Top tips from experts…
Home renovations promise transformation, but for many homeowners they also bring spiralling costs, delays and stress. New research suggests 78% of renovation projects go over budget, turning dream upgrades into logistical and financial headaches.
According to contractors, one of the simplest ways to reduce risk is building a 10–20% safety net into your renovation budget to cover unexpected costs. But money isn’t the only pitfall.
Interior expert Lisa O’Hanlon from The Shutter Store UK reveals the most common mistakes homeowners make when renovating — and how a few smarter decisions early on can save time, money and sanity.
Not Consulting Neighbours
It’s easy to focus solely on your own property when planning renovations, but overlooking neighbours — particularly in terraced or semi-detached homes — can cause serious delays.
Any work involving shared walls or boundaries requires written consent within 14 days of work beginning. Without it, homeowners may need a party wall agreement, a process that can take up to three months to complete.
What seems like a small oversight can quickly stall a project, delaying completion and adding unexpected legal costs.
Choosing Style Over Substance
Social media has become a go-to source for renovation inspiration — and increasingly, instruction.
Research shows 71% of homeowners born between 1997 and 2007 and 67% born between 1981 and 1996 use social platforms not just for ideas, but as guides for completing renovations themselves.
While mood boards and DIY tutorials can be helpful, Lisa warns that aesthetic choices should never come at the expense of safety, durability or functionality.
Cutting corners or attempting complex structural or electrical work without professional help may save money initially — but can cost far more if mistakes need correcting later.
Setting an Unrealistic Budget
Few homeowners set out to overspend, but renovation costs have a habit of creeping up.
Extra materials, unforeseen issues and last-minute changes can quickly drain funds — particularly when budgets leave no room for error. Experts recommend adding a 10–20% contingency to your final figure to allow flexibility as the project progresses.
While the size of that buffer will depend on individual finances, having one in place can dramatically reduce stress toward the end of a renovation — and if it goes unused, it’s still money well saved.
Following Trends Blindly
Trends move fast, especially in interiors. What looks cutting-edge today can feel dated by the time a renovation is complete.
Lisa advises homeowners to focus on timeless foundations, using neutral colour palettes that allow for easy updates as trends change.
This is particularly important in kitchens and bathrooms, where fixtures like tiles are expensive and disruptive to replace. While tiles can often be repainted to refresh a space, replacing bold or highly specific designs entirely is a costly gamble.
Overlooking Energy Efficiency
Energy efficiency upgrades are often pushed down the priority list in favour of visible design features — but this can be a costly mistake.
Improvements such as high-quality insulation and better ventilation may not be the most exciting elements of a renovation, but they offer long-term benefits. Not only can they significantly reduce heating costs, they can also increase a property’s value by between 14% and 37%, depending on location.
Even for homeowners with no plans to sell, energy-efficient upgrades create warmer, more comfortable homes while keeping winter costs under control.
Planning Smart From the Start
Renovations don’t have to be a nightmare. By planning realistically, resisting short-term trends and investing in the fundamentals, homeowners can avoid the most common pitfalls — and enjoy the process far more.
As Lisa O’Hanlon puts it, thoughtful decisions early on can mean the difference between a project that drains you and one that genuinely transforms your home.
