Renovating your home? Here is what you need to know

Are you looking to renovate your home? If so, there are a number of factors that you will need to consider before embarking on this exciting project. Some of the key questions you need to ask yourself are: what am I looking to achieve from renovating my home? Am I looking to create more space, or is the project aimed more at changing the way my home looks? Perhaps your family is growing and you need to be more efficient in the way your home is organised. Would you prefer aesthetics over practicality? Think about these variables before you even begin.

How do you renovate your home?

Set-up a budget

After you’ve addressed the “why”, it’s time to tackle the “how” of home renovation. Creating your dream home could cost you anything from the price of a few buckets of paint and paint brushes, to several thousand riyals. There is probably no limit to how much you could end up spending. That is why it is important to set a budget at the very start. List all the important changes you would like to make to your home along with all the materials you will need. You can then look at the associated costs of material and labour.

Decide if you will do it yourself or hire a decorator

Once you have determined your budget, the next step is to decide if you plan to do the work yourself or if you prefer to hire an interior decorator. You should weigh the advantages and disadvantages of each option. For example, if you are looking to update your living room to make it feel more spacious, comfortable and modern, you will likely need to know a fair amount about furniture arrangement, lighting and colour schemes. The advantage of hiring a professional is the convenience of having these details taken care of. The disadvantage is that your costs could rise considerably.  You may also want to look at decorating magazines for some inspiration and guidance on simple home renovation ideas.

Home decorators in Saudi Arabia

Examples of interior decorating ideas from Sayidaty magazine

How can you finance your home renovation project?

After formulating a plan, you have to come up with the cash to fund it. Here are some options to consider depending on your situation:

Personal savings and family assistance

You may choose to fund the project from your personal savings or to get financial help from your family and friends. But if you prefer not to ask for the money outright, you could create a “home renovation fund” and have them contribute to it on special occasions instead of buying you gifts. You could also cut your monthly expenditure on non-priority items and put the extra cash towards the fund.

Get a personal loan

Several banks in Saudi Arabia offer personal loans that can be utilised for home renovation. To choose the one that best fits your needs, look at financing rates, loan tenors, minimum age and salary requirements and bear in mind that some banks will only extend credit to you if your employer is approved by them. Financing rates range from 1% to 3.52% for flat rates and from 1.8% to 6.92% for reducing balance rates. Minimum salary requirements can vary between 2000 and 3500 Saudi riyals depending on the banks’ rules and your employer’s profile. Do some investigation into the various personal financing structures to understand whether the rate you are being quoted is flat or variable, reducing or fixed. These details could significantly alter the cost of taking out a personal loan, so make sure you know this information beforehand. Additionally, your eligibility for loan amounts can be affected by whether or not you have outstanding loans or credit cards repayments.

Editor’s tip:

Be aware that if you decide to take out a loan to fund your project, you will have to pay certain fees including loan arrangement fees. Also, if you decide to repay your loan before the end of your tenor, you may be required to pay an early settlement fee. Find out this information from your bank and make sure to include these extra costs when preparing a budget for your home renovation project.