Planning a refurbishment project is an exciting time. It’s your chance to create the space that’s exactly how you want it. 

Refurbishments need careful planning and, based on our extensive experience, there are a few key things to think about before you get started with your refurbishment.

1. Know what you want

You’ll save yourself a lot of time, money and stress by having a clear idea about what you want before the work starts. Changing your mind about the wall colour isn’t the end of the world; but when you’re digging out the dust sheets again, you’ll wish you’d done things differently. There will be stages within a project where decisions cannot be easily reversed or altered and so clear communication of your vision to your team is key.

Some of us know exactly what we want and others need more inspiration. By engaging a full service company such a BTL you benefit from the experience of people involved in each and every stage of the project from the outset. This allows for a holistic approach to projects to ensure that every detail is considered.

2. Plan practically

It’s also important to make sure your plans are possible and that you seek the necessary permission at the earliest stage to avoid delays. BTL’s architectural design service can advise you on this and often will find clever solutions to something you thought was impossible.

You will need to make sure that the building or rooms you want to refurbish are structurally sound. You may require planning permission and building control sign off will be needed. BTL will work with you to ensure that you obtain the necessary approvals before work commences and will work with a number of professionals who can advise on things such as structural engineering to ensure that your project is viable.

As well as budget, timing is often a key concern for our clients. We suggest that client’s think about timescales and work closely with the interior design team who spend a lot of time with clients at the start, making sure that everything is just as they want it before work commences. We use concept boards and mock-ups, giving you as much of an idea as possible as to what your space will look like once complete. This allows the team to put in place a timeline to facilitate procurement of the finishes as these can often have long lead times.

3. Know your budget

You should know from the outset how much money you have available and so the question should be more about where these funds are allocated.

We’d always work with our clients to have a clear idea of what they want, advise on what is possible and then adjust these plans to suit the budget if necessary.

4. References and recommendations

We recommend that our clients get quotes from a selection of like sized building professionals and wherever possible try and find references or word-of-mouth reviews.

Understanding the structure and availability of your team is also key and will impact on how much involvement you will have on a day to day basis. Each BTL build project is supervised by an experienced Project Manager so that you can have one point of contact for your project.

5. The final details come first…

We’re used to thinking of the niceties like lighting as the final finishing flourishes. However, you will end up with a far better effect if you plan in your lights, connectivity and audio at the design stage. The AV team at BTL can install features such as smart lighting and hidden speakers, which give you the tech you want without spoiling the sleek lines or architectural details of your new home.

Where do you want sockets, lights, BT points, TV points, AV controls? Think carefully about how the room will be used and dedicate time for spatial planning. What frustrates you about your current set-up, and how can you improve on this for the future? Sockets seem to be a common bugbear, so plan in plenty.

Choosing the perfect table lamp may seem like a final detail: but deciding where it’ll be plugged in comes towards the start of your project.

We hope this has helped you organise your thoughts and plan your refurbishment. If you’d like to find out more about how BTL Property can make your refurbishment plans a reality, please get in touch.

If you have any questions relating to this article, why not ask our Build team?