Let’s be honest. Doing up an entire house isn’t easy. People get excited, which is great, but that excitement sometimes leads to rushed decisions or things being overlooked. We’ve been in this business a long time, and we’ve seen a lot of avoidable mistakes turn into big problems.
So if you’re thinking about refurbishing your whole home, here’s a breakdown of the most common mistakes people make and what you can do to avoid falling into the same traps.
1. Going In Without a Proper Plan
This is the big one. People often jump in with a rough idea in their heads, like “we want it more modern” or “open up the space a bit”. But that’s not enough. Without a detailed plan, the project ends up all over the place. You change your mind halfway through, something gets missed, and suddenly you’re spending more money fixing things you didn’t think through.
What to do instead: Sit down and figure out exactly what you want from each room. Think about how you use the space now and how you want it to feel. Talk it through with someone who’s done this before. That’s something we always help clients with upfront, so we’re not making guesses later.
2. Not Budgeting Properly
We see this all the time. Someone sets a tight budget based only on what they hope it’ll cost if nothing goes wrong. But with old homes especially, things do go wrong. You open a wall and find bad wiring or hidden damp. Suddenly, you’re dipping into savings or cutting corners.
Here’s our take: Always leave room for surprises. We usually recommend adding about 15 to 20 percent on top of your initial budget just in case. Better to be prepared than caught off guard.
3. Putting Looks Before Function
Everyone wants their house to look amazing. But sometimes people focus so much on aesthetics that they forget to think about how things will actually work. We’ve seen beautiful kitchens with nowhere to prep food or fancy lights that don’t light up the room properly.
What really matters: A home should feel good to live in, not just to look at. Choose materials and layouts that suit your lifestyle. Got young kids? Maybe that glass table isn’t such a great idea. Love cooking? Then flow in the kitchen matters more than trendy cupboards.
4. Doing Things in the Wrong Order
It sounds simple, but doing things in the wrong order creates chaos. For example, painting walls before checking plumbing or laying floors before sorting electrics. That’s how you end up redoing work and wasting money.
Keep it simple: There’s a sequence that works. Structure and utilities come first. Then plastering. Then finishes like flooring, painting and lighting. We follow this order on every job because it just works. Saves time, saves money, and keeps things running smoothly.
5. Hiring Based on the Cheapest Quote
We understand wanting to save money, but going with the cheapest quote can cost you more in the long run. We’ve had to fix so many jobs that were botched by someone who promised to do it all for a bargain price. Poor quality work, no insurance, corners cut everywhere.
Our advice: Always ask to see previous work. Check if they’re insured. See what others have said. And make sure they actually listen to what you want. The right team might cost more, but they’ll save you stress and money down the line.
6. Forgetting About Permissions and Paperwork
Here’s one people often forget. You might need planning permission or have to meet building regulations, especially with structural changes. Some people don’t find this out until after they’ve started, and then it’s a massive headache.
Simple fix: Do your homework. Or better yet, let us help you with it. We make sure everything’s done properly and legally, from day one.
7. Trying to Project Manage Everything Yourself
Some people want to take the whole thing on themselves. Fair enough if you’ve done it before. But for most people, trying to juggle builders, deliveries, budgets and schedules gets overwhelming fast. One delay throws off the whole plan.
Why it matters: A good project manager keeps everything on track. At DKhomes, we manage everything from start to finish. That means you don’t have to chase trades or figure out who’s showing up when. We handle the stress so you don’t have to.
Final Word
A full-home refurbishment is a big deal. It’s exciting, sure, but it’s also a serious commitment of time, money and energy. The last thing you want is to look back and think, “We should’ve done that differently.”
We don’t just come in with tools and start knocking walls down. We take the time to understand your vision, plan it properly, and make sure the result is something you’re genuinely proud of.
We work across North London, North West London, West London, and Central London. If you’ve got ideas or just want to talk through whether a full refurb is right for you, contact us.
