Last Updated on January 20, 2023
Home renovations are fun, but the costs of projects can easily add up. No matter how big or small the renovation, you can easily get carried away and go over budget. As everyone strives to avoid such a thing, planning a budget is of utmost importance. Plus, you should do your best to stick to it. So, to help you easily calculate those renovation costs and even cut costs, here are a few tips.
1. Focus on Efficiency, Not Size
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is focusing on the size of a project. That can easily cost you a fortune if you are not careful. So, to avoid that, you should focus on efficiency instead. For example, if you want to remodel your kitchen, don’t focus on its size and on blowing out walls to gain square footage. Instead, rearrange the elements and see how you can make your kitchen more efficient.
You can replace space-hogging shelves with pullout drawers for example. Also, you can focus on expanding your horizontal space in the kitchen if you need more working stations. Also, shelling out cabinets and adding upgrades is always a great idea. You can add lazy Susans, and pull-out trays and be creative with those awkward corners to increase storage. This way, you can save yourself thousands of dollars and improve the efficiency and flow of your kitchen.
2. Do the Research
No matter if you are putting up insulation, renovating your kitchen, buying new furniture, or any other investment, don’t stick to only one contractor or store. In order to be able to cut costs and make good investments, you should do thorough research.
For example, if you want to insulate your home or even a shed in your yard, get a few quotes from professionals. Do some snooping around on spray foam insulation cost or other types of insulation and get a few different quotes from different professionals. The same goes for furniture. Visit a few stores, look around and compare the prices. You can even ask around how much would it cost for a carpenter to build you new pieces instead of buying brand-new ones. It may happen that the cost of getting custom-built furniture is lower than the store-bought, so research a lot.
3. Reuse Materials
If you have furniture that is ready to be thrown out, and you have some materials lying around, why not combine the two? If you have lumber or other materials that are still in good condition, you can build the piece you need. You can reuse your materials to build new cabinets, coffee tables, shelves and so much more. Just make sure to inspect it thoroughly to make sure it is still sturdy and damage-free.
Speaking of materials, if you are ordering new ones, you don’t have to pay for the delivery. This can cost you too much money that you can actually save. The simple solution here is to drive and pick up your own materials instead of getting using delivery.
4. Do Your Own Painting
Repainting the walls in your home can make such a difference. However, hiring someone to do it can cost a lot. Doing your own painting doesn’t require some special skills, just the right materials. So, pick the shades you like, get a sturdy ladder and some brushes and go for it. You can easily gather a few friends and repaint the whole house. Additionally, if you have leftover paint, you can easily reuse it to repaint some furniture and give it a new chance.
Every homeowner knows that owning a house is a neverending project that can cost a lot. However, if you are creative and willing to do some work on your own, you can easily save a lot of money and give your home a makeover.
