How to save money on your renovation or remodel project
No matter whether you're doing a $10,000 renovation update or a $2 million dollar new build home - my experience is that everyone is on a budget of some sort when they are renovating.
And as a result people are always looking for ideas for how to make their money go further.
So in this post I am sharing 22 different ideas for how you can save money on your next renovation or remodel project.
22 ways to save money on your renovation or remodel project
Get the correct trade for the job - trying to save a few dollars here and there on your trades will likely end up in dodgy work that will inevitably cost more to fix down the track. Also - choosing the cheapest tradesperson isn’t always the best way to save money (as often they are cheap because they don’t do a quality job).
Keep plumbing in existing locations where possible - e.g. leave the toilet where it is already located. Moving plumbing will increase your budget quickly.
Install flat pack options (e.g. kitchen) and make these look more custom with different cabinet handles or other hacks (look on Pinterest for these as there are so many creative ways to upgrade flat pack cabinetry).
Stick to cosmetic fixes - changing your fixtures, shower screen, paint, carpet, curtains and furniture/styling can make a massive impact for much less money than a full renovation
Create a budget and stick to it - plan out the entire renovation, line by line and allocate conservative estimates for each item
Plan, plan and plan. Make sure you know exactly what you want to do before you get started. Moving things once works have started costs much more than getting it right to start with (SketchUp is a great tool to help with this!!)
Stick to a budget that you are comfortable with - no project is worth going in to extreme debt over, even if the house is beautiful in the end!
Wait for sales to purchase your larger ticket items like bathroom fixtures, tiles, large furniture pieces.
Mix and match high end pieces with more cost effective options - spend more on the things that are hard to replace and that you use every day e.g. fixtures in bathroom & appliances
Think longer term - things like solar panels or LED lighting will cost more upfront but over time will save you money. But only install these things if you think you’ll be in the house long enough to benefit from them.
Do your own landscaping - grass and planting is relatively cheap and for smaller areas is easy to do yourself
Avoid structural changes - these are very costly and can blow the budget. If you can keep the existing footprint you'll save a lot of money!
Sell as much as you can before demolition - you can sell an old kitchen on eBay or Facebook marketplace. Or even just give it away as you'll save on demo and on rubbish removal as well.
Think about hidden costs and factor these in to your budget - e.g. asbestos removal, electrical or plumbing upgrades, rising damp, termites, sewer issues etc. These hidden costs can sometimes be tens of thousands of dollars so have a contingency in your budget for them.
Also remember to factor in your other costs like design fees, permits, council fees etc. in to your budget.
Improve a tired kitchen with a new tap, new handles and perhaps even consider painting the cabinet doors or changing the counter/bench top. Much cheaper than full kitchen renovation or remodel!
Mix a more expensive feature tile in the bathroom for floor or one wall with inexpensive options like a simple 300x600 satin white rectified (my favourite!)
Think about your location and renovate accordingly. If you live in an affluent area then you will want higher end finishes. In less affluent areas they won’t expect high end finishes so don't overspend if you won't see a return on this investment down the track.
Make sure your house is properly insulated. This will save money on heating and cooling and is worth spending more on up front.
Pack your skip bins properly. These are quite expensive and fill up quickly if you don't think about how you fill them to avoid gaps :)
Do some of the demo yourself if you can - this is normally quite easy but time consuming. It's a good way to save on trades. In fact do as much of any of the work you can - e.g. painting is another way to save money.
Live on site if possible - you will save on having to rent elsewhere while the renovation takes place
One of the most important things when renovating or remodeling is just to be organised and plan everything in advance. The more you can do this the more money you will save in the long run.
Good luck with your project! :)
Learn SketchUp with our fun online course for beginners…
If you want improve your work with design clients or you are about to start renovating or remodeling then you will love SketchUp.
With this software you can mock up an entire home in 2D (floor plans, joinery/millwork elevations, lighting and electrical plans and more) and 3D (renderings and perspective drawings) so you can picture exactly what it will look like when it is finished plus prepare your technical drawings for use with your clients, trades and contractors.
Learning SketchUp will save you time, money, mistakes and so much more! It is a well known piece of software in the interior design and architecture industries and will give you a solid technical drawing skill that will immediately upgrade the professionalism of the work you are doing.
I teach an online course for beginners that is focused specifically on using SketchUp for interior design purposes. We have had more than 10,000 students come through the course with so many fantastic projects designed and built!
We have all sorts of students in the course including designers and architects, cabinet makers, home renovators/remodelers, kitchen and bathroom designers, event planners, landscape designers and design enthusiasts.
To find out more about the courses we have on offer click the link below. And reach out if you have any questions I can help with :)
Enjoy the rest of your day!
Clare x
Dr Clare Le Roy
