Hi to you all!

Tradesmen or should I say tradespeople can help you transform your new home!

I would like to encourage you to think about employing professionals when you are creating a new home. Especially when space is at a premium.

Sometimes who you can employ is dictated by the terms of your lease or contract. (If you are moving to a retirement village there may be a resident plumber or electrician you have to use!) Sometimes the kind of work you can have done is restricted by those terms as well.

I am going to make some suggestions as to what kinds of things can be done, you will have to check to see what you allowed to do in your new place. Naturally you will need to ensure that any tradespeople you employ have the necessary qualifications and insurance.

Electricians: 

Re locate power points & switches. Are light switches and power points at the right height for you? Do you need extra power points to suit your furniture placement?

Install extra lighting. Are there enough light fittings in your space? Would bedside wall lights or ceiling pendants help in a small bedroom? Good lighting can help a smaller space looker bigger. Lighting above bench tops or in cupboards perhaps? Think about putting sockets on walls where you would like to place lamps on items of furniture.

Fit automated systems. There are fantastic automated systems available for just about everything from closing the blinds to turning on lights when you are on your way home. They can make a big difference if you are struggling with a disability or just love gadgets!

Fit home entertainment & computer systems. Sound in every room? TV in the bathroom? Some of these don’t need wiring and use WiFi from your home modem. Foxtel in the kitchen? The possibilities are endless and are changing daily. It is worth doing some research as to what is possible and getting the work done before you move in.

Plumbers:

Install new bathroom fittings. You may decide to install a toilet with a higher seat or other assistance. Washbasins can be changed to suit ability levels as well. Or perhaps the shower is just old and daggy!

Fit water saving devices. Many of these fit into existing taps and can save you money on your water bills.

Install water purifiers. These come in a variety of forms but the simplest ones sit underneath the kitchen sink and supply to either your cold tap or a small dedicated tap on the draining board. You need to change the filter as necessary but having better tasting healthier water encourages us to drink more of it!

Carpenters:

Build new cabinetry. This can be anything from a few bookshelves to fitted wall units. If you have restrictions on the kind of work you can do in your new home, have a talk to your carpenter. There are different ways of securing fixtures to the wall that might comply.  Building a wall unit to display your books, favourite ornaments and house your TV can make a big difference.

Refit Interiors Changing the inside of a wardrobe to suit your specific needs can deal with all sorts of space shortage problems. Storage specialists Howards storage world have great modular systems that handle this. They also have a tradesman who can come and measure and quote for free. Or think about fitting out the inside of a laundry space or hall cupboard with floor to ceiling shelving and fixtures.

Cut down existing furniture. It is amazing how existing furniture can be reconfigured. I have seen dining tables cut down, bookcases rebuilt, even a sofa resized with great results!

Change doors on existing cupboards. Changing just the doors on a fitted cupboard can transform the look of a room.

Builders: 

Handle big projects. Once you need to involve a few trades at the same time, it starts to make sense to employ a builder. They coordinate the timing and employment of all the different tradespeople saving you time and stress. They can have a bigger overview of the situation than you and see greater possibilities.

Come and go as necessary. If you are having work done prior to moving in, giving a builder the keys to your property so they can let other tradesmen in is often a necessity.

Remodel interiors. Perhaps you need to move walls, add or change windows, replace bathrooms or kitchens. Big actions are sometimes necessary when trying to live in a smaller space!

Painters:

Repaint walls! Don’t underestimate the transformation power of paint. Repainting your home (With the right colour!) will amaze you.

Repaint furniture. Sometimes the colour of the timber of pieces we have lived with for years just doesn’t suit the new space. If it comes to getting rid of something compare to repainting it and being able to reuse it, what appears to be a terrible thing to do (Paint over a good timber) means it can continue being of service to you.

Interior Designers:

Have a good eye. They see what you can’t. They see the potential in your new space.

Interpret your needs. They work with you, discuss your hopes and wishes and work out what is going to work for you in the new space.

A good Interior Designer will work with you, directing your own ideas and be able to liaise with all sorts of tradespeople and pick up on the technical things that you might miss!

I would love to assist you with your Downsize. I love to help people create exciting new homes from where they live now. Please don’t hesitate to contact me HERE if I can be of any help

Look out for my next post which covers using a different set of professionals in your Downsize.

Bye for now x