How You Can Renovate When You're On A Budget

Despite the reputation for renovations being expensive, it is possible to create a new look with a high standard without needing to spend a fortune. You just need to be able to make the right considerations. 

Let’s have a look at how you can achieve this below: 

Think About Your Suppliers 

Just because a supplier is big, doesn’t mean they are the best option. It can be very easy t be drawn in by shiny brochures, great looking websites, fast-talking sales reps, and flashy tv adverts. But,  bear in mind that just because a supplier or tradesperson has a bigger number of employees and impressive sales ploy, it doesn’t mean they will do a better job than a ‘one-man-band’ or a small team. However, you may find that they will charge more. 

Make Yourself The Project Manager 

One of the best ways to reduce the cost of a budget when it comes ot renovating is to make yourself the project manager, as the homeowner, you know exactly what you want and you are also very aware of the budget you have. Don’t underestimate the role of a project manager though, the decision and time you make to the project can be very consuming. But, you are in control of the project and therefore in complete control of what is spent and where. This gives you more power to pick and choose the project that you may be able to complete yourself. 

Always Shop Around

Although it may be more simple to buy all of your materials or even a complete bathroom or kitchen from the same supplier. It’s most certainly not going to be the most cost-effective. You should always make sure you shop around, especially when it comes to kitchens. There is no reason whatsoever, why you should be restricted to buying your worktops, appliances, and your Cabinet door replacement from the same supplier. If you do your research and shop around you are almost able to guarantee that you will save some money. The exact same applies to bathrooms. 

Get More Than One Quote

You will be surprised how many renovators go with the first quote they receive, you should always get more than one quote for any project if you’re not doing it yourself. The prices can sometimes vary by hundreds. Three quotes are the ideal amount, recommendations go a long way, and remember that the cheapest quote may not be the best value for money. 

Reuse Old Materials 

You will find that some of the materials that are coming down during a renovation, particularly large ones, can be used again. Bricks are a brilliant example of this. Roof tiles are also good material to reuse if they are of sound quality. If you are working with an older building, using the older materials can help you to blend the new in with the old and therefore maintain the integrity of the building. 

Use A Mix Of High-End And Standard Products

If you have already started to shop around, you may have noticed that high quality and high-cost no longer go hand in hand. Ok, so not all cheap kitchen or bathroom suites offer you value for money, however, many of them off the shelf products have come on leaps and bounds and are now great quality, great news if you are on a budget. 

Buying the standard units and carcasses and sprucing them up with more expensive handles, concealed lighting, and striking worktops are just a few of the ways this works for a kitchen. 

Plan For Bargains

Try to arrange some storage space that enables you to store the bargains you come across that are just to-good-to miss. Things like ex-display are a great example. You shouldn’t wait until the last minute to search for items, try to plan in advance and buy a bargain when you see it. 

Do It Yourself

DIY can go a long way for cutting costs when it comes to renovating. Anything you can do yourself may take a little more time and research but it can definitely save you money. How much you can complete is going to depend on how confident your feel, things like plastering and electrics are usually best being left to the professionals. You can actually save thousands if you do similar jobs like painting and tiling yourself. 

These eight tips should help you to realize that you can still renovate when you are on a budget. How do you make sure you stay within budget with your house projects? Please share some of them in the comments below.