How To Speed Up A Room Refurbishment
While it’s nice to get a room refurbished, it can take a long time to do. When it involves a bedroom, lounge or other key room in the house, it’s not really practical to have it out of action for months on end. So, how can you speed up the process? Here are a few suggestions that could help.
Plan and budget first
Before you start stripping walls and ripping stuff out, it’s a good idea to list what needs doing, and what materials and furnishings you need to buy. This will not only give you a plan of action, so you know the best order in which to do things, but it should mean you’re not slowed down by hiccups and indecisions. It will also enable you to contact trades in plenty of time, so you’re waiting around for them to become available. Finally, it will give you an idea of the budget needed, so you shouldn’t run out of money part way through.
Keep it simple
The more complex the refurb, the more time-consuming it will be to do. So, if you’re short on spare time, go with easy updates. Keep things that don’t need replacing such as the flooring and furniture – this will save you money as well as time. Paint can quickly transform old furniture, woodwork and radiators, as well as walls. Simple things like switching light shades, curtains and cushions can help to overhaul tired décor and modernise dated rooms.
Be organised
Make sure you have everything ordered before you start – this includes materials, tools and furnishings. That way you’re not waiting around for things to arrive after you’ve started the work. Don’t be afraid to over-order things like paint. You can usually return unopened tins, so it needn’t affect your budget. But it could save you from having to stop and drive out to the DIY store mid-way through your project.
Clear some space
Having to work around and move furniture will slow things down. So, clear the room first. If you’ve no space to store everything, it might be an idea to have a clear-out first or pay for self-storage. To work quickly, you’ll need to keep the space clear. So, it might be an idea to keep a broom and rubbish bag to hand, so it’s easy to tidy up as you go.
Take sensible shortcuts
Although no one ever recommends taking shortcuts when it comes to things like plumbing and electrics, there are some sensible shortcuts you can take elsewhere. For instance, you can use flat pack furniture for bigger things like kitchen cabinets and beds and go with ready-assembled pieces in the lounge and dining room. This should make it much quicker than designing and custom-building pieces to finish a room.
Similarly, when it comes to decorating, use a good-quality paint as it will contain more pigment and binders. This should mean you only need to do one or two coats. If you’re wallpapering, choose paste-the-wall style paper as it’s generally easier to hang and doesn’t need soaking first.
Get some help
Not all of us can realistically set aside whole days or weeks to get a project done. Hiring a handyman will give you an extra pair of hands. Not only will they be able to turn their hand to different tasks such as putting furniture together, painting walls and putting up new curtain rails and light fittings, but they’ll probably be able to do it quicker than you. You could also see if you can rope in friends and family to help, perhaps with the promise to return the favour in the future.
Utilise interior design tricks
Finally, it’s worth embracing a few interior design tricks to achieve a speedy room refurbishment. Simply switching around a layout and taking pictures and other decorative pieces from other rooms in your home can help to revitalise a room without needing to take on too much work. Another way to refresh a room is to take things out. Often pairing a room back and removing clutter can lighten a room and help you achieve a more modern or sophisticated look. And lastly, getting carpets and sofas professionally cleaned can bring them back to their best. So, there’s no need to spend time picking out and arranging for new ones to be fitted or delivered.