Money-saving Ideas for Renovations

So, you have finally decided that it is time to redesign your home – but what if you have very little budget to accomplish this? And with the economy being as volatile as it is, you may think that this is not the perfect moment to carry on with the renovation project, financially speaking, that is.

On the contrary, this is actually the best time to take on a renovation project because suppliers and service providers are providing the most competitive prices.

It’s Time to Save 

The first thing to do is to find out which parts of the renovation project you can do by yourself and what things need to be done by the professionals. The more complex works such as plumbing, electrical wirings, and some aspects of interior design can be assigned to the experts.

As soon as you have defined what stuff you can do on your own, it’s time to contact an interior designer to start the planning phase. If you opt to become the general contractor for this project, then you are guaranteed of a significant amount of savings. Ask around for local contractors and designers, even home improvement stores for specialized help.

As soon as the larger projects are done, you and the interior designer can sit down and discuss the finishing touches.

The flooring is often the first aspect that needs to be discussed. Determine how certain rooms will be used or how a new room will function. For rooms with high foot traffic or those with children or pets; you might want to consider installing hard wood flooring (or any type of durable material) which can also be easily cleaned.

If you are renovating a bedroom, you may want to consider installing a carpet. If tiles, wall-to-wall carpeting, or real wood flooring is not affordable for you at the moment, then shop around for less expensive alternatives.

Rather than regular tiles, there are now stick laminate tiles in the market that are equally beautiful yet a lot less expensive. They also look just like the real tiles and not a lot of people are even able to tell the difference. They also come in a variety of styles and colors providing the look that you need in any room.

Here are other tips to save more money on renovation –

Increase Efficiency, Not the Size

If you can reorganize the kitchen, for instance, there may not be a need to knock down walls just to gain square footage. Begin by replacing bulky shelves with cabinet-high drawers. There are those that come in just 8 inches of width but with racks for canned items and other goods.

Efficient use of dividers, pull-out trays for pots and lazy Susans; will also save you hundreds of dollars in expense.

Let In Some Light

Before you actually cut more holes on your walls for additional windows, why now try to capture light?

A windowless hallway or bath, for instance, can use a light tube which can be installed in between roof rafters. These can funnel in the sunshine into any living space.

Think Long-term

An extra dollar or two may spell the difference between sturdy furniture and the haphazardly-built ones. Be sure to closely inspect each item that you buy, this way, you save on repair costs in the future.

Sell or Donate Unwanted Items

When remodeling, you can invite the local Habitat for Humanity to pick up the items that you no longer want. Either you do a total takedown or you can just take off the cabinets, sink, tub, etc. And just as you can sell or donate unwanted stuff, perhaps, you can also find recycled furniture somewhere. ReStores by Habitat for Humanity have about 400 stores all over the country. They offer salvaged items which you can buy at half the price.