Thinking about renovating the inside of your home? Preparing for renovations can be an exciting and stressful time for homeowners. There’s a lot to think about when it comes to turning your ideas into a reality.
Often, renovations often involve more planning than people expect. But planning deliver the best results, aligned with what you want to achieve.
At Farmer Constructions, we’ve completed many internal home renovations across the Sunshine Coast, so we know what helps a project run smoothly. Here’s what to think about before you get started.
What do you want to change?
Before you speak to a builder or a draftsperson, it helps to ask yourself some key questions.
What’s not working in your home right now? Is it storage, layout, ageing finishes, or the way rooms connect?
Are you renovating to:
- Improve how the home functions
- Modernise tired spaces
- Prepare for resale
- Suit a growing or changing family.
“Before we talk about ideas, drawings or budgets, I always ask people why they’re renovating, as that can impact everything else” says Dani Farmer. “Once your purpose is clear, it’s much easier to make good decisions as the project takes shape.”
Will your renovation need drawings?
Not every internal renovation needs formal plans but many do. In some cases, when only minor changes are being made, your builder can take care of everything. However, having a draftsperson involved in larger projects provides clarity for everyone.
You’ll usually need a draftsperson to prepare proper drawings if you are:
- Adding a butler’s pantry
- Moving or removing walls
- Relocating rooms
- Making major layout changes
- Doing a full internal renovation
You may not need a draftsperson if you are:
- Renovating rooms with no wall changes
- Doing aesthetic upgrades
- Refitting within the existing layout
“Large internal renovations are the projects where drawings really matter,” says Dani. “Any time walls are moving, I recommend getting a draftsperson involved to offer clarity and avoid guesswork. “For simpler renovations, like updating a kitchen or bathroom within the existing layout, formal drawings may not be necessary as we can work directly from selections and site measurements,” explains Dani.
Planning on paper saves time and money
Seeing your renovation on paper often changes how you think about the space. Measurements quickly show what will fit and what won’t, drawings highlight layout issues early, and many problems can be resolved before they become expensive to fix on site.
Once the layout and scope are clearly agreed, it becomes much easier for everyone to work from the same understanding:
- The quoting process is clearer and more accurate
- There are fewer variations during construction
- The build runs more smoothly from start to finish
This early planning is often what separates a smooth renovation from a stressful one and can save both time and money over the life of the project.
Working with a draftsperson
For renovations that involve changing the layout, the next step is working with a draftsperson to turn your ideas into a clear, workable plan.
At Farmer Constructions, we work closely with award-winning building design and drafting studio Matt Bradley Designs, who has been involved in many of our Sunshine Coast renovation projects.
Matt Bradley Designs will take your brief and translate it into drawings that show exactly how the new spaces will be arranged and how the renovation will come together.
This usually includes:
- Mapping out where walls, rooms and joinery will go
- Refining layouts and proportions to suit the home
- Finalising a set of drawings that reflect both function and flow.
Do you need Council approval?
This is one of the most common questions we’re asked and, fortunately, it’s easily answered. For most internal renovations, you do not need council approval. Council approval is only required if you are extending the home or adding additional rooms.
Structural changes only require engineering sign-off, which Farmer Constructions arranges on your behalf.
Consider how you’ll live in your home during the renovation
Before work begins, it’s worth thinking through the practical side of daily life during the renovation.
- Will you still have access to a kitchen or bathroom? If not, you may need to plan alternatives like showering at a neighbour’s or cooking on your BBQ for that time.
- Where will furniture be stored? It may need to be moved to another room, garage or storage area.
- Do you need to set any up temporary spaces while work is underway? This might mean setting up a basic kitchenette in the laundry or garage.
Setting your home renovation up for success
Good planning can make a significant difference to an internal renovation. It shapes how smoothly the project runs, how accurately it can be priced, and how closely the finished result matches what you originally had in mind.
“The most successful renovations are those where the planning is done properly from the start,” says Dani. “When the scope is clear, the drawings are right and the key decisions are made early, there is less uncertainty during construction, fewer changes on site, and far more control over timeframes and costs.”
If you’re thinking about renovating the inside of your home, get in touch with Dani for a quote on 07 5492 9409, email [email protected] or complete the form below and we’ll be in touch!