to upgrade but we have so many considerations and have to stick to a tight budget? 

Sometimes a simple remodel on a budget can help us realise why we fell in love with our homes in the first place. A reasonable investment in your current home may be all you need to add value to your property and get you and the family excited about entertaining at home again. And if you do it right, you won’t have to rob a bank first. Wanda Michelle Interiors have years of experience in upgrading homes from ‘meh’ to ‘marvellous’. They are sharing some of their top tips today.

Plan Ahead

Before you spend a cent on materials, ensure that you plan, plan, plan! Architects, interior designers and builders should all work as a team from conceptualisation to realisation. This helps prevent unforeseen and costly changes to structures and electrical or plumbing supplies as the project nears completion.

WMI is always happy to help in this regard, but if you’re managing the process yourself remember to consider some of the following.

Make sure your renovations are structurally and legally sound. Things like load-bearing requirements, building regulations and other safety considerations must be noted. A designer’s dream can often be a builder’s nightmare, so get clarity on everything up front.

Think about natural light, access to space and amenities. The first rule is ‘simple is best’.

If you want to stay cost-effective, you want to stay away from wholesale changes. Moving bathrooms or kitchens around, or going from Tudor to ultra-contemporary are the kinds of renovations that tug at the overdraft-strings.Also consider other practicalities, such as flooring. Electrical and underfloor heating systems may be damaged if you rip up the old tiles, so rather lay your new floor over them, if practical. You may have to adjust door lengths to accommodate the floor height though.Open up and breathe out. If possible, extend outwards rather than gut inwards. It’s usually a better investment to increase the size of the home than simply to make the interior ‘nicer’. It also makes sense to get the most out of your renovations. Build spaces that will get maximum use all year round. Do you really need a granny flat for your folks that come to stay once every couple of years? An indoor, heated pool when it’s warm for nine months out of twelve and looking to get hotter? WMI advises to look at opening existing spaces to new entertainment opportunities. Take an outside garden area and add decking and contemporary seating for a great outside sitting-room. If weather does happen to be a concern, enclose it with sliding glass doors.

Another good idea is to use existing outdoor space to create a new room entirely, such as an extra dining room. Wanda Michelle Interiors has used this idea to great success in various projects. It’s a fantastic way to link your current home with the new space.

For more visit WMI.