One of the best parts of planning a renovation project is looking at all of the things that bring you inspiration. But when you look at the prices for those beautiful light fixtures or the new kitchen island, talk about sticker shock! That’s not including the cost of labor if you’re hiring a contractor.
We have 5 tips for creating a home renovation budget so that you have enough money that you (hopefully) won’t go over.
Before you can start renovating, you need to have a renovation plan. As you’re making this plan, list the things you want, you need, and would like. Price out these items so you can get a clear picture of what things will cost. So when you’re creating your budget, you’ll then be able to select things from each column in a way that stays within said budget.
After you’ve created your renovation plan, look at your finances and see how much you can truly set aside for your budget. A real estate agent helps you cull some of your renovation list because they’ll know what buyers in your area want, how much buyers are willing to pay, and can even put you in contact with contractors within their network.
A great way you can save money is to do some of the work yourself. Of course, there are going to be some things you shouldn’t do on your own, such as heavy construction, electrical work, or plumbing. You can, however, start some of the demo work. This can include things like ripping up the old flooring, tearing down the cabinets, or removing existing light fixtures.
Renovations that you can (and should) consider DIYing include: painting, installing a new backsplash, painting the cabinets, or hanging a new front door.
Part of your home remodeling budget is going to be spent on materials, so of course you’ll want to compare prices for materials. But did you know that you could save money on high quality materials by going to vintage stores, architectural salvage companies, or even online. You can also find great materials at places like Habitat for Humanity ReStore and the like.
If you are going to work with a contractor, don’t forget to factor in their rates with your budget.
Home renovations usually increase the value of your home and when you’re going to sell your house, you can recoup some of that cost. However, if you’re not going to be moving any time soon, you can still get some money back by selling the things you aren’t using/don’t need. For example, you can resell your old appliances, cabinets, doors, flooring material, and light fixtures.
We know all too well how difficult it can be to stick to a budget when you’re doing renovations. Sometimes you’ll be faced with situations where you need to make last minute adjustments or replacements. Heck, sometimes you’ll run across a problem that requires immediate attention and you don’t leave enough in your budget for a cushion.
When you’re working on a budget, you need to think of all the things that could go wrong and plan accordingly. Noone likes to think something bad will happen along the way, but it’s always better to be prepared than not, don’t you think?
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