Home Improvement
Cost-Efficiency Ways to Renovate House That Don’t Sacrifice Quality
Renovating a home can be fun and exciting! This is the time where you get to express your creativity as an interior designer and make a home that is uniquely yours.
You set your budget and start building your plans accordingly. Everything is ready to go, nothing could possibly go wrong!
As any home renovator knows, budgets too often get snapped when unexpected expenses arise. You’re already on a budget, and you definitely don’t want to lower your quality just because you wanted to save a few dollars.
Thankfully, there are a few different ways that homeowners can look to save on costs without sacrificing on the quality of your materials and final product.
Planning, Research and Due Diligence
It might seem obvious, but simply do some planning ahead of time. Contact multiple contractors to see who can offer the best service for the best rates.
Talk to your friends and neighbours to see if they have any leads on contractors who have done good work for them in the past.
It’s a simple thing, but it leaves room in the budget for other much more important things. If you find a contractor you like, it’s also a good idea to simply ask for a better price.
They might take 5-10% off the top, especially if they’re hard-pressed for work at the time.
Architects also tend to be expensive, and while they may be helpful in some cases, there are a lot of things you can do yourself, especially if you take detailed notes, cutting down on the architect costs.
Believe it or not, there is also a cheaper time for renovations. One might not initially think about it, but summer is often the time people tend to renovate their homes.
When fewer people renovate in the winter, the costs tend to be lower as contractors are looking for work anywhere they can get it.
Make Good Use of Your Space
There are often plenty of situations where space gets wasted in a remodel, or you’re thinking of remodelling to gain space by knocking things down.
Instead of remodelling to find space, why don’t you just make good use of the space instead? There are definite ways to alter your storage to better optimize it and leave fewer empty holes.
Drawers are excellent at holding a lot of things, while shelving tends to waste space at the top and front where things get unstable and fall off or out. Racks and dividers are also excellent ways to store and organize.
Do It Yourself!
If you don’t need a contractor to do the work, then don’t have them do the work! There are plenty of things that you can do yourself that don’t require a professional.
Although you should be keeping demolition to a minimum, some of the simpler demo jobs can be done yourself.
Painting is another simpler job that can be done yourself, especially if you choose materials that don’t require hours of sanding to prepare by the professional.
Handling the cleanup during or after renovation shouldn’t be that complicated either. Check to see if you have things you can repurpose or refurbish yourself instead of throwing it away. A little DIY can go a long way to saving money!
Recycling, Used Items, and Sales/Auctions
Material cost can be very expensive if you’re buying everything brand new. Recycling centres will often have restored materials that are half the price of retail.
As much as 20 – 60% of your material cost can be saved with this method. Your contractors may also have leftover materials from previous projects that could be useful to you.
Cans of paint, tiles, maybe even hardwood floors if you’re lucky that the contractor doesn’t have an obvious use for.
Appliances are often costly purchases when they’re full price, so sales like Black Friday can be huge for savings.
Used or light cosmetic damage can also help considerably if you don’t mind trading a little bit of wear for a perfectly usable appliance.
Finally, consider checking building supply auctions, as you may find housing material at incredibly cheap prices.
Just remember: although you’re looking to save money, don’t buy cheap materials or appliances just because they’re cheap.
You may end up spending more money in the long run replacing things that break because you’re trying to cut on costs now. It’s simply a hassle that could easily be avoided.
Lighting
Everyone wants natural lighting, and large windows will give you plenty of opportunity for natural light and ventilation.
The problem is, any time you punch a large hole in your wall, frame it, and install a window, that is a lot of extra money that you’re spending.
Try finding cheaper alternatives like light tubes that capture natural light and disperse it without having to cut a large hole.
Recessed lights are also more expensive options than wall or ceiling-mounted lights, as they require much more labour than their counterparts. Any time you can avoid this, that is often more money in your pocket.
Things To Avoid
There are just some things you don’t want to do when renovating your home. Plumbing is one of those items, as they are very costly to change or replace.
It’s often recommended to build around your existing plumbing. Don’t get sucked into a trend either, as interior design trends come and go very fast.
It’s usually a much better idea to stick with the mainstays that never go out of style, or pick only the things that will make you especially happy to live in your home.
Finally, don’t be so willing to throw away your leftovers. Much of what you might think of as trash can be donated, which can save you a lot on junk removal. You may also get a tax break too, which results in even more savings!
With a little bit of thought, ingenuity, and careful consideration, there are a lot of ways that you can save on your home renovation project. A few simple and smart choices can save you a bundle, and may just mean that you stick to your budget this time!
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