Home Improvement – Minimum Budget

When you start planning for home renovations, it might seem like you’re playing havoc with the family budget. No matter what home improvement projects you have in mind, the quoted costs almost always far exceed what you’re hoping to pay.

But what if we tell you that it’s totally possible to renovate on a budget without compromising the quality, design, and comfort of your home? In fact, there are several effective cost-cutting measures that can help you save tons of money. We’ve done our research and consolidated here only the best save-money ideas for home upgrades. Do learn them before starting the renovation project! In the end, you’ll enjoy a beautiful and comfy home that you’ll love to show off!

1. Plan Your Budget

If you want to save money like a pro, learn to plan your budget. Creating a budget is one of the best ways to manage money. In fact, most people who don’t have an adequate budget plan for a renovation end up overspending or taking unnecessary debts. So, making a realistic plan to ensure that you spend money within the range of renovation is essential.

Think about how you are going to finance the renovation. Do you have enough money to cover it? Note that experts recommend waiting until you can pay cash, and avoid using your credit card, otherwise, costs can blow out of control.

On the other hand, it’s almost unavoidable that you’ll spend more money than you expected, even though you have a well thought out save-money plan. Therefore, when you create your budget, try to add about 20 percent to your potential expenses instead of assuming that you’ll be able to stay within your budget. This way, you’ll be pleasantly surprised if you save more than expected. For a free maintenance and low cost garden I suggest working with artificial turf.

Steps for Creating a Home Renovation Budget

• Prioritize your remodeling needs: make a list of everything you’d like to include in your project and then separate things into wants and needs.
• Once you set your goals for the home remodeling, build a detailed plan with expected costs. Create a spreadsheet that includes every portion of the project and the estimated material and labor costs.
• Decide on your DIY projects: if you are planning to do lots of work by yourself, consider the best tools to own and buy everything you need at the hardware store in advance. Otherwise, you may end up making multiple last minute trips to the store and buying whatever tool seems right in the moment.
• Get bids from contractors: If you are planning to find a contractor to complete your project, request bids from multiple local companies and compare costs before making a final decision. Make sure that contractors are reliable with lots of positive reviews.

2. Find the Middle Ground

As we touched on above, you should write down and prioritize all your remodeling goals, whatever the reasons for renovations are. This simple step will help you save money and time.

Why? Because if you commit to a high-end upgrade in the entire house, you’ll have to spend lots of time, effort, and a whole lot of cash. But on the other hand, always choosing the cheapest of everything may make you wonder why you’ve bothered undertaking a renovation.

All you need to do is to figure out your middle ground and stay realistic about your lifestyle. For example, if you hate cooking and mostly order takeout, don’t buy a brand new top-of-the-line oven.

On the other hand, if you cook food from scratch daily, then spending more on the oven is reasonable.

To sum up, keep your goals in mind and don’t get distracted by smaller projects that can wait a bit.

3. Shop Wisely

We all want to save money by spending it! Sounds contradictory, right? However, there are ways to do it, but we must learn to shop wisely. Here are a few well-tried tips for you.

• Today, in the digital age, shopping around is easier than ever and doesn’t take a lot of time and effort. Just download a barcode scanner on your smartphone and ensure you get the best price on whatever you buy. You won’t have to run all over the city to purchase something nice, yet affordable.
• If you plan on remodeling before a holiday, wait a few weeks before making a purchase. Most retailers usually run sales that coincide with big holidays like Christmas, Memorial Day, Labor Day, and Black Friday. So, just wait to buy those items you have your eye on–it could save you hundreds of dollars.
• Always check the store for the discount section, it may have like-new things for a fraction of the price. On top of that, you can score some deals on floor models for pricey needs like vanities, appliances, lighting, etc.
• Some experts recommend purchasing second-hand things for your furnishing needs from thrift shops, garage sales, and second-hand shops. Just make sure that all items are durable and of high quality.