I’ve been missing in action on the blog lately! The truth is, for most of the last few months I’ve been knee deep in a renovation… but this time it’s my own! Earlier this year, my husband and I purchased a little fixer-upper just south of Wollongong, with the intention of prettying it up and renting it out. The three bedroom brick and timber home was suffering from years of neglect…but she had great bones and just needed a little bit of love to bring her back to life. Before I get into the show-and-tell section of the post, I thought I’d share three key lessons we learned renovating the property.

1. Find good tradies! I can’t stress this enough. We had some totally awesome tradespeople who helped us do the things we couldn’t do ourselves. Don’t waste your time on the things you don’t really know how to do. It will cost you time and money.
2. Set a budget, and stick to it! This is especially important for an investment property. There’ll always be a few unforeseen costs (a new water heater in our case!) but plan as much as you can and make spending decisions with your head, not your heart.
3. Decide on a project manager If you’re renovating as a couple it can be tempting to want to make all the decisions together. If you do this, you’ll never finish. Someone has to be in charge of the project on a day-to-day basis and have the confidence to make decisions as needed.

Ok, so Reno 101 is over… time to take a look at the results!             Considering a renovation on your home or investment property? I can help your maximise your budget and achieve a fantastic result! Drop me a line and let’s talk.