I went into my house renovation feeling prepared – or at least, as prepared as someone with a mood board and a spreadsheet can feel. What I wasn’t ready for were the many curveballs I'd end up facing: the decisions you have to make before you’ve had your morning coffee, the dust that settles in places you didn’t even know existed, and the emotional rollercoaster that comes with watching your home fall apart before it comes back together.
These are the bits no one tells you about renovating, but they’re the things you’ll absolutely wish you had known from the start. After living through my fair share of chaos, surprises and “why didn’t anyone warn me?” moments, I’ve gathered the lessons that actually matter, and I’m sharing them all here.
1. Skipping the groundwork will cost you – every time
The first lesson no one tells you about renovating is that the unglamorous prep work is non-negotiable. Before you even think about finishes, you need to know your home’s structural condition, moisture levels, electrics, plumbing routes, insulation gaps – all the invisible elements that make a home function safely. It’s tempting to bolt ahead to the “fun” stages, but poor groundwork shows up later as blown budgets and failed finishes.
The minute we stripped back the plaster in one renovation, we found everything from flint walls held together with what looked like soil, to wiring that had clearly been added in whatever decade felt convenient at the time. At one point, we had entire sections of floor removed just to understand what was supporting what – and it turned out not much was supporting anything at all.
Groundwork isn’t glamorous, but it’s the part that saves you from disastrous surprises later. Levelling subfloors, assessing structural junctions, tracing original service routes, checking for damp, confirming what’s load-bearing – it’s all essential. I once rushed ahead on a room thinking it ‘just needed skimming’, only to uncover a wall full of crumbling mortar and a ceiling that was hanging on by habit.
Remember, your finishes are only as good as the layers beneath them. Get this stage right, and everything else flows. Cut corners, and you’ll be revisiting the same jobs twice, usually at twice the cost.
2. Quotes only stay fixed if the brief does
One of the earliest budgeting lessons I learnt is that a quote is only as fixed as the plan you hand over. The moment you change the brief – even slightly – the numbers shift too.
I was guilty of this. I’d approve a quote for rewiring, then ask if we could add an extra socket here or move a switch there. Or I’d sign off the plastering cost, then decide that since the wall was already open, we might as well insulate it properly. Each tiny adjustment felt harmless, but every change affected the renovation costs because the scope of the job had evolved.
And it’s not just scope that shifts things. As Izzy Taylor-Wood, MD at Woody’s Concrete Co. points out, “Cheaper isn’t (always) better. The lowest quote can cost far more once you factor in rework, poor preparation or mismatched expectations.” It’s a reminder that sometimes the “expensive” quote isn’t expensive at all, it’s simply realistic.
Timelines follow the same logic. We tend to treat dates as fixed, but as Izzy says, “A fixed date is never a guaranteed date; delivery and installation targets are always estimates because homes are unpredictable environments.”
As frustrating as it can feel, contractors aren’t being awkward when they revise a quote or shuffle the schedule – they’re costing and sequencing the work you’re now asking them to do. The best thing you can do is lock down your specification early, be clear about what you want, and resist the temptation to tweak things mid-build unless you’re prepared for the financial knock-on effect. A clear brief from the start is the only real way to keep your renovation costs on track.
Izzy Taylor-Wood is co-founder and director of Woody’s Concrete Co., leading a skilled team creating luxury polished concrete surfaces for residential and commercial projects across the UK.
3. Scams and poor workmanship are on the rise
Something I didn’t expect when I started renovating was just how vigilant you have to be when hiring builders. Scams, inflated quotes and poor workmanship have all become more commonplace, especially as demand for trades has surged.
Becky Lane, founder of Furbnow, has spoken a lot about this – particularly the rise in unqualified contractors offering quick fixes that sound good but don’t meet building standards, or worse, make your home less safe. Her advice is simple but spot-on:
“The best protection is to do some simple checks. Look the company up on Companies House, check how long they have been trading and whether they file accounts," she says. "Read independent reviews rather than testimonials on a website and always ask to speak to a real customer who has used them recently. Even if the work is grant-funded, remember it is still your home. If something doesn’t feel right, pause. A reputable company will always be happy to provide evidence of good work.”
I’ve had my own close calls. From installers who couldn’t explain their own methods to contractors trying to skip essential steps “to save time”. If someone becomes defensive when I ask for proof of insurance, references or certification, that’s my cue to walk away. Whether I'm trying to find a builder, hiring a plumber, or choosing an electrician, I try to verify their qualifications and make sure everything is in writing.
Becky Land is the CEO of Furbnow, leading a mission-driven team to help UK homeowners cut energy use and transition towards low-carbon heating through an accessible home energy efficiency platform.
4. Old houses don’t behave how you expect
One of the biggest shocks of renovating an older home is realising it has its own logic and it rarely matches yours. Nothing is straight, level or predictable. Walls are a patchwork of materials from different eras and floors dip in places you swear weren’t dipping yesterday.
I’ve renovated listed buildings, and they come with an entirely different rule book. Lime-based materials, breathable construction, listed building consent, and conservation approvals – the moment you think you understand one quirk, another pops up. My favourite discovery was a centuries-old patch repair hiding behind a modern skim, sitting right next to wiring that definitely wasn’t installed in the same century.
Old houses expand and contract with the seasons, reveal fresh surprises whenever you lift something, and demand materials that work with them, not against them. If you’re renovating a period property or extending a listed building, accept that your home has a personality of its own, and the process becomes far more enjoyable.
5. Damp is often worse than you realise
One problem that reveals its true colours only when you start peeling things back is damp. On the surface, you might see a faint tide mark or a bit of bubbling paint. But once we stripped our walls, we found entire sections where old tanking had failed, bitumen coatings were trapping moisture, and patches of plaster were literally crumbling away in our hands
I've found that older houses handle moisture completely differently because lime walls need to breathe, whereas modern gypsum doesn’t. Past owners often try to “fix” damp with quick, incompatible solutions like cement renders, vinyl paints, or a random attempt at waterproofing that just pushes moisture somewhere else. We had all of those and undoing historic mistakes takes far longer than doing it right from the start.
My advice is to treat damp as a whole-house issue: ventilation, materials, drainage, exterior levels, guttering, the lot. And if you’re not sure what you’re looking at, bring in someone who is. A good surveyor, conservation specialist or damp expert can save you from pouring money into the wrong fix.
6. The house will always look worse before it looks better
There’s a point in every renovation when you walk into a room and think, “What have I done?” For me, it was the day the ceilings were down to bare joists, the floors were lifted clean out, and every wall was stripped back to a chaotic mix of flint and rubble. It certainly didn’t feel like progress, as it looked like we’d accidentally demolished the place.
But that awful in-between stage is totally normal. Once you start rewiring, insulating, levelling floors or tackling damp, the house has to go backwards before it can move forwards. Thankfully, this is the phase where all the important upgrades happen: structure, safety, insulation, performance. If it looks dramatically worse, it usually means you’re doing it right.
Staying closely in touch with your architect and contractors at this stage really helps; regular check-ins keep you grounded in what’s progressing, what’s waiting on decisions, and what needs your approval next. As Izzy Taylor-Wood advises, “Ask all your questions upfront; there are no silly questions, and clarity early on prevents disappointment later.” The more you understand what’s happening behind the scenes, the less overwhelming this messy middle feels.
7. Hard floors are louder than you think, so make sure you soundproof
I knew hard floors would update my space, but I didn’t expect the noise. Suddenly every footstep, scrape and echo felt amplified. Graeme Shelley, managing director at Factory Direct Flooring, says this catches most renovators off guard: “Hard floors are easier to clean, but they instantly make a home noisier. It’s worth thinking about soundproofing before you lay them.” Acoustic vinyl and LVT perform surprisingly well, especially with the right underlay, reducing noise by up to 22dB. Laminate flooring, Graeme warns, tends to be louder unless paired with a high-dB underlay or softened with rugs.
And as Adam Robertson, managing director of Urbane Living, points out, you shouldn’t compromise on quality just to save on flooring costs: “One of the most common mistakes we see is homeowners focusing too heavily on cost when choosing flooring. While budget is of course a consideration, opting for the cheapest option often means compromising on quality.” He adds that a thin wear layer can drastically shorten the lifespan of engineered wood, while a substantial wear layer and a durable finish will keep a floor looking good and performing well for decades.
If you’re investing in hard floors, plan your soundproofing and choose the best quality type of flooring your budget allows. It’s worth it every single day you walk across them.
Graeme Shelley has 20 years’ experience in supporting customers with their project needs from sourcing to buying. As managing director of Factory Direct Flooring, Graeme leads a team of experts helping customers with all their flooring needs across wood flooring, vinyl flooring, LVT, SPC and laminate floors
Adam Robertson is the managing director at Urbane Living, a specialist in premium flooring and interior finishes. With decades of industry experience, he is known for championing high-quality materials and long-lasting craftsmanship.
8. Trend-led decisions date fast
I’ve fallen for a few interior trends in my time (thanks, Instagram) but the problem with trendy concepts and finishes is that they age surprisingly quickly once they’re part of your actual home.
Charlotte Saunders, interior designer at OKA, summed this up perfectly when she told me: “We can avoid the more fleeting décor trends by asking ourselves whether they’re going to stand the test of time, or whether it’s something we would add to our living room had it not been trending. If the answer is no, then I’d advise against it.”
She’s right. Trends are fun, but they move fast. As Charlotte put it, “animal print, nautical-themed pieces, or word art” have all had their moments but it’s not always the motif itself that dates; it’s how heavily it’s used. Her advice is to use trend-led accents sparingly: “I love a cheetah print but find it’s best to keep it to a select few pieces. This balance naturally feels more ‘tasteful’ and will stand the test of time.”
For me, the sweet spot is timeless foundations with trend-led layers. Floors, tiles, joinery and cabinetry should be choices you’ll still love in a decade. The personality – cushions, lamps, artwork, textiles – can change as your taste evolves.
Charlotte Saunders is an interior designer at OKA, a British homeware brand founded in 1999. Charlotte is part of a team of designers behind OKA's Interior Design Service, where clients can benefit from a free initial consultation to create a space they'll love, which may include colour consultancy and bespoke window dressings, rugs, headboards and beds.
9. Mood and wellbeing matter more than you expect
Renovating for a long period of time can chip away at your mood far more than you think. Some days you feel unstoppable; other days one delay has you questioning every choice you’ve made. And it doesn’t just affect you either. Graeme Shelley from Factory Direct Flooring told me their research found that DIY can spark domestic disagreements:
“Women often trust themselves with DIY more than their partners,” he says – 67% wouldn’t hand over a kitchen or bathroom install, and more than half wouldn’t trust their partner to pick soft furnishings or paint colours. Speaking from experience, I get it. But it’s also the perfect example of why communication is everything during a renovation.
Graeme’s advice is to talk honestly about expectations before anyone picks up a tool, be realistic about your skill levels, and don’t be afraid to bring in the professionals when the job (or the stress) gets too big.
Keen to feel more prepared before diving into your own home renovation? Explore our guide to planning permission to understand what work needs approval, and brush up on building regulations so you know exactly what standards your project must meet.
