How To Renovate

EP64 Never Assume Anything!

• Tash South

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In this episode, I dive into one deceptively simple yet absolutely crucial mantra for any renovator: never assume anything!

From wonky walls and uneven floors to miscommunications with your builder, assumptions can cost you time, money, and peace of mind.

Come on in as I share my hard-won insights (so you don’t have to learn the hard way), I’ll walk you through some of the most common renovation assumptions—and how to avoid them. Learn why double-checking measurements is a superpower, how to communicate clearly with your contractor, and how even the smallest misunderstanding can turn into a costly redo.

If you're about to start renovating, or knee-deep in the dust and decisions already, this episode is here to help protect your project from going sideways.

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Hi I'm your host, Tash South I'm an Interior Designer and Renovation Consultant.
Each episode of How To Renovate is short, but brimming with practical advice to help you manage your renovation project with confidence and success.

Grab some more renovation advice & free resources and become part of the South Place Studio Renovation Community at
https://www.southplacestudio.com/freebies

Everything I teach about renovation falls within my Five Pillar Process for A Successful Renovation, to learn more about the process, head to
https://www.southplacestudio.com/pillars


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Tash South:

Hello, hello, my lovely, lovely renovators. How are you? Today? It's Tash here, and welcome back to the how to Renovate podcast. Okay, today, everybody, I have got an episode for you.

Tash South:

That is one of the most powerful phrases you can carry with you through any renovation, and it is never assume anything. Okay, so I've been burned by this one many times before, but I've been burned, so you don't have to. So that's why I spend my time completely for free, so that I can warn you and you won't have to be burned the same way I have. So let's get into the episode, everybody. I know it sounds dramatic, but honestly, this one phrase could save you a lot of time, money and stress, because when you assume anything during a renovation, the renovation gods will laugh. Oh how they will laugh.

Tash South:

So in today's episode, let's look at where assumptions can creep in and why they can trip us up. Let's get into it, guys. Okay, number one everybody, let's start at the beginning. Let's look at assumptions you may make of your current home. So just a really quick run through here. So never assume that anything in your property is straight. Nothing's ever straight, and I have found this out the hard way. The walls are never straight. The floors are never level, so you have to be aware that nothing is going to be perfectly straight and sometimes that can have a knock-on effect for the works you're about to carry out. Sometimes things need additional work, which of course means additional cost as well. So, yes, you can't just assume that, that every renovation is going to be straightforward. Let's say, with an extension, just say, oh, we're just putting a box on the end and everything's going to work out fine. Um, sometimes it does, but a lot of times it doesn't. So just be aware that when, when you're in your property, just be aware the thing you can't always assume that everything is is great there. Things may come up that may affect your renovation. Same thing with ceiling heights. Quite often the ceiling heights aren't the same throughout the property. Or perhaps you're assuming your electrics are in good condition, or you can reuse your kitchen cabinets or something like that. I think it's just always safe to to see it as a bonus that you can do those things. So you can never just quite assume that these things will all work out Okay. So now moving on to number two.

Tash South:

So when you're planning a renovation and when you're in the midst of a renovation, double checking is a renovation superpower. So when I'm talking about never assuming anything, this is really what I mean, whether it's double checking measurements or double checking with your builder or asking lots of questions over and over again. Never assume anything. So always double check everything. Make sure that even if you've measured something three times before, measure it again just before you order it, or measure it again just before you tell your builder, because there are so many things that you need to be on top of during a renovation. It's easy and it's human to make mistakes, because when you have so many things thrown at you on top of the usual life that you're living whether that's your job, your family, whatever else is going on in your life and you've got to have the pressure to get all of this right as well, it can be a lot.

Tash South:

So take the time to double check everything and always confirm with your builder that they've understood, because I find sometimes, even if something seems clear to you and you don't double check it with them and they they can't say it back to you what they think you mean. You might just go on site and see that something completely different has been done. That has happened to me a number of times. I would give an instruction, thinking it cannot be clearer than that, and then going on site and seeing something completely different and when you think about it and you look at what's been done, it's it's possible. It's possible that the miscommunication could have been there. So always make sure that you and your builder are on the same page when you're communicating. It's. It's really not about being paranoid and overbearing on site. You know you want to, you want to avoid mistakes, you want to avoid redos, because all of those cost you money and also they cause friction and they can also cause disputes. So clear communication and double checking is one of the most important things when you're working on site with your, with your team.

Tash South:

So ask lots of questions, even if you think they're silly questions. Ask lots of questions and just confirm that your understandings match, and this even comes down to choosing your materials. So I always say make sure you get your real samples in your hand so that you can test them and you can see what they look like with everything else that you're putting in your space, because you could see something online, for example, and not double check it, just order it and you might have a truck load of something rife flooring or tiles and if you haven't seen it before, and it and you might have a truck load of something rife flooring or tiles and if you haven't seen it before and it's not what you imagined when it turns up, that is a big deal. That is a big deal to be able to send that back. It's going to cost you a lot of money, or you might have to compromise and use it anyway, even though you're not happy with it, if you're not in a position to return it all. So, so, really, really double check everything. That is your superpower when it comes to renovating, and especially when it comes to that point where you're speaking to your professionals, you're speaking to your architect, you're speaking to your contractor and things are happening on site. Those are the most important times where you need to double check everything. And I would say that applies almost throughout your entire process, throughout the entire five pillars, because from planning stage, you have to make sure that your measurements are correct, right at the planning, right at the layout, that what's going to be built is actually going to work. And then you need to check with your architect and you've got to make sure that the architect knows that what you want will actually be translated through to your architect's drawings. So this really goes through the entire project. Always double check with all your professionals. Every single thing can have a major impact on your project. So you must take the time to plan and to double check.

Tash South:

Okay, moving on to number three, communication. Now, communication during a renovation is really, really important. So one of the biggest assumption traps is communication, and this kind of goes back to my previous point. Is you think you've explained something really well to you? It makes sense. Your contractor nods yes, they understand, but they are picturing something else completely different. So this is really again where your planning comes in. If you've got your floor plans, if you've got your style boards, if you have your samples, you can show them and you can make notes on the actual thing.

Tash South:

I actually write onto the items. I'll say this is the tile for the kitchen, so they have it there. They can measure the width if they need to for levels. So show them things, don't just explain. Show them photos, show them drawings, show them the materials. Be really, really specific about what you're asking them to do, because anything can be misinterpreted. You could say I want a shelf there it could be. Do you want a flush shelf? Do you want a floating shelf? Do you want a shelf with a ledge? You know like just the word shelf can be interpreted by a builder in so many different ways. So you really need to take it to the next level with explaining with photographs, drawings, sketches, measurements. Make sure that they repeat it back in their own words, because you know you have to.

Tash South:

If it matters, you have to document it, what I do on all my projects. I have a single point of communication with the architect and the contractor. It's usually a whatsapp group and everything that is discussed on site is then afterwards put onto that WhatsApp group in writing and also in pictures. So I will write out exactly what was discussed, but then I will follow up with an image or a drawing or a measurement or a link to reiterate what we just discussed, because there are so many things that can be misinterpreted on site and especially if you haven't planned properly and you haven't got every single detail laid out in your planning. I mean things like the tile layout and the direction horizontal versus vertical, the grout colour, the switch plate finishes, the door handle heights, the door handle styles, the door handle finish, the skirting profile, the paint finish, whether you want matte or you want sheen, these things. If you're not having your regular site meetings, these things can quickly pile up and be done wrong and really your builder should be checking in with you but sometimes, sometimes they don't and you have to be on top of it yourself.

Tash South:

You have to know what you want, you have to have it planned out and you have to be able to communicate that really really clearly with your team. And that is the way to get what you want, to get a successful renovation and without those headaches of having things done wrong, having to redo them, having to rebuy things, having to pay, pay for adjustments to be made. But that brings us to the end of this episode. Everybody, everybody. And I would just say, even if you take one thing away from this episode today, let it be the title Never assume anything, ask, measure, check, clarify and never feel silly for confirming what might seem obvious, because most renovation stress comes from not what we don't know, but what we thought we knew or what your contractor thought he knew. So don't feel silly that you're checking, never assume anything, ask lots of questions and remember your superpower of double checking everything. That's it for this week, everybody, and I hope you found this episode useful. Give us a little share and a like if you found it useful. Maybe someone else is renovating and you'd like to share this episode with them. We'd really appreciate that. Thank you so much and I will see you in the next episode. It's bye for now.

Tash South:

For more information on my five pillar process for successful renovation, you can go directly to southplacestudiocom forward slash pillars, where you'll find an introduction to the process, which covers each of the pillars and what they cover. We also have a number of other free renovation resources. Go now to southplacestudiocom forward slash freebies. I have created some amazing freebies for you there. There is one on the process, like we just said. There is one on planning permission. There is one on kitchen design. There is another one on lighting planning. Go and check those out. There's so much free information there to help you with your renovation.