Saving Money on Renovations

Renovations are exciting, but the costs soon mount up, especially if you’re not keeping a tight rein on your budget. It doesn’t matter which room you’re looking to update, or how many rooms, there’s lots of ways you can save money.

The first thing you need to do is to make a list of everything that you want to do and install, as well as how much you can afford for each element. Doing your homework first – looking at new gadgets and fittings and making sure you’ve included the boring “behind the scenes” stuff – means you’re on the right track.

You don’t have to create your budget and works list off the top of your head – you can get rough estimates from forums, for example. Once you’ve got a pretty good idea of how much the whole thing’s going to cost, you can start to source more detailed and accurate quotes from contractors. Always get at least three so you’re getting a good spread to choose from.

Of course, unless you’re an electrician or gas engineer, there are some things that you really must leave to the experts. Other tasks, like wallpapering, painting, sanding, shifting rubble and so on are within your reach. Be realistic though, if you’ve never plastered a wall before, now’s not the time to learn because you could end up spending money on corrective work rather than saving it.

Working to a budget doesn’t mean you go cheap on everything because it can be a false economy, especially when it comes to nails, paint and plumbing pipes. Go no lower than mid-range here so the equipment doesn’t let you down.

Investing in a small trailer, or even hiring one, can save you lots of money in delivery fees for larger items. You can even transport rubbish to the recycling plant with it.

All renovation projects generate waste, but before you take it to the tip (in your trailer), have a look through it to see if anything can be re-purposed. Newly-reclaimed wood could be turned into shelves, for example, or flagstones from your back garden can be used to create a new patio in your front garden.

You don’t have to change everything, you know! If your budget isn’t quite up to a total refurb in all the rooms you want to work on, then think about a refresh, like new tiles around the bath or new cupboard fronts in the kitchen.

A popular option or getting your hands on your dream kitchen or bathroom is to trawl around showrooms, looking for ex-display fittings. You can be as shameless as you want; if there’s something that’s really caught your eye, just ask when it’s going to be replaced by the next new flagship. You can also pick up appliances like this, not just cabinets, bathtubs and counters.

Published in: Smart home | Author: Yanita