When renovating there are a few things to do in order to keep your costs down as much as possible.... Here are 5 tips to help you reduce the amount spent on your renovations.
1. Track every expense coming out
When you're renovating, it's easy by a paint brush and think... :"it's only 20$", but adding the little small costs are what's going to get you off the rails on your budget. Small purchases might feel unimportant at the time and in comparison to bigger costs involved with a renovation, but they add up and could be the difference of you going over budget if not tracked carefully. So the best and most important tip we can give you is to create an Excel Spreadsheet and keep track of every spendings you have along the way. (Big to small) Make sure you have a column with a Grand Total to add everything up.
2. DIY the things you can, pay for the things you can't
If you want to save money, the best thing to do is to do some of the work yourself. If you or your partner are handy, or even curious to try DIY, you'll make a big saving on labour costs. If you're not so handy but enjoy painting and decorating, even that can save a lot of money on your total renovation costs. Do whatever you can to bring your own skills to the work you’re doing, even if it means the progress is slower.
3. Shop around on Kijiji / Ebay / Garage sales
Aside from the money you will save shopping for house renovation bits on places like Kijiji, Ebay and in garage sales, there's a lot of recycling benefits of reusing pre-loved materials, and a lot of it will have more character than buying new. Some people buy a home that's already been renovated, but is not to their complete liking, so they buy again brand new, but get rid of almost new pieces and parts that are reusable. Other things to look out for are leftover ceramic tiles if you're tiling a small area, taps,/brassware, unwanted cans of paint, sinks etc. It gives such a sense of achievement when you find something you need for less. Saving money and saving the planet!
4. My final tip for keeping your house renovation cost under control is to consider 'repairing' or 'fixing up' rather than replacing
It's likely that your property has a lot of charm of its own.... Picking up carpets may expose a beautiful wooden floor or parquet flooring only in need of a sanding, which is cheaper then buying and installing a new flooring.
As for windows and doors, you can paint them to give them a new look.
For bricks, there a great process of staining to give your bricks a new life and your house a new look. After all that you’ll be sending less to landfill, which is a huge benefit on the planet.
There are many more cost saving renovation tips on a quick Google or Youtube. Just do a little bit of research and your renovation experience will be more pleasant.
Get in touch with Lineaire General Contractor for a quote today!
A revamp is just what the doctor ordered! 514-686-0661.
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