Attention, First Time Homeowners! Avoid These 8 Mistakes Like Plague

Credits: The Wooden Platform

You’ve just received the keys to your own house, and with dual dashes of trepidation and excitement, you scramble to source for inspirations and designs. Renovation is an expensive decision, and you can’t help but feel like this is your only shot to designing your dream house. Countless Pinterest boards and lifestyle/home and décor magazines, you’re overwhelmed and disoriented: the magnificent dreams that you had reserved for the home of your dreams now seem far-fetched and unattainable. There’s also the consideration of whether to hand over the reins of your home to a trusted ID, or to get a contractor. With so many decisions to make, you find yourself feeling pressed for time.

STOP. First time homeowners, stop pinning more houses on Pinterest boards and put down those gigantic interior design books. Here’s a comprehensive list of mistakes homeowners tend to make, nicely divided up into categories, and if you’re guilty of committing any of them, know that there is still time for you to rectify the situation.

TRENDS

The Same Ol’: Don’t be swayed by the “Colour Of The Year” honeytraps. "Trending" colours might not be suitable for your house/budget/vision, and may end up clashing with the rest of your furniture. Another mistake that people make is to first choose the colour and paint the entire house in the first colour they fancy, without taking into consideration furniture and other accessories. Your best bet is to paint a tiny portion of the house, and start sourcing for furniture to build a bigger picture, comparing the compatibility of the two constantly.

Far Too Overdone: The same goes for choosing your style of décor. Avoid flipping through too many magazines and seeking out the “top” or the most popular décor style. Trends are cyclical, ever evolving and ever changing. Your own tastes and preferences will evolve over time, and while you may currently fancy an opulent baroque style because you’ve been reading too much Shakespeare, you may get tired of the excess later on in life. The trick is to not go overboard with any particular style of décor, so that you do not have to shell out tons of money in the event that you want to revamp your home in the future. Start off by adding small elements: moderation is key.

The Nightmare Room: This segues into the next point about themed houses. Sure, having a themed home might be an excellent conversation starter, and while you can proudly boast of a steady stream of visitors to your Captain America-themed home, the novelty will definitely wear off after a while. If you are madly in love with Hello Kitty for example, it will only a matter of time before you get sick of having Hello Kitty staring at you everywhere you go. Once again, moderation is key. Dedicate a shelf full of memorabilia to your favourite characters, as opposed to doing up an entire house.

INTERIOR DESIGNERS

Good Vibes Only: There’s no two ways about it: you must be able to click with your interior designer. If you and your preferred ID do not have good chemistry, share similar sensibilities, or vibe well, your renovation journey will be prolonged and awkward. Having an interior designer that you get along well with is key to having a beautiful house.

Credit: B-Two Interior

All Hands on Deck: Have an open mind to the suggestions made by the interior designers. After all, they have a better understanding of the limitations of the space, and when they provide tips and suggestions on how to highlight a particular area, or to slightly modify the décor of the place, do be receptive to their suggestions.

MONEY, MONEY, MONEY

The Prodigal Child: Do not randomly start adding items to your shopping cart just because they look pretty, be kind to your wallet. Before you even start sourcing for new material, you must chalk out a tangible budget. Renovation is an expensive endeavour, and you must know your financial limitations before you embark on a spending spree. 

The Middle Line: Overspending is bad. Compromising on quality and going for only cheap material and furniture will not be a worthwhile investment either. Strike a balance: skimp on the items which are replaceable in the short-run, and invest generously in items which are hard to replace in the short-run. It’s alright to stretch your budget as long as you’re paying for superior quality. For example, most home décor pieces are relatively inexpensive and can be easily switched out for another piece if broken. These items are also hardly used, as their main purpose is to enhance the appearance of a room. For items which are used on a daily basis (furniture, upholstery, electronic gadgets, quality reigns supreme. You would not be satisfied if you had to replace your bedsheets every few months, or if your aircon gave you trouble after minimal usage.

Credit: Sky Creation

The Perfect Fit: When you’re out shopping for furniture and home décor items, every single item looks oddly enticing, as if they are screaming to be bought. Two things can happen, both of which are detrimental for your future renovation: either you’ll end up spending money on things that will not be able to fit into the overall theme of the décor, or you’ll buy stuff that you do not fit in with your needs. For example, you might go overboard buying home décor items of a particular theme, while the theme of your décor is diametrically opposite. Or, you might ending up glass or other expensive materials, even though you have young children or pets at home.