Renovating in 2026? These are the mistakes that nearly broke me – and the resolutions that saved my sanity
Renovation resolutions are perhaps the most important ones you'll make this year
Strategist and content creator Francesca Swan is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on the concept of 'Everything' and what makes a home special to you. See the rest of her articles here.
New Year’s resolutions…many of us roll our eyes, but January does have that fresh-slate energy that can inspire big changes. And for a lot of us, that means our homes -whether you’re thinking of a move, decorating or *whispers* the dreaded renovation.
And let’s be frank - if you’re considering braving a renovation, it’s important to go in with your eyes wide open.
Yes, they might be rewarding, but they’re also a marathon of stress, endurance, brain-scrambling budget spreadsheets, dust-coated despair and builder WhatsApp notifications at 6:12am.
“Whatever your plans, expect them to take twice as long and be twice as expensive. Anything less than that is a solid win.”
Mic-drop. Brutal. But unfortunately, more often than not… true.
I’m still neck-deep in my own renovation dumpster-fire, so my New Year’s resolution is simply to survive the rest of this build and finally create a home worthy of the last eighteen months.
Ultimately, the elixir of life we’re all searching for is that feeling I call Everything.
Chaos is the archenemy of Everything. So, whether you’re about to begin, or already knee-deep in dust sheets and rubble, here are the renovation resolutions I swear by, the result of hard-earned lessons, a lot of research and some brilliant advice.
Now, wouldn’t it just be great if I was committed to following my own advice?
1. Start With Your Scope of Work
First things first, you need a scope of work that covers every aspect of what you want.
There are loads of great templates online. Work through it with your architect - or by yourself - line by line, room by room.
Get granular, look at everything objectively and think about the details. Walk the space as you live in it. What works? What doesn’t? What’s missing? What drives you mad? Get it all down.
Dream big to start. Capture everything you’d love to do and get it priced up. Then can you see what’s realistic and prioritise accordingly. Strategic phasing can save your sanity (and your bank balance).
2. Research Trades Properly (And Know The Red Flags)
Checkatrade is useful, but not watertight.
Instagram is your best friend here — reach out to people in your area who’ve done similar projects. Many have black books of trades: the good, the bad and the unhinged. I certainly do, and I’m always happy to share.
Ask friends who’ve had work done. Ask existing trades who they trust — it’s a safe bet to employ the people the experts employ.
Things to think about….
If a quote is far cheaper than the others, there’s a reason. My go-to phrase: pay cheap, pay twice.
Someone who can start immediately can be a red flag. Not always - a strong recommendation overrides this - but if they’re a total unknown, be cautious.
Always ask for references. Go and see previous work. Speak to clients. It tells you everything you need to know.
We’ve had brilliant experiences overall, but the bad ones taught us the most. Live it, learn it.
3. Build The Right Team - And Get Them Aligned Early
Confirm your full team as early as possible: architect, contractor, structural engineer, building control, party wall surveyor, drainage consultant, interior designer - whatever your project needs.
If possible, build a team who already know and trust each other.
Our contractor had worked closely with our party wall surveyor and structural engineer - and even knew the freeholder. That trust and respect helped smooth the rough edges that would otherwise have been trickier to manage.
It's essential to get everyone together at the start for an initial site visit to walk through the big picture and rough stages. This will save you money, time and tears.
Our months-long drainage saga resulted from our drainage consultant not being aligned with our structural engineer, architect or contractor. When it came to the build, the drainage strategy needed amending, as did the structural elements… and then planning permission.
Extra costs and delays are doubly frustrating when they’re avoidable. If everyone had been aligned at the start, none of it would have happened. I’m still kicking myself.
And finally - don’t scrimp on experts. Especially party wall surveyors if there are complex neighbour interdependencies.
4. Build Your Budget Properly (It Will Save You)
Once your scope is done, build your budget — room by room, every line item accounted for. Of course, it depends on your project, but here are some things to consider:
- All your team, as outlined above
- Building control fees
- Planning permission fees
- Boiler / radiators
- Glazing
- Joinery
- Decorating supplies
- Lighting
- Flooring
- Furniture
- Contingency – depending on your project, anything from 10-30%
- VAT (many suppliers list ex-VAT prices — this one still triggers rage and frustration in my other half)
Ask potential contractors to cost against your scope, so you can compare quotes properly.
Excel will be your lifesaver: build one top sheet for the overall project, with columns for projected and actual spend, so you can track the reality and adjust accordingly.
If you’re borrowing money, add it to the top worksheet, so any budget increases feed straight into funds needed and you retain a true overall view of the finances.
Lastly, add separate sheets for line detail on kitchens, glazing, flooring, living room, joinery etc.
5. Work Effectively with Your Contractors
Get a clear scope of work, contract, payment terms and schedule - that’s a given. But also agree rules of engagement.
When I put out tenders, I ask everyone the same set of questions: how they work, how they communicate, what their processes are. It’s speed-dating for contractors and an instant compatibility test.
A word of warning: my ADHD and anxiety can mean I am prone to enthusiastically over-communicate - think multiple streams-of-consciousness and questions at random intervals - which certainly doesn’t suit every (if any) contractor’s working style.
I once drove a contractor absolutely loopy with continuous messaging. To be fair, they established always on contact from day one, but that quickly became unmanageable given the volume from my side.
You must give people space. Not everything needs to be decided that second.
Treat your contractor with kindness, respect and a bit of professional distance — and you should get the same back. Think about what you need to do to be a good client and agree those two-way boundaries early.
6. Be Firm but Fair with Neighbours
Renovations can be sensitive. Know your rights, be clear and detailed in your planning permission knowledge, behave with integrity, respect and fairness but hold your ground.
Always keep everything in writing - factual, fair, formal, non-emotional - and ensure your due diligence is watertight.
AI is indispensable here. Build your own expert by briefing it to parse party wall legality, leaseholder agreements, local planning permission and council guidelines, as well as feeding in all official communications related to your project. It can then provide guidance and draft informed, neutral, diplomatic responses.
It really does take the stress and emotion out of potentially sensitive and volatile situations, not to mention saving hours researching brain-drain issues such as drainage regulations.
(As you can probably tell, I’m suffering from some mild drainage-related PTSD.)
7. Work Smartly with Planning
We’ve been very lucky with the professionalism and efficiency of our local planning team, but these things often take longer than expected; admin kinks and missed small print are the devil’s work and can catch anyone out.
Read everything properly and thoroughly, twice. Engage an independent planning consultant if the project is complex.
Make sure all validation criteria are fully met. If anything is unclear, send an enquiry before submitting - incorrect or missing information can add months.
Don’t expect day-to-day emails from your planning officer. They may reply quickly on occasion, but this is the exception not the rule. They’re often overstretched and operating under strict SLAs for response times. Respect the process; the more you contact them, the less likely you will be to hear from them.
Ideally, let your architect act as your agent, but stay close to what’s being said.
If you’re in a difficult situation, be honest about the human impact - financial, emotional, psychological. Not a sob story - just context. Kindness, integrity and respect really do matter.
8. Be Strategic with Big Purchases
If you’ve got major investments ahead - appliances, flooring, kitchens, furniture - try to align with the main discount events: Black Friday, Easter, bank holidays.
Don’t forget price matching - many big retailers offer this, so be sure to check. The research and price tracking can be mind-numbing, but it’s worth it when you see the discount on your final invoice. The Howdens appliance price match gave us a big and much-needed saving.
9. Clean Your Windows Monthly
It sounds tiny, but the impact is huge. Clean, sparkling windows shift the whole psychology of your home and mindset. If your work affects your neighbours, offer to do theirs too during the worst periods.
Book it in. Thank me later.
10. Make Peace with the Reality It Will Likely Go Over Budget and Schedule
This is possibly the most important resolution of all. Relax your expectations and be flexible. Of course, have a plan. But think of it as a moving target, rather than a definitive deadline.
Remember you cannot control everything. Delays will happen. Unexpected costs will creep in.
Stay calm. Step away when you need to.
Take time out of the property to reset your head.
It makes all the difference.
The End Game
Renovations will undoubtedly test your patience, planning skills and occasionally your will to live - but they also have the power to transform not just your home, but your day-to-day experience and feelings.
If you can keep these resolutions in mind and dodge a few of the mistakes I ran head-first into, you will get there eventually.
And when you finally do… it really is worth it.
Not only cherishing the beauty of your creation, but also the satisfaction of what you’ve achieved, learnt and grown from.
These experiences can break us at times, but they also make us stronger - and shape who we are for the better as we move through life.
That is a true Everything experience.
