Ways To Save On A House Renovation

handyman painting walls

Spring has arrived and you want to renovate. But you are worried about breaking the bank. This is a common fear that often holds many back from making that needed house renovation. Here we will look at ways to save and still get the result you want.

Be Ready For The Unexpected

London building

When planning your budget, make sure to build in an extra 15% to cover the things that come up unexpectedly. There is no way around it when renovating a home, you run into things you just had no way of knowing would come up. Don’t let this sway you from moving forward, just build in a bit extra to cover those things you didn’t plan for. For example, you might end up needing to hire a handyman to help.

Add Natural Light To Windowless Areas Of The Home

handyman assessing the lofts ceiling

You might think if you have a bathroom or other area with no window that the only way to get natural light there would be to cut a hole and install a window. There is another way.

It is called a light tube. It can be installed by running the tube between the rafters of the roof and into the area you want to bring light to. It will funnel the sunlight to the area you want light. A typical cost of installing a double-pane window is $1500 or $1600. But a light tube will run you only about $500. That is a considerable savings.

Plan Renovations With Stock Sizes

handyman fixing up wooden floors

Often homeowners decide what dimensions they want for an addition, or for windows without understanding the differences between custom and standard sizes. If you choose a room addition to be 10ft wide then it will require custom cut plywood. Standard plywood generally comes in 4ft sheets.

If the room was 8ft or 12ft then you can buy the standard sheets right off the shelf. This will bring you considerable savings because there is no need to have it customized. A custom-made door could run you $2000 whereas a standard door could run as little as $500. 

Try A DIY Project

Builder cutting wood

There are certain jobs like electrical and plumbing that are usually best left to the building professionals. But there are plenty of renovations that are suitable for do-it-yourself projects. Doing it yourself not only saves you on labour costs but also opens up the opportunity to use recycled materials or second hand furnishings which further saves you money.

You may have heard of Habitat for Humanity building an underprivileged family a new home. You might not be aware that they have around 400 locations across the U.S. that sell salvaged building materials usually at half of the price you can get the same item for at your favourite home centre.

Improve Efficiency Instead Of Increasing Size

builder working on a house exterior

Often organizing space and making it more efficient can give you the result you want without needing to expand square footage. When space is cluttered or used inefficiently it appears to have too little space. If in the kitchen for example; getting key accessories to help pots, pans, knives, and other such items to have a place to go while reducing the space they need are just some examples.

You don’t need to sacrifice to get what you want. Instead, look for better ways of getting the things you want most while keeping within a budget. It is possible with strategic planning.