Have you been looking at different areas of your home lately and thinking: it might be time for something new? We’ve set up a basic checklist for you to download and complete to get your project started!

This checklist is intended to help you get the basics down and enable you to have a clear idea of what you need to achieve before you finalise your design and layout. It will also help you identify any potential high cost areas. If you have a budget in mind, this will show you the big pieces of work that you need to identify the cost of first.

Download below or read on to find out why each of the elements on this checklist are important in your initial project planning.

1. Major structural, plumbing or electrical changes: This is your big ticket item, but each of these also has a spectrum of significance. For example, changing plumbing to a slightly different location nearby versus directing new plumbing to an entirely new part of the house (common when adding in en suites, for example) has different implications. If you want major change in this aspect, this is where you will see increased cost and time.
2. Strong natural lighting: This will dictate your lighting and therefore electrical requirement, and may have some impact on how you can style this room later.
3. Entryways and doorways: These are important in two ways, one because they may mean structural change, and two because they impact the ease with which you can move through the space – and on how you will be able to layout elements in your final design.
4. Windows: These should be considered for the same reasons you consider your entryways.

There are two things you need to think hard about here, which will answer all of the specific aspects of this section.

1. How you will use this space: If you have a clear idea of how you will use this space, this will tell you what you are aiming to store in this room. Your storage space should make things as easy as possible and able to be accessed easily enough that you can put anything you take out back without any friction to your day.
2. Your personal style and expected lifetime of the property: This basically dictates whether and to what degree built in cabinetry works for you, or whether stand-alone furniture is better. If you are not expecting to remain in the property for a long time, again, highly customised furniture (built in or stand alone) may not be best for you either.

Again, how you are thinking of using the room is very important here. Second to that is wellbeing and ease; are there sustainable ways you can ensure you have climate control in this space to make it healthy and enjoyable to be in at all times and in all weather? This can also have an impact on your electrical requirements.

The final flourish – once you have all the structural and constructed elements in place, insulate and then choose the materials with which you finish. Lots of people think this is the fun part! But there is a LOT of choice, so it’s a good time to start investigating what materials meet your style.