With so many home design ideas, from the interior to decor, surfing around the internet, it may be absolutely overwhelming to choose what’s right for your home. After all, nobody wants to get their house repainted or have their new furniture going redundant just because they didn’t think it through in the first place.

So in order to find out what common mistakes are best avoided when designing your dream home, we talked to Nisha Vaidya, a personal finance editor at Money.co.uk, who shared some useful tips on how not to waste your time, energy, and money on something you’ll regret.

“From a practical perspective, consider your budget and skillset before beginning any challenging projects,” Nisha said and added that fixing structural issues will likely take longer and cost a lot more in the long term than initially paying for an expert tradesperson to complete the job in the first place.“Secondly, measure, measure and measure again—having a rug that's off center or a sofa that doesn't quite fit can turn a relaxing space into a bugbear for the eagle-eyed amongst you.”

“Additionally, a common interior design mistake is overdoing current trends or favorite pieces,” Nisha warned. “Most interior designers will promote a mixture of furniture types and styles and steer away from homogenous products. If you enjoy a certain interior trend (e.g. paneling), be sure to make this a focal point in your home and steer away from using the feature in every space, as this will dilute its effect.”

If you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of design ideas on the internet, Nisha reminds that choosing what you want for your home ultimately comes down to your personal choice. “If you love an interior design trend, hunt for ways you can incorporate it into your home.”

However, it’s always smart to think about the cost, practicality and the space you have available, she suggests. “For example, if you have a small galley kitchen but are desperate for a kitchen island and entertainment space, you may have to rethink how practical and doable it will be.”

On the other hand, “if you want exposed floorboards and find good quality floorboards underneath existing carpet, then it’s worth doing your research to find out how much it will cost for you to make this feature a long-lasting part of your home,” Nisha said.