Do-it-yourself renovations are popular in Australia, but as with anything that you can do of your own volition, there can be certain pitfalls.

It doesn't matter whether you’re renovating in the hopes of making a pretty penny or simply to make your home more welcoming, there are numerous missteps that exist that can be avoided with proper consideration. In today's blog, we look at 10 particular DIY missteps that can hurt your renovations.

1. Not having a clear plan in place

It is vital to have a plan when looking into renovating any property, especially when we're talking about a full-scale makeover. Be sure to have a layout of what you’re renovating, how you expect it to look in the end, and that you have every single measurement, however minor, correct. One little mistake can unravel a great renovation. Without a plan, you’re guaranteed to make errors.

2. Failing to budget correctly

Along with planning, you have to make sure you budget your renovations. It’s better to overestimate the costs than to be too conservative. Typically the costs will exceed your expectations, so you need to have some back-up money. You also need to budget for any possible contingencies that could occur. Every expense MUST be accounted for. Otherwise you could end up in a renovation limbo with numerous tasks half-finished.

3. Gutting everything for no reason

A mistake renovators can make when making over a house for sale is to gut everything. They'll remove walls, break down benches, strip away the flooring... But why? Some of the things that are already in the house may work well as they are. Also, by cutting back on the mass destruction, you'll have more money on hand for more important parts of the renovation.

4. Using cheap materials

Keen-eyed individuals will know when you’re using cheap materials. If you’re wanting to give your house value, don’t cut corners with your materials. This isn't just a matter of expense, though. Cheap materials can deteriorate much quicker than quality products. In some cases, the use of cheap materials may even be dangerous (e.g. suddenly breaking away).

5. Wrong tools

We know you would never use a hammner to paint, but you need to ensure that you're always using the right tools for the job. The risk exists when a specific tool may seem right for the job but actually serves an entirely different purpose. Avoid this pitfall, otherwise you could find yourself doing some serious and costly damage.

6. Going with the wrong paint

Make sure that the colours you choose complement the overall aesthetic of the house. Using the wrong colour can really be off-putting and turn your house into an ugly duckling. And if your home doesn't have a nice, consistent colour scheme, it can seriously hurt its resale value.

7. Failing to properly account for lighting

Unless you’re planning to live the life of a film noir protagonist (to each their own, of course), lighting - whether natural or artificial - is important to any good home. You want the home to feel comfortable and inviting, and natural lighting goes a long way in achieving this objective. Good lighting also helps give a home a greater sense of space.

8. Obsessing over trends

Not to take anything away from trends, but they could also be called fads. After all, they come and go fairly quickly. Too many can become obsessed with making their house look trendy and/or ahead of its time. What you want is a house with an aesthetic look that is based of what has endured in the past. It can still look modern and have its own unique stylistic flair, but it should still be grounded on a fundamental design that isn't informed by fleeting trends.

9. Building too much

So you’re renovating a house to sell it at a higher price? That makes sense, but don’t overbuild. If you’re in a neighbourhood where the market average is around $400,000, you don’t want to be spending $600,000 on renovations with the expectation of selling it for a cool $800,000. It’s simply unrealistic.

10. Performing tasks you don't know how to do

As much as you may want your DIY renovation to be truly DIY, there will some things you simply can’t do yourself. Things such as wiring and plumbing really should be done by a professional. Additionally, if you don’t have the knowledge for a task, don’t do it. You could be putting yourself at serious risk otherwise.