If the start of a new year brings with it the prospect of renovating a house, you're not alone. It's one of the most common times of year for homeowners to decide it's time for a makeover.
Crowded homes over the festivities, coupled with the fact you've had a bit more time to swoon over other people's homes on social media, in magazines and spend hours trawling Pinterest (or maybe that's just me), can mean you finally decide it's time to do something about your growing house envy.
Or, perhaps you're about to pick up the keys for a new project and you're not sure where to start. Either way, we've pulled together a simple 4-step plan to help you get ahead of the game in January, to ensure your renovation goes smoothly.
1. Declutter your current home
Although it might feel pointless when you're potentially about to live through chaos, decluttering your home in January is perfect if you're planning a renovation in 2026.
Even if it's not the house you're going to be renovating, it's still worth doing. Why? It may help you realise you need less (or more) space than you first thought. Plus, getting dug into a great Christmas clear-out it will have the added bonus of giving you additional space to store any new items you buy, while selling stuff you don't want to increase your renovation budget.
"Start cleaning out your home as soon as you've determined you are going to renovate in 2026," says Jessica Smith, interior designer and founder of Curated Spaces.
"When we’re busy, we often don’t realise how much of a good clear out we actually need, and seeing the extra space you create doesn’t mean you don’t need to renovate, but it can often mean you’re going in with a much clearer head about exactly what you need to fit into your new space."
So much so that it could mean you realise you do need to put aside more money for bespoke fitted furniture, or perhaps it's time to accept you need to start looking at dressing room ideas rather than bedroom wardrobe ideas.
On the flipside, streamlining your belongings could also bring with it the realisation that you could actually get away with a small kitchen and squeeze in a bootility room instead.
Plus it's a chance to get your loft storage in order so you have somewhere safe to put your belongings if you're planning on living on site while renovating.
Shop these storage items to help when you declutter
These heavy duty boxes with lids are stackable and come with secure clips to keep your items safe and dry
A pack of two temporary cardboard wardrobes for moving or storing your clothes
These clear storage boxes are perfect if you need to see your belongings quickly
Before becoming an interior designer, Jessica Smith - founder of Curated Spaces and Studio Smith, spent a decade working in hospitality; an industry where every detail matters and how a space feels is just as important as how it looks. Qualifying in interior design from the National Design Academy in 2019 Jessica launched Studio Smith Interior Design, prior to turning her attention to Curated Spaces. Whether you’re reworking a single floor or tackling a whole-home renovation, Curated Spaces helps you make confident, informed design decisions – with a clear, considered plan that becomes the foundation for everything else.
2. Finalise your mood boards and must-haves
January is also the perfect time to hone in on all the ideas you've been collating to decide what makes the cut and what doesn't. Take a final look at the interior design trends for the year ahead in case there's something you want to add. Or, if your renovation plans are more room specific, do the final round up of kitchen trends for example, then, get down to business.
Group your ideas by room, and make sure you identity between your 'must-haves' and 'would-like-to-haves'. Get samples of products such as wallpaper, tiles, flooring and paint as it's vital you don't just rely on online images when making choices.
You could also try out the best home design apps to see how some of your ideas might loook when executed, but do remember that screen images are rarely a fully accurate representation of what products look and feel like in person. Real items are impacted by things such as changing light in a room, and a paint colour can change when you add in the flooring and tiles alongside it.
We're not saying you can't change your mind at any point further down the line, but there comes a point in any renovation scheme when altering things will start increasing your house renovation costs. Being clear from the off will help to reduce that risk.
3. Start assembling your team
If your renovation requires calling in the professionals, January is a great time to start assembling your team. Most good builders, contractors and specialist suppliers will have their diaries filled up for the start of the year, but could well be looking for work further down the line.
"January is the right time to get a proper survey done and put the work in order of importance: structure first, then services, then aesthetics," suggests Clive Holland, build expert and Fix Radio broadcaster. "That way you are planning properly rather than reacting later on.”
“January is the perfect time to begin design discussions, set a realistic budget and engage a specialist early," agrees Emily Newmarch, design consultant at Kitchens by Holloways, a company that also undertakes whole home renovation projects and extensions.
"The first 2–3 months of any renovation project are typically spent on design work, developing architectural drawings and aligning the scope with the budget," she confirms.
“The biggest wins come from early clarity on the brief, early surveys, and early decisions on your performance target, because those choices shape the design, the programme and the budget," expands Ran Ankory, founder and managing director of Scenario Architecture.
To get off to the best start, appoint your core team as early as possible, as they will be guiding you through each step of a complex and often lengthy process. As architects, we are almost always the first contact clients will reach out to in the ideation stage of their project - so we’re used to guiding our clients through the initial stages of the journey and helping them assemble their full team to hit the ground running.”
Finding a team
"When you start building your renovation team, everyone will know somebody they can recommend," says Jessica Smith, and while word of mouth recommendations are invaluable, "it's still essential that you assemble your own team, based on how you want to live," she emphasises.
"If you’ve ever lived with the consequences of a poor layout, or you naturally find yourself analysing interiors over brick facades, you’re already more attuned to how a home needs to function internally. Use these needs as your starting point and build your team around that," adds Jessica.
If you need to choose an architect to remodel your home, head to RIBA's Find an Architect service and look for ones who specialise in the kind of work you like or want, particularly if you're undertaking a project such as renovating a Victorian property.
If on the other hand your renovation is about about what's inside your home, "prioritise people such as interior designers who can get the internal functions right such as circulation, storage, zoning and how each space supports daily life," recommends Jessica, "as that’s where the long-term value is."
Emily is a design consultant at Kitchens by Holloways, a design and build company who not only create bespoke kitchens, but also thoughtfully crafted renovations and extensions.
4. Work on a timeline
While an exact schedule of works will be something you finalise with your builder and contractors, understanding what needs to happen and when, in order for you to achieve your ideal completion date, is a good starting point.
“Kitchens, bespoke joinery, glazing systems and major appliances almost always carry the longest lead times," advises Emily Newmarch, "so those decisions should be made early in the year, ideally by spring if you want work to begin in the summer.”
The same even goes for certain items of furniture, such as sofas, which can have 12 week order dates. Likewise if you've started talking to professionals, they may already have told you they have a free slot in a certain month which means you'll need to work around those specifics.
If you have an end date in mind, plot that on your calendar and work back from there to figure out what might take place and when.
Don't yet have finished architectural designs? If everything aligns you could still start on your renovation in 2026, confirms Emily.
“Assuming no planning permission is required, and you have your team lined up, you could begin on-site in early summer. As a rough guide, allow 2–3 months for design and technical drawings before any construction can begin,” she advises.
While January could turn into a busy month with jobs to do to help turn your renovation dreams into reality, make sure you also find out the renovation pitfalls to avoid before you start
Find out the one thing never to leave untouched in a renovation, and avoid the 5 things that will make a renovation look cheap. After all, the last thing you want is to find yourself facing even more renovations when next January arrives.
