Life is crammed full of choices.

When you are entering into a home renovation project or considering buying a new property you have a plethora of decisions to make on how you will create your new environment.

I have often seen clients so overwhelmed with the weight of decision that they simply walk away and don’t make any decision at all!

I once worked with a lady who lived on plywood floors for three years because she had torn out her carpet and couldn’t make a decision on new products.

The real estate market is flooded with home choices which is good news for buyers.

If you are looking for a new home, you are going to be amazed at the buffet of buildings that will be spread before you. Renovators rejoice because the surplus of home interior products will have your head spinning like a child on Christmas morning considering which present to tear into first.

How do you ever make a decision?

How do you sign on the dotted line and finally go ahead with a product or a purchase that will be with you for several years?

Many clients have a difficult time making decisions on permanent or semi-permanent fixtures that will go into their homes and it is even more daunting to sign an agreement to buy a new home that will be a part of their family.

It needs to be a combination of heart, health and practicality and it runs tandem with your gut instinct to know that this is the perfect decision.

People will hesitate to make a decision when they are nervous about the reactions of others.

Will your mother-in-law approve and will your super stylish friend like the colour you have painted your bedroom?

Are you moving into the right neighbourhood and will this renovation or purchase make you deliriously happy?

The answer is probably not but if you partner a life-altering decision with the good feeling deep down in your liver then you will always benefit from making that choice.

Take time to inventory what you want and what you need, try not to make decisions on auto pilot and do your very best to research all of your home-based desires.

Design styles come and go and homes and neighbourhoods drift in and out of fashion so put your priorities and goals at the top of the list when choosing.

Always work five years ahead of where you are today, it is a very good rule of thumb.

Where do you want to be then and what does your family size and dynamic look like going forward?

A flashy home with no parks or schools nearby is a bad choice for a young family and a glowing new hardwood is not a great choice for someone considering becoming a puppy foster parent.

It is easy to have life collide at the intersection of home and interior choices.

It is yours to choose and it can be laid out before you as neatly and systematically as you would like.

It is OK to ask for help if you are overwhelmed and to rely on a professional to guide you through the decision-making process.

A sensitive designer or realtor will get to know you and walk with you through these vital next steps of your life.

Kim Wyse is a local freelance designer. Find her on facebook at ‘Ask a designer’.