Renovation materials: How to decide?
This morning I was out choosing carpets for a project. And I realised after I left the store, that I’ve been in and out in about 20 minutes. I have made the decision and moved on.
I used to labour over decisions for quite a long time and when you are renovating for profit, you just can’t afford to spend that amount of time to make a decision. Because it just slows down the job too much, plus it makes life pretty difficult. So, I thought there will be value in defining the measures I’ve taken to speed up that decision making process.
Setting the parameters on furnishing and finishes
The first thing I want to mention to you is about making decisions on furnishing and finishes. It’s the stuff that you see – and it’s important. Colours, floor coverings, tiles, furniture, light fitting and the works.
The first thing that you need to do is to set the parameters, and what I mean by that is to determine your colour schemes and the look that you’re going for and put together a mood board to help you with that.
Now you can google and do that online on Pinterest and other sites. When you’re going to buy materials, you want to have it with you so you can refer back to it. Because, when you find a look that you’re working toward. You’re not going to have exactly the same things that are going to be in that picture. You’re going to reproduce that by using the best that you can find.
Using a colour consultant is a good idea
In setting the parameters, you need to be clear on the colour scheme and style that you are going for. This will really help. Now I always say to people who are new to renovating that it’s a really good idea to use the colour consultant.
It will take a whole lot of grief out of the choices, and then you’ll have a colour palette done for you. It’s fine to know what kind of colour you want to go for, but actually converting the picture in your mind into a code to be able to order paint is a totally different story. This is where the colour consultant will come in quite handy and they’re very cost effective. Now that you have set your parameters. You will know exactly the look and the feel of what you’re going for is. Then the next thing to do is to go to the suppliers.
Limit the scope and aim for the requirements you need
The second tip I would say is to limit your scope. Only look at things that are in your budget and within the requirements of what you need. If you’re looking for tiles and you have to have small tiles, then don’t look at those lovely big 900mm wide tiles because it just confuses the mix.
Look at a range that you actually purchase within your budget. And if they work with what you want, you could choose them. That will cut down a whole lot of the grief because sometimes you see something that’s outside your budget, and unfortunately our mind works in strange ways and it operates that when it’s more expensive it must be better. So that just mixes up the whole scenario, and you don’t want that. So, stick to the parameters.
Not being a perfectionist is a good thing
Now the third point is, I think it’s the key thing that helped me to get clear about making decisions and being able to make decisions quite quickly is to give up trying to get it perfect. I have to say that I am a recovering perfectionist. In my early days I will spend a lot of time trying to get it absolutely perfect, and even then it was only perfect in my mind. I’m sure everyone else who are looking at it, loved what I did.
If it was only me, if something I didn’t think was absolutely perfect, then it was only me that thought it wasn’t. By giving up being perfect, it leaves you free to make a decision, and that’s the most important part. Provided that whatever you’re looking at, whether it’s carpet, curtains or anything else are within the parameters of your colour palette and your budget and it works with what you’re trying to set out.
Then all there is to do is to just choose and move on. I know that it seems to be oversimplifying it but it really is that simple.
If you are spending days and days making a decision, then the most common cause of that is perfectionism. And I would strongly recommend that you give it up.
