Planning your next DIY project? When it comes to staying organised and making sure that nothing falls through the cracks, you can’t beat the humble checklist. With your home renovation, there are countless considerations and decisions to make before you even get started – and plenty more as you go along! – so what better way to keep on track than with your own renovating a house checklist? This way, you can avoid any last minute panics, costly oversights, or frustrating delays. Even better, you get to enjoy the satisfaction of ticking items off your list and seeing the progress as your home renovation comes together.

Get Inspired

Seeing all of the decisions and tasks written out in black and white can feel pretty overwhelming, but if you do your homework in advance you’ll be ticking things off in no time! A great way to kick off your renovating a house checklist is to start putting together some mood boards – both real and virtual – to help you explore different ideas, get inspired, and keep a record of the things you like.

This is what Pinterest was made for! Take a look at other people’s DIY and home renovation boards and when you see something you love, don’t be afraid to steal it! Instagram is also great for home renovation inspiration – especially when it comes to before and after slideshows. People love to show off their transformations, so follow some of your fellow DIY-ers and start getting excited about the possibilities.

Have they chosen doors that play into the heritage or contemporary feel of their home? Have they opened up their living space by installing doors that can slide or fold away? Have they added character with a set of distinctive barn doors? Think about which styles and designs you like, and which will suit your home. Consider the material, finish and colour of your doors, and ask yourself what kind of feel you want to create. On the Doors Plus website, you can scroll through a whole gallery of before and after images from our previous transformations to get a real sense of the difference a door can make.

Your Doors Checklist

Once your head is buzzing with inspiration and anticipation, now’s the time to think clearly and rationally about what you need to do to choose the right doors for your home. Your checklist should include all of the considerations that will affect your choice of doors, and how they fit into your home and lifestyle. For example:

• Location

  – Are you choosing internal or external doors, connecting rooms or closing off storage, kitchen, bedroom or bathroom doors?

• Light

  – Do you want to uplift a certain room or area of your house with more natural light? If so, look at glazed rather than solid options. Many of our Doors Plus ranges include one or more glazed panels, and you can choose clear, translucent or decorative glass.

• Privacy

  – Should your doors be solid, for maximum privacy and sound insulation (for a home office, for example)?

• Security

  – If you’re choosing external doors, this will be a big consideration. Some of our ranges, such as the Guardian 2in1, have been specifically designed with security in mind, to protect both your home and your family.

• Material

  – This is both a stylistic and a practical decision. You might choose solid timber doors for the premium look and feel, or you might want to go for a more economical composite option. Again, this will also depend on the location and functionality of your doors – for folding, sliding or stacking doors that lead out onto a patio or veranda, aluminium is a solid and hardwearing choice.

• Hardware

  – It’s not just about the doors themselves; you also need to think about things like hinges, handles and locks. Again, style, practicality and security should all come into play here.

• Framework

  – Make sure that you check whether your doors will fit into your existing framework, to avoid any unexpected delays and extra costs. If adjustments need to be made, one of our skilled carpenters can get this sorted for you as part of our comprehensive measuring up and installation service.

• Configuration

  – Many of our ranges come in both single and double configurations, depending on your space and how you want your doors to function. Think about how you and your family use your living areas, as well as how the finished doors will look.

• Finish

  – This can make all the difference to the final look and feel of your doors, and how they sit alongside the style and décor of your home. At Doors Plus, you can choose for your doors to be finished with a dark maple stain for something classic and elegant, painted white for a simple and timeless look, or left raw to be painted in the colour of your choice so that they perfectly complement your home décor.

• Compliance

  – This is something that you definitely can’t afford to overlook! For certain types of door (such as security screen doors), it is essential that they meet the Australian standards, so make sure that you get clued up, and work with experts who have been in the business for decades.

We’re Here to Help!

Now that you know where to start, and how your checklist should shape up, why not drop into your nearest Doors Plus showroom to explore our extensive ranges and start making some of those all-important decisions. Our experienced team can help you work through your checklist and make your choices with complete confidence. It may look like there’s a mountain to climb, but we’re with you every step of the way!