zummarchives's post

#인테리어노하우 #콘수프기록집 Those who have failed at interior design know it better! Housing prices are so high these days. We practically went all-in on buying the house, so our interior budget wasn't exactly generous. So, at first, we started the renovation thinking, "Let's just make it neat and comfortable!" But after living there, I realized there are so many things more important than the estimate. Since we are a dual-income couple and a weekend couple, DIY interior design wasn't even an option. I think we received quotes from over six places, mainly focusing on turnkey projects. (We had on-site meetings with four places.) It is an 18-year-old, 30-pyeong (approx. 100 sq m) apartment, and we proceeded with a turnkey plan for 35 million won. Looking only at the price, you might think, "That's decent, right?" but there are far more factors important than the cost of the interior design. If I could go back in time, there are things I would definitely want to check before starting the renovation. I am writing this so that if you are preparing for interior design, you can avoid the trial and error I went through. 1️⃣ Study a lot about interior design Before I started my interior renovation, I thought I had done a lot of research by browsing DIY cafes, YouTube, and Instagram. However, once I actually went through the process, there were so many moments where I thought, "I should have known this beforehand." I knew the basic flow and terminology, but I realized I should have been much more meticulous about what items were included in the estimate, why extra charges were added, and which processes caused cost differences. Prices vary significantly between companies, and even if a project looks the same, the included items are often different. I gained a lot of information, especially from the Naver DIY Cafe. Originally, it is a community for sharing information among those doing DIY or semi-DIY interior design, but I highly recommend it because it has a lot of information related to turnkey projects and is full of experts. I particularly recommend reading articles like "Must-Read Before Planning" before you start your interior renovation. 2️⃣ Don't just look at appliances; consider furniture placement and outlet locations as well. When I was doing my interior renovation, I proceeded with my focus solely on appliances. Now that I've actually lived here, I realize I should have considered furniture placement, daily routines, and even outlet locations in advance. A prime example was my bedroom. I chose a bed with bedside tables on both sides, but I proceeded without considering the outlet locations. Originally, I would have had to run a long power strip right down the middle of the room. Fortunately, I'm currently using the outlet on the master bedroom balcony to keep the power cord as out of sight as possible. Since electrical work is often done early on, it's a good idea to consider adding more outlets beforehand if needed. I recommend getting a quote after thoroughly thinking about the placement of appliances and furniture. 3️⃣ Be sure to check the foundation work, not just the finishing. At first, I also focused mainly on pretty finishing materials and designs. However, due to budget constraints, I could barely use the materials I wanted. After living here, I realized that foundation work, such as insulation, is much more important. Our laundry room had insufficient insulation, so we suffered from severe condensation every winter. Since we left the windows open, at times the worst, our washing machine even froze. I thought a dehumidifier would solve the problem, but it wouldn't work below -5 degrees Celsius. Since using a fan heater posed a fire hazard and resulted in high electricity bills, I eventually settled for leaving the door slightly ajar, accepting the risk of the washing machine freezing. The washing machine froze, so I couldn't do laundry for about 3 to 4 days and had to wait for it to thaw on its own. I still have lingering regrets, wondering if it would have been better to consider reinforcing the insulation as well, rather than just replacing the elastic coating. 4️⃣ Additional costs are much higher than expected I assumed that hiring a turnkey contractor would include everything from A to Z, but once I actually started, costs beyond the quote kept piling up. (Items included or excluded varied by turnkey contractor; please consider the items below as well.) * Interior renovation consent form * Gifts for neighbors (Not mandatory, but neighbors often experience stress from noise and dust. Prepare small gifts before and after renovations as a token of gratitude.) * Elevator protection fees * Elevator usage fees * Thermostat replacement * Door lock replacement * Intercom/wall pad replacement * Gas removal when installing an induction cooktop * Move-in cleaning * Curtains/blinds * Window handle replacement * Additional furniture costs, etc. When viewed individually, these amounts aren't large, but when added up, it turns out you need a surprisingly large sum of money. Therefore, I highly recommend planning your interior renovation budget with plenty of leeway. Looking at the online community, it seems people set aside about 20% of the total quote as a generous budget before starting. ** I’m not an expert who has done a lot of interior design, but having experienced it and lived in it, I’ve come to realize that how comfortable you live is more important than how much you spent. In the next post, I’ll bring you the things I did well during the interior design process plus some great tips for saving money. If you found this helpful, please save it and make sure to read it. #Interior #구축아파트인테리어 #인테리어꿀팁 #신혼집인테리어 #오늘의집