How to Have a Successful House Remodel on a Budget

In this economy, everyone is looking to maximize their comfort at home while also trying to spare their wallet from unnecessary expenses. House owners today might be struggling a bit to keep up with the costs of renovations, but if you’re smart and capable, you can actually have a successful reno without busting your bank. Here are a few house-remodel ideas for those working on a tight budget:

Do your own demolition

Every remodel starts with demolition (or at least decluttering). To save money on demo, grab a sledgehammer and get to work. It’s not very hard to demolish your deck, remove flooring or smash concrete slabs, and you just need a few tools to keep at hand. However, when it comes to interior walls, make sure to be careful. You don’t want to destroy a load-bearing wall or snap a wire—this can be very dangerous. Unless you have previous experience, leave interior wall demolition to experts.

Focus on efficiency

Do you often feel like your house lacks in size? You’re not the only one, especially if you have a growing family. However, expanding your floor space can be quite expensive and might require various hidden costs like permits and inspections. Instead of focusing on size, you can focus on efficiency. For instance, it can cost you between $50,000 and $100,000 to expand your kitchen by 200 square feet, while super efficient custom cabinets will set you back around $35,000. This is a significant saving that can end up providing you with the same results.

Opt for cheaper imitations

Are you planning to supply your kitchen with a new marble countertop? Or maybe want to add a new mahogany hardwood flooring? These will cost you a small fortune unless you opt for faithful imitations. For instance, you can find imitation materials like eucalyptus hybrid wood that looks and feels almost the same as mahogany for a 50% lower price. Marble countertops in the kitchen and bathroom can be pulled off with marble-look laminate, or you can just try torecreate the look with some leftover paint you have at home. No one who’s not an expert will know the difference between your knock-offs and the real deal and you’ll save hundreds of dollars.

Save money by hiring experts

There are many things you can do yourself, even if you don’t have any previous renovation experience. For instance, you can do all the painting, installation of appliances and setting up of your deck. However, there are things better left for professionals. In many places, it’s even illegal for civilians to mess with electrical and plumbing, such as in Australia. Luckily, you can always hire a trusted plumber from Northern Beaches to do all the dirty and complicated work for you. Your expert plumber knows just what they are doing and they can prevent many mistakes that might cost thousands of dollars to fix. Hiring experts might cost you a little more from the beginning, but in the end, this investment will be worth every penny.

Boost natural light the easy and cheap way

Providing your space with plenty of natural light is the key to an improved space. Natural light makes the space look bigger and brighter, it saves energy and lifts up the spirits of all house members. However, there are much less invasive ways to bring natural light to your home than cutting a hole for your window and investing in framing. Things likesolar tubes fit in between roof rafters and they bright sunshine even to the darkest of rooms.

Opt for reused fixtures

If you’re planning to do plenty of DIY during your renovation, consider skipping retailers and opting for used goods. Today, there are centers that sell lightly used or reused fixtures and building materials in great condition and for a fraction of money. Sometimes, you can get these items for half the price, which is a great saving. Contractors mostly don’t want to work with used items because they don’t want to be responsible if something goes wrong, but if you’re experienced in DIY, you can don’t have to worry about liability.

Do your own transport

It’s possible to reduce costs by doing your own schlepping in your van or pickup truck. No large vehicles? You can look into buying a single-axle trailer online for a few hundred of dollars, and if you use it 20 or 30 times, it will pay for itself. After you’re done with your renovation, you’ll be left with a perfectly good trailer you can keep or sell—it’s called smart investing!

Renovations are expensive, but they are very much worth the money and the effort. With an extensive remodel, you can fall in love with your house all over again and boost its comfort and functionality. And with the tricks mentioned above, you don’t even have to worry about going over budget and breaking your bank. Good luck with your future remodels on a budget!

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