Before undertaking any home renovation, set a budget and plan the work. You don’t have to undertake a full renovation right away, you could work on a room by room basis to make it feel less overwhelming.

If the budget stretches to it, employing an architect or interior designer can really help. They will have ideas and suggestions that you may not have thought of and will usually have trade contacts that can ultimately save you on the overall cost of your renovation project.

Getting a layout that works for the way you live is the most important goal when you undertake a home renovation.

This does not always mean extending. Sometimes moving a door, wall or window can open up a space to be more useful for you.

Or you could consider repurposing a room. For instance if you have a playroom space and the kids are all grown up, how about turning it into a study, pantry or utility room? An underused bedroom could become a walk in wardrobe, freeing up space in your main bedroom to make it feel more restful. Or a garage could be converted to house a new shower room and downstairs bedroom. The possibilities really are endless.

From improving insulation to installing a more energy efficient boiler, retrofitting your home is one of the best ways to save money and increase the value.

When we renovated our home our builder wanted us to put in an oil fired central heating system. Having lived for many years in the UK we were more used to gas and insisted that this is what we wanted.

We are delighted with the results. We can not only heat our home efficiently but we also use gas for cooking too. Despite living in the city centre, we are not on a gas mains, so we had a Calor bulk gas tank installed. Best of all, they monitor our usage and re-fill automatically when it’s getting low. I really couldn’t imagine switching to anything else now.

We also installed solar panels and from May to October we get enough hot water for 2 adults and 2 kids.

Even if you currently have an oil fired central heating system, by simply changing your boiler and tank, you can easily move to gas. And Calor are currently offering new gas central heating customers a FREE boiler and Smart Energy Monitor when they move. (T&C’s apply)

Unless you have purchased your home from new, and even then if you have been living in it for awhile, undertaking a renovation gives you the opportunity to put your own stamp on it.

From a simple decoration job to updating kitchens and bathrooms, you can inject your personality into your home. The most cost efficient way is to change soft furnishings such as rugs, curtains, blinds or lighting. Also changing or getting a company in to deep clean carpets or sanding floors and revarnishing them will all make a huge difference to the look and feel of a space.

Changing the colour on walls, doors, skirting boards and ceilings will give your home a fresh new look. Wallpaper is also making a comeback and can be a great solution to add colour and texture to truly transform a space quickly.

Look for clever ways to increase natural light when doing a renovation. Updating windows and doors or making openings bigger or adding roof lights are all great ways to improve natural light coming into your home.

Adding mirrors and using reflective colours on walls can work too. Or removing curtains and adding blinds that are hung above the window or door opening can help get more light into a space.

Consider adding glass doors into your garden where you currently only have a window. This can help bring the outside in.

If you have space, adding a patio with the option to add an awning will increase the likelihood of you using the garden in autumn and spring when the weather may not always be great. Invest in a flame tower or a gas patio heater and your garden can be another room all year round.

When we renovated our home, the best part of the whole process, apart from getting a lovely home at the end of it, was that it made me declutter!

We all have items in our homes that we no longer need. Tackle decluttering room by room and have different plies for donations, sell, keep and bin! Be ruthless, if you haven’t used something for 12 months the chances are you don’t need to keep it! Also think if it will go in your new space, if not it may be time to donate or sell.

If you are going to sell items, take good photos and post them on reputable websites. If you have a lot of stuff to sell, set up an email account to use for this purpose. Price everything fairly and state whether items need to be collected or if you are willing to mail or deliver.

Everything from mattresses to toys and games, soft furnishings, kitchens, bathrooms and furniture are traded online and not only are you getting paid for your unwanted items, but you are giving them a new lease of life.

Set a budget at the outset and stick to it. As well as considering how much you can afford, look at the ceiling price of similar homes in the area and don’t exceed that value.

The cost of renovating your home can vary wildly. Make sure to get at least 3 quotes for every job you want done. Read the small print to ensure you are comparing like for like.

Once you are satisfied that you have the right person for the job, put a contract in place and keep a tight reign on the budget.

Even a simple renovation can add considerable value to your home. But ultimately the aim is to make your home to best it can be for you and your family to enjoy.