No homeowner has the benefit of hindsight when it comes to renovating their very first home. That comes much later AFTER you’ve made mistakes and regret everything. However, hopefully, with this list, you’ll be well prepared to avoid 9 of the most common mistakes first-timers make.

Going it alone

Everyone thinks they are expert designers after a couple of YouTube videos. If that were true, the interior designer profession would have died a long time ago. Except they haven’t. They have a particular set of skills that makes them indispensable: 1) they understand how different households interact with their homes, 2) they have experience with what does and doesn’t work, and 3) they know how to communicate what’s needed to contractors. Hiring one early can help you avoid irreversible mistakes from the get-go.

DIY

Everything is doable. However, not everything can be done well. Experts make it look easy because, well, they’re experts. And even if you’re quite handy, do you really want bog yourself down with DIY work AND manage the renovation? Pro tip: let the pros do it. Save the DIY effort for smaller projects.

Wrong Interior Designer

Alright. You’ve been advised over and over to get an ID. Now you need to vet your interior design firm. What do they specialise in? Homes? Shops? Villas? Offices? The right professional is crucial; they will know what works for each person and function. And don’t just fall in love with the first ID you meet – go through a list of firms THEN make your decision. That way, you’re more likely to get someone who “gets” you, instead of someone who’ll just promise a low, low, price of one badly renovated home.

Rushing Decisions

It might be cute. Or it might be a bargain. But it’ll most likely just end in tears if you buy that piece of furniture right this moment. PUT THAT WALLET DOWN! Love is patient. And if you want to love the home you are going to live in, take the time to pick everything out. One by one. Matching sets are overrated anyway. The best part of doing this way? Your home will be uniquely yours and not something out of a catalogue.

Not Measuring Anything

Humans are universally terrible at understanding the scale of things. Even the pros are no better. However, that’s why they measure everything. So, when it comes time to get furniture and furnishings, it won’t be oversized or undersized, but just right.

Design over Function

Let’s be serious – we all love beautiful things. But what good is a kitchen you can’t cook in, a bedroom you can’t relax in, and a living room you can’t live in? Your home should work for you, not something you work around. Design your home in the way your household will use it first. Pretty it up later. 

Painting before Planning

Paint is a lot like shopping for clothes; you’ll only know it fits once you put it on. Paint colours have a way of looking quite different in the showroom than on-site. The best way to match paint to a room? Bring a paint swatch or a painted board to see if the colour works with the space. Far simpler to choose a new colour that way instead of having to repaint everything. 

Bad Lighting Planning

Light. The single most important thing at home. Especially since many spend most of their waking hours at home AT NIGHT. Light affects everything from your mood, to room utility, and even the colours of your wall paint. Plan it well and your retinas will thank you.

Skimping on Quality

Quality and price go hand in hand – a good dollar will last a good long time. However, that doesn’t mean you have to splurge on everything. That’s plain irresponsible. What is responsible is prioritising difficult-to-replace items like built-in cabinets or a kitchen island. Don’t sweat the small things. Those can be replaced later.

After all that…

To be honest, even with this list, you’ll probably still make some sort of mistake renovating your first home. It happens to the best of us. On the bright side, with this list, you’ll avoid the worst of them, they should be fixable, and still end up with a home you can proudly call your own.

Posted on 17 March 2023

Kenny Tan, 

SIXiDES Editorial Team