You’ve hit your 40’s and have started thinking about trading up your home. But is it wise to move to something bigger?

Will you do the DIY route or call in the tradies? Where can you go to learn home DIY skills? There’s a lot to consider and we’re going to talk about it all!

trading up your home

Thinking of renovating then trading up your home?

Once you’ve owned a property for a few years, you start to look at things differently. We’ve often outgrown our first home and are starting to think about the tough questions. Should you add an extension? Does your kitchen need a facelift? Can you live with your old bathroom anymore? Or maybe we up and move to yanother house?

Often it is easier to sell and then buy a new home, but before we do, a spruce up is usually needed. With years of drawings on the walls, a neglected garden and an outdated colour scheme, it can seem like an enormous job. But never fear, because we’re here to help you out!

trading up your home

Learning DIY skills – it’s never too late!

40 is the new 30, or so they say. You’re not over the hill yet and never too old to learn something new! When you’re trading up your home, now is as good a time as any to learn. These three NZ businesses offer great home DIY classes:

  • Mitre 10 – if watching videos is up your alley, Mitre 10 have a large collection of on demand videos they call their Easy As Guides and Advice. Here you can learn about replacing broken tiles, removing wallpaper and painting the inside of your home.
  • Bunnings – offering DIY interactive workshops instore, Bunnings have sessions for kids, ladies and adults. They also offer video DIY advice too!
  • Resene – while not providing the DIY skill teaching themselves, Resene have a few places they recommend you look to for help learning interior decorating and design.

When should you call in the tradies?

As a homeowner, you are responsible for all the maintenance and repair work for your home. Obviously, it makes sense to sell your home in the best condition possible, to get you the highest price. But which jobs should you do yourself and when should you hire a tradie?

There are several times to call a tradesperson. The first is when you don’t know how to do a job, are unable or unwilling to learn it due to time or other factors.  The job may benefit from a trained professional or it’s a legal requirement to use one.  Home DIY jobs such as stripping wallpaper, painting a room or replacing a broken tile are usually done by the homeowner.

Jobs such as replacing broken fence palings, re-grouting your bathroom and installing new door handles could be done by the homeowner, but you’re probably better off hiring a tradesperson.

trading up your home

 

Then comes the jobs you need a tradie for. All electrical, plumbing and structural building work requires a licensed tradesperson. This is because they usually need building consent and to be code compliant.

All restricted building work (RBW) must be done by a licensed building practitioner. RBW is work which (is, but not limited to):

  • Has anything to do with the structure of the building
  • Affects the weathertightness of the building
  • Involves the design of fire safety systems

You can find out more about LBPs and RBW by reading our article Restricted Building Work (RBW) & The Licenced Building Practitioner (LBP).

For a quick estimate of how much a reno will cost, head to our online renovation Cost Estimator Tool.  Then find your tradie right here at Builderscrack!

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