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Bedroom renovation checklist

The cheapest room to get right and the easiest to redo, so it is the best room to start on.

What goes wrong in a bedroom

AvoidLaying the floor before decorating. Painting first is much faster and the cutting-in is neater.
AvoidLetting the electrician run cable before the bed position is settled. Bedside sockets in the wrong place are the most annoying cheap mistake in the house.
AvoidGetting the wardrobe order wrong. Built-in wardrobes go in before the carpet, freestanding ones after it.
AvoidSanding an old ceiling before anyone has checked it. Textured coatings in an older house may contain asbestos, and testing comes before sanding.

Phase 01

Decide before anyone starts

Short list, because a bedroom has fewer irreversible decisions than any other room.

Where the bed goes, which decides the sockets and the lighting
Storage: built-in wardrobes, freestanding, or a separate dressing area
Flooring: carpet, engineered wood, or something else
Lighting: ceiling, bedside, and whether anything is on a dimmer
Socket and data positions, counted against what you actually use
Paint colours, and whether the ceiling matches the walls
Whether the radiator stays where it is
Curtains or blinds, and therefore whether you need a batten or a recess

Phase 02

Strip out

Fast, and worth doing thoroughly so the finish has a chance.

Clear the room completely
Houses built before the 1990s may contain asbestos. Get textured coatings, old floor tiles and old insulation board checked before you disturb walls, ceilings or floors
Lift the old flooring and the gripper rods
Remove old wardrobes and fill the fixings
Strip wallpaper, or wash down and sand the existing paint
Remove skirting and architrave you intend to replace

Phase 03

First fix and repairs

Everything that goes behind the plaster or the paint.

Electrical first fix: sockets, bedside points, lighting and any data
Move the radiator, if it is moving
Add or improve insulation in an external wall or a loft-facing ceiling
Fit noggins for anything wall-hung, including a TV or a headboard
Repair the ceiling and fill every crack and old fixing
Fix the floor: screw down squeaky boards and level any dips

Phase 04

Plaster, then decorate

Decorating before the floor is the single biggest time saving available in this room.

Phase 05

Fit out and finish

The last day, in the order that avoids damaging fresh work.

Fit built-in wardrobes, if they sit on the subfloor
Lay the flooring or carpet
Electrical second fix: sockets, switches and light fittings
Fit curtain poles or blinds
Touch up the paint after everything is in
Fit door furniture and check the door closes cleanly onto the new floor

General guidance, not professional or legal advice. The sequencing describes common UK practice. Anything involving gas, electrics, structure or asbestos needs a qualified person, and the rules on permission and sign-off differ by country, so check what applies where you live.