Home renovation can be an expensive thing. But it can also be quite an affordable thing – provided that you know where and how to spend the money. Let’s look at some of the best ways to reduce the overall cost of your renovations and ensure that everything is kept within budget.
Create a budget
If your first step isn’t to come up with a budget for your proposed changes, then it’s more or less inevitable that your changes will run over budget. You should look at how much you can reasonably spend and then plan your renovations to match. If it looks like money is especially tight, then it might be time to either reign in your project or delay it so that you can save.
Remember, it’s almost always a good idea to leave a little bit of extra cash in reserve in case something unforeseen happens. There’s always the possibility that you won’t need it – but you don’t want to be caught out if you do.
Contractors
Among your biggest expenses will be bringing in contractors. In many cases, this is money well spent – if you don’t have the necessary skills or inclination, then trying to DIY certain tasks can be absolutely nightmarish.
When looking at contractors, make sure that you seek out recommendations from trusted people. Look on the internet to see whether a contractor has a good reputation. Don’t just go for the cheapest available worker – you might end up paying for it in the long-term, thanks to the inferior quality of work being done.
Materials
You should look to keep your material costs down wherever possible. If an element isn’t going to be on display, and it isn’t bearing a load, then you can afford to cut corners. A good example of this is the rear of wardrobes and other items of furniture, which can be built from thin plywood instead of the standard kind.
If you’re preparing for a big project, then you might look into sourcing materials in larger quantities. Form a relationship with a trusted builder’s merchant and seek to negotiate a bulk discount on your landscaping and building materials.
DIY
Obviously, you should be able to do a few simple tasks by yourself. If you’re planning several projects, then you might look upon the early ones as a learning experience. The trick is to know the limits of your skills, and to make sure that you spend some time learning from YouTube videos before you get started.
Simple details
In many cases, you can give the impression that you’ve spent a lot of money, even if you’re really only playing with surface details. For example, rather than getting entirely new cabinetry for your kitchen, you might simply remove all the doors and respray them. This will help to give your kitchen an entirely new look and feel, while also altering the lighting and ambiance in the room. Using simple interior design details around your home can help to make a big difference, without using a big budget.
