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How to Renovate Your Home on a Budget

It’s a new season! The perfect time for home renovation. Read on to learn some genius tips to renovate your home on a budget without breaking the bank!

Plan it Out

Renovation is not as pricey as you may think. If you make smart decisions and don’t go too extravagant, you can get a lot done and tons conquered on your wish list. First things first. Make a plan! This doesn’t have to be fancy or formal, just a clear plan of what you want to accomplish.

Break it into easy to manage chunks and go room by room (kitchen, master bathroom, den, etc.) or section by section (ceiling, cabinets, fixtures, floors, etc.

Find Good Contractors

This is easy. Go by the reviews! You want to pick a good mix of affordability and quality. You want the work to get done the right way and you’ll pay for it but you don’t want to exceed your budget at the same time, or spend all the money on the labor, when you have to consider resources, supplies, equipment, etc.

Here are some places to find contractors:

• Angie’s List
• Home Advisor
• Yelp
• Houzz

Pay By The Job

This means you pay as you go, as each job is completed. This nice checks and balances feature means that the contractor will only get paid when the work is done. I’ve read a ton of horror stories on half completed contractor work then the homeowner having a hard time finding new contractors because there’s a golden rule among contractors: don’t finish anyone else’s work. Don’t let this be you.

Instead of paying a deposit and paying throughout the project time, organize the entire project by job and pay as each job gets done, not by the day. And, don’t forget to do a final walkthrough, according to Real Living.

Consider Renting Equipment

Buying equipment can be expensive. And think about it, how often will you use it? Renting can make much more sense. Tile cutters, saws, power tools, can all be rented. Here are some companies that offer rented equipment and tools:

• Home Depot
• Menards
• United Rentals

Shortcuts on Improvements to Save Costs

Huge list of examples:

• Bring in natural light (psstt..a light tube) without adding windows (look at #2)
• Get the expensive look of upgraded features by DIYing it
• Buy lookalikes, like marble-looking countertops instead of marble
• Skip an interior designer and hit up Pinterest for inspiration and ideas
• Buy supplies in advance instead of on-the-go
• Shop clearance aisles
• Reuse what you already have
• Do more DIY
• Ask for discounts

Final Thoughts

So there you go, home renovation on a budget! You CAN get the home of your dreams without breaking the bank. Do you have experience with this? Comment down below to share your tips!