So as promised, I have done all the research into how to best renovate my house, without it costing an arm and a leg.
If you haven’t followed the story so far, let me put you in the picture quickly.
I was feeling frustrated by the fact that I wanted to live in a beautiful and dedicated space - like the houses we see in magazines - but I also knew that I couldn’t afford to turn my house into my dream home.
So I decided that the only way to do it was to learn as much as I can and then do most of the work myself, starting with extensive online research.
I also hope that with a bit of ingenuity, a lot of hard work and tons of patience, I can inspire you to also improve your space cheaply and effectively.
With research done, I can confirm that it’s not going to be easy and you must want the dream desperately enough to tackle it.
And because there are certain skills I don’t have, I had to be honest with myself and accept that I won’t get away with spending nothing at all.
At some point, an expert or two will be needed, starting with an architect, so some savings are in order.
Seeing your vision on paper is the first bit of excitement, but it also makes the whole thing very real suddenly.
For me, the first step in anything, especially if it involves spending money, is a solid commitment.
The miser in me hates wasting money, so if I don’t follow through now, it will be money down the drain, which is something I despise.
So now that I have the plans, the next step is to investigate how feasible my goals are, which involves the services of a civil engineer.
He came and had a look at how solid my walls are and then measured the soil to determine whether my double-storey dream would stand up straight, or topple over at the first suggestion of the South-Easter.
Turns out I’m mostly OK, but will need to do some concrete reinforcements, just to be sure.
That’s the other thing I learned so far; when it comes to construction, expect the unexpected, especially when it comes to expenses.
So the first step is actually to build up some savings, which is only possible if you want this badly enough.