We’ve all seen at least one episode of them on any number of TV channels. Indeed, there’s some days when you can’t move for them being simultaneously broadcast; and many have made household names out of their overly enthusiastic presenters. Yes, the clue’s in that last sentence if you look closely enough; household. Or to be more precise, ‘house’. Or home. Whatever you like to call you des res, essentially. Individual room planning is big business, with a host of shows, magazines and websites solely dedicated to explaining how we can transform our abodes/lifestyles simply my employing a little Feng Shui. Or presenting our upcycled furniture in such a fashion that it creates instant karma.
However one of the most prudent times to overhaul the look and feel of your rooms is when you move house, as it’s this juncture which affords you a blank canvas on which to envisage individual space layouts which tick every DIY home fit box. The biggest question is, just where do you start. And the answer to that is more a case of ‘when’, not where. And the ‘when’ is some time before you make the move, ideally. It’s all very well marking out floor space in your new home (typically tape commensurate with the actual dimensions of items of furniture set to be presented in each room), but that can be pretty hit and miss. No, what makes perfect sense from the outset is to use a CAD package to virtually imagine how your living space will pan out in reality. By either employing a professional to come in and illustrate your ideas, or – if suitably au fait with computer aided design – set about doing your home fit yourself.
As a project, it’s something you should be considering doing prior to boxing up your furniture/belongings where you are now. And that’s, essentially, because being aware of the area you’ve got to play with in your new gaff can realistically give you an invaluable heads up on what items should be loaded into the removals van and what shouldn’t at this pivotal juncture. This way you all but guarantee a perfect DIY home fit from the get-go and saves a lot of time and trouble further down the road. Or whatever postcode you’re in the throes of relocating to.
Getting back to web-based furniture/room planning solutions, and even the big furniture stores – think masters of the flat pack world and meatball experts, Ikea – have got in on the act in recent times; and now offer an easy-to-use online room planning tool. Which is perfect when determining where your bookcase goes in relation to that sideboard your mother-in-law gifted you; and which you have to figure prominently for her next visit. And all of this chin-scratching can be done in your own time and at your own pace. There are a myriad of different software packages out there for all levels of expertise, from absolute beginner to would-be architect, and each one we’ve looked at offers step-by-step instruction as to how and build individual DIY home fits from the ground up. Among the best in our book are HomeByMe, SmartDraw, Sweet Home 3D and The Home Renovator, but trust us when we say that you’ll be spoilt for choice once you type in your enquiry on Google (other search engines are available!).