Renovating Your Home On A Budget
Are you planning a home renovation but need to keep an eye on the budget? Follow our tips and bring your dreams to life without breaking the bank.
Are you planning a home renovation but need to keep an eye on the budget? Follow our tips and bring your dreams to life without breaking the bank.
1. Give Your Home A Cosmetic Makeover
It’s possible to give a property a stylish new look with a tight budget if you plan carefully. Get rid of as much unwanted junk as you can, remove old curtains, carpets and strip the wallpaper. Also, remove any stained or damaged fitted furniture as they look very shabby. A lick of paint does wonders for any home. Prepare the walls to provide a smooth surface for painting. If they are badly damaged, they will need to be reskimmed with fresh plaster. Choose light neutral shades throughout your home to create a spacious feel.
If your floorboards are in good condition, sand and stain them. If they are damaged, there are various affordable options like laying laminate flooring or a budget carpet. Update the bathroom suite with a simple white design. If your budget permits, upgrade the kitchen with new doors, handles and tiled flooring if you have the proper tiling tools.
2. Don’t Neglect The Outside
Tidying up the exterior of your property costs very little and will enhance its value. Start with the basics. Remove any dead plants and rubbish, then prune overgrown trees and shrubs to let in more light. Weed the flowerbeds and mow the grass. Plants are a great way to add interest and colour to the exterior of any home.
Wash down external woodwork such as fascia, soffits, and bargeboards. Sand down and repaint exterior woodwork and lastly clean the windows. You can do all this yourself with very little expense, and the results will more than repay your efforts.
3. Manage The Project Yourself
Photo by Daniel McCullough via Unsplash
If your property needs more extensive renovations, be your own project manager. You can save money by hiring the various tradespeople yourself. Taking on this role should never be underestimated as it will take a lot of time and effort. However, you will have full control over your budget.
4. Get At Least Three Quotes
It’s astonishing how many of us don’t bother to get more than one quote for a job. The prices quoted by different firms and tradespeople can vary dramatically. When looking for tradespeople to carry out your renovations, always:
- Ask friends and neighbours for recommendations
- Ask to see previous projects
- Always obtain at least three quotations
- Bear in mind that the cheapest quotation isn’t necessarily the right one to choose
5. Reuse Old And Reclaimed Materials Where Possible
Photo by Alanna Rouame via Unsplash
If you’re demolishing a wall, save the bricks – reusing them is more sustainable and will save you a significant amount of cash. Similarly, sourcing second hand and reclaimed materials such as slates and roof tiles will not only cut your costs but also means that the renovations won’t stand out against the existing structures.
When the property features original hardwood windows, repairing them is usually more economical rather than replacement.
6. Biggest Isn’t Always Best When It Comes To Suppliers
Bigger companies might have stylish showrooms, appealing websites and persuasive salespeople, but they won’t necessarily be offering a better product than smaller independent suppliers. Employing a large workforce and maintaining expensive premises means that their costs will be higher and these are likely to be passed on to the customer.
7. Shop Around
It’s quicker and possibly easier to purchase everything needed for your home renovations from the same supplier, but this might not be the cheapest option. For example, when shopping for a new kitchen or bathroom, it’s tempting to order everything at the same time. However, there is no reason why you should buy all the worktops, fittings and appliances from the company that is supplying the units. You will save money by taking advantage of any offers available.
8. Go For An Industrial, Deconstructed Look
Photo by Nolan Issac via Unsplash
Reducing labour costs is an excellent way to cut the cost of home renovation. Leaving an interior wall as exposed brickwork gives a warm, appealing texture and saves money on plastering – a task which is difficult even for a competent DIYer and is best left to the experts.
Renovating old floorboards can save you money on new flooring. Try sanding a small area first to see what they look like once you have removed all the grime. If the boards scrub up nicely and you decide to go ahead, you might prefer to hire specialist sanders as this task is quite laborious and generates a lot of dust.
9. Do As Much As You Can Yourself
If you are confident about your DIY skills, doing as many tasks as possible yourself is one of the main ways you can keep costs down during a renovation project. Jobs such as gas and electrical work, plastering and plumbing are probably best left to the experts. However, you can save hundreds by doing more straightforward tasks such as sanding, painting, wallpapering, and tiling yourself.
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