Simple Ways To Lower Costs On Your Home Renovation
We all want the perfect home – but we don’t have the money to do it.
It’s a simple truism for most of us. We do the best with what we have. We may choose to focus our style needs on a particular room, ignoring the gaping faults with others. Or we switch around and play with things that are easy to change – such as paint or soft furnishings – without making any big changes. Anything to save a little bit of money while still getting the aesthetic that we’re craving.
There comes a time, however, when you need to do the big change. You need to tear down walls, change flooring, alter the plumbing – the renovation tasks that are going to take weeks, not days. And the ones that are going to cost money, no matter how affordably you try to do it.
In these instances, it’s tempting just to consign yourself to the need for the expenditure and be done with it. If you’re currently in a situation where you’re facing home repairs, don’t just hand over the credit card yet. There are four key ways to save yourself some money, so put the hammer down and see if any of them can help you.
- Take DIY To The Next Level
The basic principles of DIY are mainly centered around decor; material changes that you don’t need an engineering degree to do. If you enjoy remodeling your home, however, it makes sense to see if there’s an evening class near you that can expand your skills. You have to invest in the learning process, but it will keep paying for itself over and over. One of the most valuable to learn is plastering, which is expensive to have done for you, but relatively simple to learn.
- Ask For The Best Price
If haggling doesn’t come naturally to you, you have two choices: pay full price or not be able to afford it at all. Maybe those are acceptable to you – or maybe it’s time to start haggling.
The best way to haggle is to go directly to the suppliers rather than a chain DIY store. For example, go straight to the builders yard or the wholesale company that supplies tiles to stores. Tell them about the project you’re doing and the possibility of future projects and see if there is anything they can do for you on price.
- Recycle What You Have
When you knock down a wall, you will be left with a huge amount of dust – and a massive amount of rubble. This is just an example, but many home projects leave leftovers. The rubble you have may look useless, but it can be used as a hardcore base for any future gardening projects like decking. Before you throw any wastage away, have a good look and see if it might come in useful in the future.
- Track Your Money
The biggest money-saver is to be harsh on your budget. Write everything down; don’t compromise. Most projects go way over budget, but if you’re careful, you can avoid joining the statistic. It’s something you need to be constantly on top of, so buckle in for the long haul with a calculator and pen.
