Planning a renovation

Most renovation regrets are planning regrets. The finishes get the attention, but the outcome is usually decided earlier: by how clearly the scope was written, how much contingency was set aside, who was hired and in what order the work happened.

This section collects the practical side of a renovation: budgets and contingency, choosing and comparing trades, healthy-homes basics, heating and acoustics in open-plan spaces, storage, and designing a house that still works as you get older.