20 things people forget to include when renovating

If you aren't experienced with renovating it can be easy to overlook functional things that will improve your home and make it easier to live in. Here's a list of items I commonly see people forget...

1. Hidden receptacles for charging electronics (to keep them off the kitchen counter!)

2. A place to store backpacks and sports gear.

3. A place to store the ironing board.

4. Electrical outlets in the laundry room for charging the cordless vacs and such.

5. A drop zone near the main entry (most used entry) for handbags, mail and keys.

6. Add more receptacles than you think you’ll need.

7. Make sure you don't have your toilet 'on show' as you walk in bathrooms

8. Consider water filtration (including option for full house filtration systems) - also, a water bottle filler is a cool option available now.

9. Can you fit a 'mudroom' - e.g. for sports gear, shoes, coats and bags.

10. Pull out trash in the kitchen…always!

11. Plan all your lighting early.

12. Also plan your window treatments early — try and hide these in hidden bulkheads if possible.

13. Put dimmers on your light switches - especially in living spaces and bedrooms.

14. Know where your TV’s are going so electrical can be in the right place, same for AV equipment.

15. Put lights in your wardrobes and walk in pantry - this will feel high end and is not an expensive thing to add at the planning stage. Put on motion sensors for even more practicality.

16. Plan the height of shelves around the things that will go in them.

17. Consider soundproofing options for walls (e.g. media room, master bedroom, guest bathroom etc.)

18. Add skylights if your house is too dark.

19. If you have a large family try to have more than one living area - you will thank me later!

20. Plan for pets - where will their food be stored? Built in feed stations? Pet doors? Built in beds?

Our planning process helps clients address all these issues so nothing is forgotten. Nothing worse than planning your renovation only to find there is no where to plug in your lamp when you’re done.

Get in touch with us to start planning your next project.