When having your home renovated, whether one room or several, there are steps you can take to keep your costs down. You can reduce your renovation costs without sacrificing the appearance, functionality, or safety of your renovations.
While certain expenses may be necessary (e.g., scaffolding costs are sometimes an inevitable aspect of roofing work), some are avoidable, or at least can be. Let’s take a look at some great tricks and tips to reduce your renovation costs.
Keep Designs Simple
First and foremost, you should keep house renovations fairly simple where possible. While fancier designs can be appealing, they will increase both the time and budget of the project. The more complex the renovations are, the more they tend to cost and take longer to be completed.
Reconsider hiring an architect
Another consideration is whether or not you need to hire an architect for the renovation(s) you have in mind. Most simple renos don’t require architectural work, but you might want to check with your contractor. They’ll tell you honestly if you need the help of an architecture firm. Alternatively, you may be able to hire an architect technician or structural engineer and they’ll likely be at lower rates.
Get Several quotes for Any Professionals Required
Ideally, you should obtain three quotes for each of the professionals/companies needed for the project in question.
For instance, if you have to hire an architect, get quotes from three individuals before making up your mind. The same would apply to the contractors actually completing the renovation work. Of course, depending on how many professionals you need to hire altogether, you may not want to go around getting several quotes for everyone required as this could be time consuming. In this case, you could still take this approach for the most important professionals being hired, and take recommendations for sub-contractors.
DIY Where You Can
Doing it yourself (where possible) could save you quite a few bucks, and is a great way to reduce your renovation costs. Obviously, you should ensure that it is safe and legal to DIY a job before doing so. If you have any doubt, consult a professional. Beyond that, you need to have the right skills and knowledge to perform a job DIY.
For instance, I like to DIY, and am good at it, but I wouldn’t run my own electrical in a house. I have no problems rewiring a light switch or socket, though.
Some jobs that could be DIY-friendly include:
How to Make a Raised Bed Garden
Garden:
- Constructing raised garden beds.
- Laying stepping stones.
- Adding a patio.
- Fitting a basic new deck.
Kitchen:
- Install a new countertop
- Install kitchen cabinets and/or cupboards
- New tiles or flooring
Living room:
- Creating and/or installing shelves.
- Installing a mudroom bench.
- Painting
- Adding wallpaper.
- Changing light fixtures.
- New flooring.
Repair Rather than Replace Where Possible
While it’s tempting to replace everything that’s worn down, you could reduce your renovation costs by simply having some things repaired rather than replaced. If your kitchen cabinets are in good shape, look into having them refaced instead of replaced. Same with your fridge or dishwasher. It’s tempting to buy the latest and greatest, but when what you have works just fine, consider saving the cash.
Of course, you should only do so if they are, and they are not yet beyond economical repair. After all, there’s no point in having an appliance or fitting fixed up, only to need to replace it anyway a few months later. If in doubt, consult a professional.
Watch for Bargains
Beyond the points already discussed, you should keep an eye out for products offered at a lower cost than usual. Obviously, you should ensure they are still decent quality, safe, and reliable. However, sometimes high-quality fittings and appliances will be available at a lower cost. They may be end of season, a return, overstock, or floor models. Sometimes they may have a little blemish that’s hardly noticeable and doesn’t affect the usability of the item. Of course, you should keep a lookout well before you undertake renovations, so you can make purchases when the time is right.
Time Management
Plan out the timeframe with your contractor in advance. This way, you can keep to a smart and efficient schedule and know what will be happening well before the renovation work proceeds. You should have easy access to the full schedule.
Color Matching Paint
Lastly, you can keep the cost of paint down (if required) by color matching. This means looking at paint colors you really admire from expensive brands and then searching for similar or virtually identical paint colors from cheaper brands. Be aware that better brands and more expensive paints often have features like built in primers, light reflecting particles, and special finishes. Decide if those features or cost savings are more important.