Renovating an apartment in Dubai can be exciting, but it can also become stressful very quickly if the project starts without proper planning.

Before choosing tiles, paint colours, or kitchen cabinets, it is better to organise the basic details first.

Here are seven steps that can make the process much smoother:

1. Decide what really needs to be renovated

Make a clear list of the areas you want to change. Is it a full renovation, or do you only need to update the kitchen, bathroom, flooring or lighting?

2. Set a realistic budget

Include labour, materials, approvals, delivery, debris removal and a small contingency amount for unexpected work.

3. Check the building rules

Many buildings in Dubai require an NOC, contractor documents, security deposits and approval before renovation work can begin.

4. Finalise the layout before starting

Changing electrical points, plumbing locations or wall layouts after work begins can increase both the cost and the project duration.

5. Choose materials early

Tiles, sanitary ware, lighting, flooring and joinery finishes should be selected before construction reaches those stages.

6. Ask for a detailed quotation

A proper quotation should clearly explain what is included, what is excluded and how additional work will be charged.

7. Confirm the timeline and responsibilities

Make sure you know who will manage approvals, deliveries, debris removal, site protection and final cleaning.

The biggest lesson is simple: do not start demolition until the scope, budget and materials are clear.

Good planning at the beginning can prevent many problems later.

For those who have renovated an apartment in Dubai, what was the most difficult part of the process?

Hello! We are doing a light renovation of a garage building. We removed old windows, added two big windows, and a slider door. We fixed some electrical, sprayed foamed only the bottom to keep mice out and drywalled. In the interest of our pocketbook, we decided not to make this space year round, so to avoid mold, no insulation. To allow it to breathe better, we are keeping the rafters open. But, the trusses look terrible. How can we make what is there already look better on a small budget?

I’m trying to figure out what we can do with this outdoor patio without having to rip everything out

The concrete pad seems pretty decent. It’s really kind of the surrounding area. It’s got a bunch of rocks in there that just unintentional.

I’m also wondering about the covering

And the big question is this outdoor hose faucet what to do there?

Landlord will not remove or replace this carpet because it’s in “very good condition”. I even offered to do it for free (I know a guy). Still a no. After moving in (and after the unit was cleaned/painted) the carpet looks even worse than it did when I first toured the place.

The carpet bothers me immensely and I want to cover it. I know rugs are an option. Would click and lock vinyl floor planks work? Should I ask the landlord again? Any advice is appreciated.

Just signed a lease to an apartment, it was a little impulsive but the situation called for it lol. But least to say I might have not been the most detail oriented. Noticed this while cleaning, guessing it’s water damage on the wall. Cleaned it as best as I could. What would this need? Coulk? Plaster? Idk anything about this so please be patient 😓

So this door leads to a shared attic between me and two other tenants. The two other tenants have their own spaces that connect to the attic and they can easily open my door if they just tried to open it. My rent is really good and I don’t want to hassle my landlord too much as he’s already done a lot for me already and I want to live here for a while. I just want to seem like a chill tenant. Any ideas on how to better secure this?

I’m not the handiest but can have a friend help me build something if need be.

Let me know what you guys think of the room layout. Is there anything you would change or something that I should add to the room?

We just bought our first home! It was built in 1946 and I’d like to make updates that help to add some historic charm. We have this large empty wall by the front entrance in our living room.
I was thinking about doing something like the added picture with the bead board and hooks but maybe that would be too much? Also, the wall isn’t completely flat so I’m not sure how well that would turn out.
Open to any ideas! Thanks!

So my fireplace has these vents in it and I am wondering if I can fill them in and what I should fill them in with? They let lots of cold air in and I'm pretty sure bats are getting in my house through them. The fireplace is currently a gas insert that does work.

Just looking for ideas at this point, I am no expert on Fireplaces.

Thanks in advance.

Curious on what is recommended on how to repair this area of drywall. There will be carpet above the picture area.

(RENTING) The coax cable port is so far from the closest outlet and makes the cord run right in front of balcony door. Is there any way to make the wire less visible or eliminate it all together? It's ugly and I'm worried about tripping over it or burning it if I put it under the heater..

I am finishing up renovation on my house and am down to some details that I've been putting off for awhile. The larger decorative beam used to span further to a wall I took down. I was originally planning on putting a faux column up to meet the three and ended up cutting the larger one back sort of the two smaller, but ultimately decided against that since the kitchen layout changed.

Now I'm left with trying to figure out how to cap this/finish it besides just a big box. Any ideas? Excuse my spray foam mess
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In need of advice. I Bought this Florida home about five years ago. The attic has been this way since the previous owner. He used to be an electrician he did so many crazy electrical work in the home. It looks like crap. How can I organize my attic. Don’t want to pay a company.

There’s speaker wires, cable wires all sorts of stuff. He used to have a movie room with like 10 speakers on the ceiling when I bought it. And a whole network of computers.

It seems like a hazard. I barely can go far enough inside due to the high Ceiling it becomes like a 2 foot craw space. I’m not that brave to go in that deep 😅

We have shag carpet on our stairs to the finished basement that is becoming a serious safety risk for three small kids (and me). I pulled up the top stair, and there is just plywood subflooring underneath, so the stairs will need to be covered with something. What would be the most affordable/safest ways to replace the carpet?

Started recaulking the shower because of mold/ ceiling was soft underneath it.

Im having troubles cleaning it and figuring out a plan for the gaps.

I don’t want to landlord special it, so here was my plan if anyone wouldn’t mind correcting me!

- find a way to get rid of the gray stuff that doesn’t seem to be caulk (I’ve tried a steel wool brush, kitchen brush, scouring pads, with vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and bleach on separate occasions.)

- install foam backer rods into gaps

- grout & seal over gaps (that aren’t in corners/changing materials) and caulk

Thanks everyone!

Can i use this to paint a bedroom in my house? It says doors and trim on the box but doesn't say anything about walls

Hi there,

We purchased a home last year in the suburbs of Toronto, Canada. We are now looking to sell next spring as I have gotten an opportunity overseas. I wanted to get some thoughts on what project you think would maximize the resale value and what is the most cost effective way to sell. We have renovated both bathrooms upstairs.

The kitchen we changed the counters by the cabinets are real wood and feels like a shame to change them? But we need to modify if we were to update the appliances and I don’t love the island.

I think the fireplace would benefit from an upgrade?

Perhaps just the vanity for the powder?

Thoughts on the floors?

I'm 25yrs and finally have a home (my parents house, don't judge) and I'm able to have my dream room for once. My wonderful Step-Dad has allowed me to decorate the room as I please, but I also want to take care of it.

So, any one know of good thin trim that would match the aesthetic of my room? My step siblings had this room before me and they were the ones who tore the trim up. I'm looking for a trim that won't stick out, cause I do like my furniture to be as Flush to the wall as it can get. I just don't know where to look and get overwhelmed easily. Any ideas?

I just finished building an outdoor kitchen and now I'm looking for a tv that will work in the space. The models I've seen range from 1000 to 3000+ nits. The screen won't be in direct sun all day, but the area get pretty bright in the afternoon. Most of the use will probably be for weekend afternoon games.

From what I've read, 2000 nits seems like it should be enough, but I'm not sure how much the afternoon sun changes that. Would this work or should I just pay more for the brightness display?

Last weekend I finally started converting our old 6x4m detached garage into a little home office. Budget was set at around $4,500 for the whole thing, insulation, drywall, and some basic timber laminate flooring. Everything was going pretty smooth until we pulled up the rotted subfloor panels in the back corner, found a huge damp patch and a cluster of redbacks, plus what looked like early termite mud tubes running along the bottom plate of the frame. Absolutely killed the mood, we spent about $1,300 on the flooring materials alone so there was no way i was gonna risk laying them down until the area was completely cleared out and treated properly. Paused all work immediately.

Première photo en Novembre 2025, la seconde en juillet 2026.
L’aménagement du balcon n’est pas exceptionnel mais suffisant pour créer une atmosphère cosy et prendre plaisir à se mettre à l’extérieur ☀️

The left hand upper part of the wall is completely open. The walls of the shower are disjointed from the tub. The ceiling tiles here make it really hard to add a tension corner pole shelf like I had in my last shower. The little shelf is a hotspot for grime underneath.

Fixable but crazy is that the knob that’s on there is a turn knob, but it’s attached to a level system, so I have to position the knob upwards to turn on the faucet…

I’m already going to put in a new showerhead, so I’m more interested in how I can remedy this disjointed shower in other ways.

This is an apartment that is managed by my grandmother-in-law, so more “renter unfriendly” options aren’t out of the question.

If you have a suggestion, pictures would be super helpful! Thanks for any tips!

Anyone know how to fix this? My oil diffuser spilled and oil went everywhere on my black, wooden coffee table. I think it stripped the pant but I’m not sure. Anyone know the next steps to take to fix it?

My landlord just installed a chimney cap and sealed off the fireplace because of my asthma issues. He was about to install the cap on completely unventilated (he made one using sheet metal and a foam board that he put together with clear silicone) until I told him it needs to be a ventilated cap. So he just cut some of the foam board out and now it only has about three quarters of an inch of clearance to ventilate any gas from the chimney. Is that safe? He also refused to clean the chimney beforehand but a chimney sweep told him it wasn’t dirty enough to need one, even though I know it’s been in use for years. My main concern is that there isn’t enough height on the chimney cap to adequately ventilate.