Home remodels are some of the most expensive you can undertake as a property owner. However, the costs of these projects have not deterred homeowners from sprucing up their houses. According to recent survey of over 1,300 American homeowners, 90 percent said that they plan to remodel their houses in the future.
However, the costs associated with a good home remodel can sometimes be exorbitant for many reasons. It could be because the project has gone over schedule or because the materials are way overpriced. Whatever the case, expensive remodeling projects can swiftly stall or even put you into bankruptcy.
Learn 10 ways to ensure your own home remodeling is as cost-effective as possible.
- Buy Local
Building supplies do not need to come from across the country or even overseas to be made of high-quality materials. Instead of shopping online or overseas and having to pay exorbitant shipping fees, tour the local stores instead. You might be surprised by how amazing the materials and construction items are at your local wood flooring supplier or mom-and-pop stores. Patronizing local suppliers also helps stimulate the economy and helps businesses prosper.
- Set a Budget
Your project budget is perhaps the second most important document relating to your remodeling efforts, next to the actual blueprints. Your budget must be comprehensive and include some margin in case items and services cost more than expected. However, you must ensure you stay within your budget if you don’t want costs to spiral out of control. Always keep an eye on all your expenses and track every purchase through their receipts to ensure you do not stray from the projected costs.
- Scout the Garage
If you undertake multiple home renovation projects in a year, you are bound to have excess materials and equipment stashed in your garage. Comb through all of these excess materials and determine which ones you can use in your current projects.
Reusing these materials can help cut down on your costs and prevent you form wasting these expensive resources. You can be surprised by what sort of construction materials you may have stashed in the past. Get creative with how you are going to use these materials and utilize them as much as you can.
- Donate Old Materials
Renovation almost always means you will have to remove fixtures and components of your home. Instead of simply throwing them into the nearest landfill, you should donate them to charitable organizations like Habitat for Humanity. Not only will you be helping reduce waste, doing so will also entitle your to claim a tax deduction, which can help you reduce costs in the future.
- Pick Up Your Supplies
Construction projects like home remodeling require multiple trips to the hardware or supply store. It’s understandable that you may want to relegate picking up supplies to your contractor or to courier services. However, you may be surprised to see that doing so can cost you a lot more money. Instead of relying on contractors or delivery services to bring your supplies, you should pick them up yourself. Make sure to schedule supply pick ups with other chores so you can make the most of your fuel consumption.
- Pay with Cash
It can be more convenient to pay for your construction materials and building supplies with credit. However, you can never know how much a project can cost exactly. You can find yourself whipping out your credit card more times than you know and facing ballooning debt from your remodel. If you use your credit card too many times, you may find yourself unable to purchase equipment and your project can stall.
Instead, you should endeavor to make all your purchases with cash. This makes it much easier to keep track of expenditures not to mention stay within your budget. Paying with cash also ensures you don’t spend more than you are willing or capable of spending at a given time.
- Look for Any and All Discounts
Because of how expensive construction materials can get, you should always be on lookout for any and all discounts you can avail. Scroll through websites and look for hardware stores or businesses that are having sales. You can save plenty of money by browsing through coupons books and flyers. If you are eligible for any form of discount, make sure to avail them from the store so you can reduce the cost of your project.
A home remodel can be an expensive project but it doesn’t have to be. Following these tips can allow you to improve the comfort and appearance of your home without breaking the bank.
