Start with what is already there
Before planning a renovation, make a record of what works, what is worn out and what you still need to find out.
Read the building
Start with a measured plan, photographs and a list of the changes you want to make. Keep a second list of the things you would miss: a morning view, a useful cupboard, a room that stays comfortable in summer. It is easy to lose something useful when every discussion is about the parts that need fixing.
Separate what you can see from what needs investigation. A wall may look easy to remove but carry a load or contain services. Damp, cracking and changes in floor level need appropriate professional assessment. Record those questions early so that a layout is not agreed around an assumption that later proves wrong.
Make the change precise
Compare a small intervention with a larger one. Could moving a doorway improve the route through the house? Would built-in storage free a room for another use? An extension may still be the right answer, but it helps to understand what the existing area can do first.
Agree which items are to remain before work starts, and make that clear in drawings and site discussions. Retaining a floor or a door also means planning how it will be protected during construction. Keeping an existing element is a design decision with practical consequences, not simply the absence of demolition.
VEYR Studio
Notes on planning, materials and the everyday use of buildings.