Ways to Cut Costs on Your House Remodel
In today’s economy, we’re all trying our best to save up some money. If you’re planning a house remodel, you don’t have to wait for a better economic climate; just try the following tips and enjoy all the savings you’ll be making. With easy ways to cut costs of renovation, you can stretch your money further and end up with amazing remodeling results.
Time your renovation
Firstly, try to avoid scheduling your renovation for summer or early fall. Nice weather and kids going back to school make these times attractive for renovation, so you’ll come across higher prices and scarcer labor. If you find the right contractors, you can expect between 4 and 5% discounts during the shoulder season, mainly after the new year.
Do your own demolition
While demolition costs less than rebuilding, it’s still possible to go cheaper by doing your own demo. If you handle your tools with care and tackle small projects, you’ll be totally fine. For instance, you can do your own demolition of your deck—it’s an easy and fast job. However, when it comes to interior spaces, make sure to either do extensive research on load-bearing walls, plumbing and wiring or leave the job to professionals. By performing DIY demolition of small elements, you can save up to 500 dollars.
Focus on efficiency instead of size
If you’re planning to blow out the walls in your kitchen and add a few square feet to your space, try to rethink that decision. It might be just as effective to equip your kitchen for functionality instead of focusing all your money on adding space, and this decision is certainly less expensive. Start by replacing old shelving with cabinet-height pullout drawers that can hold a rack for spices and cans. This gives you much more space for less money. It’s possible to spend as low as a few thousand for new cabinets with dividers, pot trays, spice racks, lazy Susans, etc. Compared to most expansions, this can save you tens of thousands of dollars.
Don’t spare money on plumbers and electricians
While you might be looking for ways to save money on your remodel by doing plenty of DIY projects, there are things that are best left to professionals. Things like plumbing and electrical work simply need to be left to pros. In some countries like Australia, it’s necessary to leave the plumbing to professionals, so make sure to find a qualified plumber in Northern Beaches to perform any tasks like laying pipes, installing fixtures and removing blockages. In the long run, professionals will save you a lot of money because you won’t have to go fixing any mistakes or tearing out your work and start from scratch. Plus, you’ll avoid any issues with inspectors because your things will be up to code.
Use light tubes instead of windows
We always need more natural lighting around the house, but cutting a big hole in the wall and framing it can be quite expensive. If you have any corner in your home that never gets enough sun, it’s much more affordable to install a light tube between your roof rafters. This mechanism funnels the light into the living space in a natural way. While adding a double-pane window costs about $1,500, a light tube will only set you back $500.
Ask your contractor for resources
Your subcontractors might have a lot of leftover materials from their other jobs you can buy for more affordable prices. For instance, if you need to renovate your historic house, you will need a lot of wood flooring. With just a few phone calls, you can end up with tons of hardwood in various sizes—these usually end up in the trash. With some sanding and refreshing, you can save thousands of dollars on materials.
Do your own transport
Speaking of materials, if you’re planning to engage in some DIY, cut your delivery costs by picking up things on your own. If you have a pickup truck, that’s perfect, but if not, you can get a trailer online for a few hundred dollars. With this trailer, you can carry different goods to your site. Depending on how many trips you need to take, you’ll get your money’s worth in no time. Plus, you’ll be left with a trailer you can keep for future projects or resell.
Invest in “knock-offs”
Knock-offs and imitations aren’t always cheap-looking. Modern imitations look exactly like the real deal without the cost. For instance, instead of buying expensive mahogany, you can opt for Lyptus—eucalyptus hybrid with a similar look and feel. Just to see the savings, mahogany will cost you over $800 for 100 board feet, while Lyptus will set you back less than $400. Plus, this new material is suitable for making flooring, cabinets and millwork.
It’s more than possible to have a successful renovation without breaking your back, even today, when all prices are going up. Thanks to these smart ideas, you can save up money and fall in love with your home all over again.
