Having your home refurbished is an exciting experience – it can invigorate your living space and bring you closer to your dream home. But it is a complicated task and there is no guarantee of a seamless process. To ensure your renovation runs as smoothly as possible, it’s important to ask some important questions of your chosen design and build team.

The most important things to consider are costs, deadlines and communications. You’d be wise to get a full explanation of the quote from your design and build team, as some builders may offer a cheaper quote but then add on extras at the end. Ask for a timeline of every stage of the project, as well as a rough start date, so you know what to realistically expect. You should also ask for an indication of the total build costs at every stage of the design phase, to make sure you can afford the type of design you’re hoping for.

Another key question is how the job runs day to day. Find out how often the team will be working on-site, and ask if there will be a site manager keeping everything in check. It’s also helpful to know what type of communication they’ll be using – whether that’s emails, calls or video – as this will help to keep on top of any changes or delays.

Lastly, make sure to ask which tasks will be required of you. Find out if there will be any points during the process where you will need to move out – or if there are any additional tasks you’ll need to take on to help the project keep flowing.

These are just some of the questions to have in mind when considering how to approach your renovation project. Writing down a list of questions to ask ahead of time will help you make sure nothing important falls through the cracks. With the right design and build team, and clear communication from start to finish, you have the best chance of achieving your dream home.