All the things you wish you knew: Before your build
Building your first home is an exciting time in your life. It’s a life milestone many of us can’t wait to achieve. but in all the excitement, sometimes we miss things or think “that’s not important right now” until you’re in your own home.
Picture this. You’ve moved into your dream home and you’re vacuuming your stunning new carpets, but you can’t quite reach an area of your home. You’re stood cursing your past self for not saving a little bit extra to put in those extra power points.
Never fear, we’ve got you sorted because we’re covering all the things you should know before you build! You can learn from our 30 years’ experience and avoid cursing your past self when doing that vacuuming.
Starting with power points
Start off by thinking about what you already have in your home. Does this work for you or do you need to add extras into your new build?
You may think what comes standard in your home may be enough for you. However, if you like lots of appliances in the kitchen or bathroom, save up to add extra power points at the end of the bench or think about turning that single into a double. If you’re someone who likes to clean, adding extra points around the house will help you out tenfold! That way you’re not stretching a vacuum cord over a bench or dragging it through the centre of the house and are avoiding those nasty tripping hazards.
Light switches
Who wants to get up out of bed on those cold winter nights. Think about adding an extra light switch next to your bed so you can stay toasty and warm and flick the lights off.
Before your colour selection appointment
Create a furniture plan of your new home, or at least have an idea where you’re going to place your big-ticket items like your TV, storage cabinets and your couch. That way, when it comes to your colour selection meeting you have an understand of the orientation of your new home.
Plan for your future!
While you may be thinking your new home is for right now, that doesn’t mean you can’t plan for the future.
We always need more storage. So when you’re in the planning stages of your home, imagine there are two of you. That way you’ve got enough storage for any new additions that may come your way.
Planning for the future also means not being so “on trend”. Think about it, it’s great to have some key trendy pieces, but you want to make sure you ensure the longevity of your home and your investment! You don’t want to be changing your home décor as much as you change your wardrobe.
Choose some key trendy features, whether they’re your tapware or your feature colours. Keep everything else neutral, that way you can easily change things around when you want to. Invest in key pieces and then change it up with smaller accessories which you can change more easily.
Plan before you buy!
We all know in the heat of the moment three types of glassware or extra outdoor settings seem like reasonable purchases. However, more often than not we overspend and don’t have the space for what we’ve just purchased.
Everything from silverware to your landscaping. Plan where everything will go. That way you don’t spend money on things you’ll never use and you’ll know what you need to spend money on next.
Create a Pinterest board!
Everyone loves a bit of Pinterest so use it to help inspire your mind and find things you like. Also use it to create and collate your ideas so you can see how your ideas look together and if they work as you think they will or if you need to tweak anything. It’s all part of the planning process and could help you save money buying things that may not work in reality. Plan twice, buy once. Or is it measure twice, cut once? They both work so you get the idea ?
All things with interior decorator, Tarina
Not sure what art to feature in your new home? Or not sure how to make the most of your space?
We’ve got you covered!
Our interior decorator Tarina of oh.eight.oh.nine has shared all of her top tips for when it comes to placing art in your brand new home. From the kids bedroom to your entrance hallway. There’s something for everyone and every room in the house!
Furniture & flow with Tarina
Furniture. It’s not just storage or something to sit and sleep on, it’s an expression of your own style and personality. It’s also not cheap, so before purchasing any big ticket items, have a read of our amazing Interior Decorator, Tarina aka oh.eight.oh.nine’s, top tips to choosing furniture and creating continuity and flow in your home.
Trending now: Kitchen design
With the amount of time spent in the kitchen, it’s nice to make this space not only practical but a stylish part of your home.
So, we asked the experts at The Maker Designer Kitchens about what’s trending in kitchen design. It’s worth a read!