thedalek, Regarding the comment "Would I renovate again - NO, will I have to renovate my next home - YES.".
Im not a tradesperson so I work in an office all day. Unless you are a tradesperson there is not a lot that can be done DIY. Sure you can paint and do some manual tasks but the major tasks need to be done by tradespeople (plumbing, electrical kitchen etc).
With my current renovation I organised all the tradespeople to come in but next time I will get a builder and pay the premium. It will probably end up slightly more but the job will be complete quicker thus saving interest repayments.
