6 Tips For Renovating Your Home On A Budget

Guest Post by Rachel Porter

Taking on a renovation project at home can be a daunting experience. Often, we don’t know where to start or who to call. Companies like A+ Construction & Remodeling have put together guides to help get the ball rolling.

We all wish we had unlimited funds when embarking on a home renovation project, but that simply isn’t the case for most people. More often than not, we do our renovations on a budget, and a tight one at that. However, in a world where building materials seem to be getting more expensive, it’s proving harder to stick to the budget we’ve set for home renovation. We also need to pay a premium for the services of a reputable builder or roofing contractor.

Then again, there are things we can do that will help us make the home improvements we want without breaking the bank.

Here are some tips for keeping the cost of your home renovation within your budget.

Go Hunting For Bargains

Practically all stores—including those that sell building materials—hold a sale from time to time.

If you’re planning to renovate your home in the near future, then you would do well to keep an eye out for stores slicing the prices on their building materials.

Shop around, and you might just get kitchen sinks, toilets, bathtubs, plywood, tiles, and other construction materials at deep discounts.

Drop By Recycling Centers

Brand-new materials are good, but if you can buy recycled ones that are still perfectly functional at a fraction of the price, it wouldn’t hurt to go for them instead.

Whether you’re looking for decorative light fixtures or old doorknobs, you can be sure that recycling centers can provide what you’re looking for, and you won’t have to pay too much for them.

Buy More Affordable Alternatives

Many homeowners dream of a granite countertop for the kitchen or slate tiles for the roof.

While both materials are an excellent choice, they can put enormous strain on your budget.

A granite countertop can cost you up to $4,500. Meanwhile, the average cost of a slate roof is between $11,000 and $24,000.

If your budget is sizable enough to accommodate such expensive materials, then nothing should stop you from going for them.

If the budget is a little tight, you can always go for more affordable alternatives. Ceramic tile and laminate kitchen countertops look great too, but they won’t burn a hole in your pocket. The same goes for asphalt shingles, metal, and plastic polymer for your roof.

Whatever building material you need, you can be sure there is a cheaper alternative for it that’s just as good.

DIY Where You Can

Unless you’re a highly skilled and experienced builder yourself, you will likely need to hire contractors to take on your home improvement project.

However, you can save some money by rolling up your sleeves and doing some of the prep work yourself.

Instead of paying other people to take down a wall to make space for an extension, you can demolish it yourself.

As long as you’re sure a wall is not load-bearing and doesn’t have pipes or wires within, you can take a sledgehammer to it and bring it down with your own two hands.

Are you getting the floor re-done? You can remove the old carpeting yourself instead of waiting for contractors to do the job and charge you promptly for it.

While you’re at it, do your own hauling of the materials for your renovation project to avoid delivery charges.

Don’t Touch The Pipework

Any bathroom or kitchen renovation work that involves moving the plumbing is going to cost a lot of money.

Expect to spend thousands upon thousands of dollars if your renovation plan includes rearranging the layout of your toilet, kitchen sink, shower, or any part of your home with plumbing.

If your budget cannot accommodate such an expense, you can stay within it by never touching the pipework in any way.

Get Multiple Quotes

When searching for contractors, ask for recommendations from friends and family. Once you make a list of at least three candidates, ask for quotes from all of them. That way, you can see for yourself which one offers quality work that will fit your home renovation budget.

Renovating your home is no picnic and can even be stressful at times. However, as long as you stay within your budget, the whole home improvement project can go more smoothly and spare you a lot of stress.

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About the Author

Rachel Porter is the content specialist for Custom Contractors Insurance, LLC, an Arizona roofing and contractors insurance company. When not writing, she enjoys reading and mountain biking with her friends.