The Budget-Minded Homeowner's
Guide to Home Renovation
Americans spend thousands of dollars on home improvements each year. What do you do when you want to do a home renovation project, but you’re on a tight budget?
You don’t want to ax the idea, but you do want to make sure that you’re not overdoing it and going to put yourself in serious debt. While you might have a lot of home renovation ideas, you want to make sure that you’re thinking about the ones that you can afford.
Continue reading this article, and we will talk with you about budget home renovation ideas that you’re going to love so that you can have even more great options.
Be More Efficient With Space You Have
You don’t need to put an addition on to your home unless that’s just something you want. If you need more space, it’s time to get creative with the space you do have. For example, if you have a room full of stuffs that are no longer useful to you then clean it up, rent a dumpster at Ewmdumpsterrental to send these things out of your room.
One of the biggest reasons people want to have more space in their homes is because they need to store things. The best way to solve this is to find ways to use furniture as storage, or put in built-in storage that isn’t going to take up a lot of extra room.
Your kitchen is one of the areas that often seems to be the most squeezed for space. You have a lot of different plates, bowls, containers, and more that want a good place to live, but many times, you find things thrown into a drawer.
If you learn how to organize your kitchen and put things in an orderly manner, you won’t need extra storage space in a new home addition.
Low Budget Natural Light Options
Is there an area in your home where you think it could use some extra natural light? Putting a window in there might be an option, but it is also a major cost. Let’s not forget about how nervous it makes homeowners to cut a new hole in the side of their homes to put in that window. However, there are always some government window grants so you can replace the windows for free or at the really low cost. Ask around, check on the internet and apply as soon as possible.
Another option is to put a skylight through your home. This is an easy way to bring in more light, but it might more expensive than you want it to be. Another option that might be friendlier to your wallet is a light tube.
It’s similar to the skylight in that it brings in natural light to the home, but light tubes go between the roof rafters and let the sunshine come in on the spots that are a little dark and dreary.
Meet Your New Friend, the Recycling Center
If you’re working on your project on yourself instead of using a contractor, you can look for great finds at the recycling center.
Many times you’ll find perfectly good materials there to create your dream house. There are a lot of charity organizations people donate to, and those organizations sell to the public and make money for their causes.
Look for some of the local places in your area and see what they have to offer. You might be surprised at how much money you can save. If you make a friend at one of these places, you can ask them to keep an eye out for things that you’re looking for when you’re doing your big renovation.
They will be glad to have someone to sell it to, and you’ll be able to get first dibs on what comes in at their establishment.
Not only can you buy things from the recycling center, but many of them will come out and grab some of your old things from your house at no charge. You can also get a charitable donation receipt that you can write off your taxes.
Don’t Hire Out Demo Work
If you’ve ever had frustration with anything or anyone, now is the time to work it out.
Doing your own demolition work is going to not only make you release pent up energy, but it will help you save a lot of money. There’s no need to hire someone else to take care of it. You can’t mess up this job because, well, you’re trying to mess it up.
Keep in mind that if you’re taking down walls or doing some interior work that you’re not sure about—this might not be the best place to DIY.
Prepare for Hidden Costs
It’s likely there will be a thing or two that pops up out of the blue. It can be frustrating when you’re trying to get things done, and something falls apart and takes a few thousand more dollars.
The best thing you can do is to avoid starting a project without some extra cushion in the budget. If you don’t have any extra money available in case something goes wrong, you’re going to have to delay the project or take something off of the to-do list.
Speak with an Architect
If you’re confused about how to make a certain space work for you, speaking with an architect could be the best option. What might take you weeks to figure out, they are likely to be able to look at the situation and know exactly what to do.
It’s worth paying the money for their expertise, so you can get on with your project.
Refresh Your Kitchen With New Counters
Getting new counters is one of the major things you can do to make your kitchen look fresh and to give it some of your own personality. If you have nice cabinets, there’s no use wasting them and spending money putting in new ones.
Keep in mind that some stores in your area might have seconds or remnants they will be glad to sell you. It never hurts to ask, and you might see something that is going to be perfect for the look you’re going for.
When you get new counters, you don’t have to put real stone in. Many of the faux materials now look like granite, marble, and other beautiful pieces. Using a faux material is one of the best ways to keep your budget low.
Remedy the Lack of an Island
Putting an island in your kitchen is a major cost. Instead of putting an island in a huge kitchen, you could opt to put a table and chairs in the kitchen.
Make sure the table and chairs are bar height, so it is able to still be used as a kitchen island. You might even opt to leave the chairs out and just put the bar height table in there, so you can easily prep food, but you don’t need to eat in the kitchen.
If you already have something you can use to turn it into an island, it might not be as pricey, but if you have to buy something, you’re likely to blow the budget.
Change Out the Pulls on Your Cabinets & Drawers
One of the quickest ways to update your cabinets and drawers is to change out the pulls. If you don’t have cabinets in your bathroom or kitchen, it might make sense to add them to get more storage space and to make the room look more updated.
For an extra feeling of luxury, you can add the soft close to your cabinets and drawers, so there is no more slamming.
Update Living Room Flooring
You spend a lot of time in the living room, so updating the flooring in this room will give you some serious bang for your buck.
One of the most budget-friendly ways of getting a new looking floor is using peel-and-stick flooring options. This bonus with this option is that you don’t have to remove your current flooring.
Replace Your Bathtubs
Unless you have a whirlpool bathtub, they are really going out of style. Soaking in a tub doesn’t seem as appealing as many people used to think it was.
When you’re doing bathroom renovation projects, you want to make sure one of those projects is changing out your bathtub for a beautiful shower. Showers are relaxing and allow you to easily step in the shower and get out without having to vault over the side of a tub.
Having a new bathroom with a shower will also help your home’s resale value.
Getting Started With Your Home Renovation
Starting a home renovation project can be a lot of fun. You now have the information and ideas you need to get started on your project.
Instead of hoping that things are going to fall into place, you’ll be able to use the ideas and tips above to get started planning your project.
Do you want to learn more about home improvement and other important topics? Keep reading our blog to get the help you need.