How do I survive my renovation?

Anyone who has ever been through a renovation knows it rarely goes perfectly. Your money, and your patience, run out faster than expected. So make a good plan before you start renovating. That way you'll have a better overview when you run into problems.

Good organisation is vital when you're renovating. Everyone has their own way of organising and structuring things, but at the very least make sure you have a method that works for you to keep track of appointments and paperwork. For example, take photos of receipts and invoices with your phone. That way you won't lose them in the renovation chaos and you can keep an eye on your budget.

A renovation rarely runs to schedule. Appointments can overrun, the DIY store might not have quite the right screws in stock and the plumber's van breaks down. So always allow for some extra time.

It's not just you who has to stick to what's been agreed; the professionals you hire must keep to their agreements too. Did you agree that your dormer window would be finished off straight after it was fitted? Then don't accept any delays. Check that the electrician has installed the sockets in the right places. This is much harder to change once the walls have been plastered.

Saving money by doing the work yourself is a good intention, but it also brings a lot of stress. Weigh up whether you want to invest the time to do things yourself when a tradesperson could do them faster and more neatly. Decide which jobs you'll take on yourself and which you'd be better off outsourcing.

While it's sensible to check on tradespeople regularly, the idea isn't to watch over their shoulder. Give them space and make sure there's coffee in the house, perhaps with something tasty to go with it. Joining them for a cuppa is also the perfect moment to discuss progress.

Make sure all the important choices have been made beforehand. There's nothing more frustrating than being in the middle of the renovation and still not having chosen the flooring or kitchen cabinets. What's more, this indecisiveness puts your schedule at risk.

With a reasonably flexible attitude, you can make the renovation a positive experience for everyone involved, even if it doesn't go entirely to plan. Most tradespeople try to plan their jobs carefully, but of course an unexpected delay on a previous job can always happen. Be accommodating if they occasionally want to work at a different time to stay on schedule.