There are many reasons why homeowners decide to renovate their homes. Maybe your family has expanded and you need more room for everyone to feel comfortable. Maybe your needs have changed and you need an adequate accommodation to meet them. Or maybe your house is just old, worn out and in dire need of a facelift. Regardless of what the reason behind your remodeling is, you need to know that this is an expensive project. However, there are ways to reduce costs during a home renovation. Here are ten of them.
Do your math right
Remodeling without an established budget and an estimation of costs is like throwing your money into a bottomless pit. Before you enter any project you need to count your pennies, list your priorities, and then do your research about the cost of materials and contractors.
Check your bids
Unless you have one bulletproof trustworthy recommendation, you should do a thorough research of the service providers close to your home, and choose your top three or four. Then ask for an estimate from each of them giving a brief description of the job and specifying your budget. Select the bid that is the most affordable.
Start remodeling off season
You can save up to five percent of the renovation price by choosing to start with the remodeling when it is not peak season. Contractors are in quite a crowd during spring and summer, and they tend to raise the prices in that period. The period between January and the beginning of April is usually the best because people are still recovering from the costly holiday season.
Go for more affordable materials
Hardwood floors may have undisputed appeal, but they are also extremely expensive. The same goes for granite and marble. Opting for more affordable materials doesn’t have to come at the expense of the top-tier appearance. On the contrary, many of modern-day products, such as engineered stone, concrete, and laminate can mimic the appearance of the high-end materials, while providing slightly poorer quality, but significantly lower prices.
Save on electricity
During a remodeling, it is almost inevitable for the utility bills to jump up to the skies because of all of the plugged in equipment, but you can do your best to minimize the
damage. For example, you can ask your contractor to use energy-efficient equipment and plug out the equipment when it is not in use. Keep in mind that such an extensive electricity use can lead to malfunctions. Tampering with electricity on your own is not only dangerous, but in some countries, it is also illegal, so it would be best to have a professional emergency electrician on your speed dial.
Stick to your original plumbing points
Bathroom reno is among the most expensive projects, and you don’t have to make it even more expensive than it has to be by moving the plumbing. Instead, talk with a professional plumber about how to use the most of your current layout. The same goes for the kitchen and the laundry plumbing points.
Cheap is not always bad
We often cringe upon the mention of the word “cheap”, especially when it comes to remodeling our house and making it safe and beautiful for our family. However, cheap isn’t necessarily low-quality. Try with cheaper or second-hand goods. You can even ask your contractor for leftovers of some previous renovation.You can even ask your contractor for leftovers of some previous renovation. Click To Tweet
Focus on cosmetic fixes
While some of the parts of your home may require a thorough makeover, others just may be in need of some minor facelift. Some of the small fixes you can make are changing the shower door in the bathroom, replacing the worn out curtains and cushions in the living room, and getting a new mattress for your bedroom.
Revamp instead of replace
Not all of the things you have deserve to go to waste. Some of them can look brand new if you just put some effort into revamping them. You can repaint the wooden elements, re-upholster the sofa and the chairs, or change the hardware on the kitchen cabinets.
Try a little DIY
Doing some parts of the remodeling yourself can either increase or cut down the costs. It is all up to your estimate.
Leave the more complicated tasks to the pros, and stick to the things you can’t mess up really bad, such as minor painting tasks, cleaning up, repurposing furniture pieces, etc.
It’s natural to want your renovation to go smoothly without any stress involved, but that is usually not possible. You have to keep in mind that remodeling comes second to your family’s needs, so you need to plan your budget carefully.
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Mike is a Sydney based Home improvement blogger, DIY enthusiast and resident sustainability buff. He is a regular contributor on several interior design and eco blogs, always on the lookout for new ideas and latest trends in the field.
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