6 simple tricks that gave me the confidence to start renovating my home

The idea of renovating a house can be completely daunting, and no wonder. It probably conjures visions of plaster being ripped off walls, holes in ceilings and piles of rubble everywhere you look.

That said, not every renovation has to be done on that scale, and it's more than ok to start with some smaller renovation trends. Even though I've written about varying aspects of large scale renovations for more than a decade, I never really thought of myself as a renovator. I've instead focused on smaller alterations around my home.

But these changes have had a big impact on how my house feels and how I live in it, and I wish I had the confidence to tackle some of them sooner.

If you want to make your home work better for your lifestyle but feel a bit daunted by the prospect, here are six things that gave me the courage to turn my budget renovation wish list into reality.

1. I used specialist websites for research

Now I may be a little biased here, based on what I do for a living, but I do think that a large portion of my confidence to renovate comes from the knowledge and expertise I've been surrounded by when working on specialist websites and magazines, like Ideal Home and it's sister brand Homebuilding & Renovating.

Brands like these are a great place to start building up your knowledge on what certain projects — like planning a loft conversion or building an extension — entail, how much they are likely to cost, and to cultivate ideas for what you want your home to look like. This kind of expert advice is hugely important, especially if you are renovating for the first time.

2. I binged watched this show to see what could be achieved

I'm not ashamed to admit that I binge watched Your Home Made Perfect — obsessed by how transformative a well-planned renovation can be.

But what I found particularly useful is seeing what can be achieved depending on your budget. Sure, some projects on the programme were way outside of my budget, while others showed the impact a budget similar to mine could have.

I found this really useful to help manage my expectations as to what I could hope to achieve. Plus, it's a great example of how working with an architect on bigger projects could take your home to the next level.

3. I visited live events to see products in action

If you can, visit a live event for the opportunity to listen to expert talks, speak with industry pros, and see products up close.

I've been to numerous Homebuilding & Renovating Shows over the years, and found the seminars and masterclasses, in particular, hugely useful for building up my own knowledge base, so I felt more confident explaining to suppliers or tradespeople what I wanted to achieve. It's also so helpful to be able to see, touch and interact with various products so you have a better sense of what you want and need.

There are eight of these shows across the UK each year, and you can get two free tickets to attend one near you.

4. Social media gave me confidence to do things myself

If you are on a tight budget, then one of the best ways to save money it to do stuff yourself instead of paying someone else to do it. However, this will only be an effective way to budget if you do things properly and what's within your skillset.

If you're not a skilled DIYer then watching YouTube tutorials is a really good place to start. I've followed tutorials on everything from decorating and troubleshooting plumbing issues, to replacing heating controls and patching up holes in plaster. Even if you decide to leave the substantial work to the pros, just taking on the final decorating tasks your can help ease the pressure on your budget.

YouTube tutorials can also be incredibly helpful in your understanding of what a task involves, even if you don't end up doing it yourself.

5. I combed trade review sites to find tradespeople I could trust

Renovating for the first time means you might be looking for certain tradespeople for the first time too.

While it's a great idea to go off the recommendations of friends, family and neighbours where you can take a really good look at the work that's been done, that's not always possible.

And so using trade review sites, like Checkatrade, Rated People and MyBuilder, can help you find a good builder, plumber, electrician and more to help tackle your renovation. I made sure to read the reviews, compare quotes and see examples of previous work.

6. I double checked the planning rules for peace of mind

As you start to make more significant changes to your home, you could find yourself entering the world of planning permission.

While there is lots you can usually do under Permitted Development, it's always worth double checking on the Planning Portal website, and with your local planning authority whether your proposed work needs you to submit a formal planning application or not.

I did this when adding an external door to the side elevation of my house, and it's a great way to get peace of mind, especially if you've read horror stories of people having to rip down extensions because they didn't have planning permission.

An extension of this was also checking in with Building Control about building regulations, submitting a building notice and how to go about securing the necessary sign off.

While building up your knowledge and experience when it comes to renovating your home, make sure you're also aware of the home improvements that won't add value.