14 Ways to Stretch Your Renovation Budget

By adhering to these spending limits, you may reduce stress, keep costs in check, and enjoy the benefits of a well-executed home improvement project by following these budget guidelines.

Who wouldn’t want a house that appears to have been taken straight out of a glossy home design magazine? At the absolute least, you should have a few chic rooms that you are delighted to show off to visitors. However, remodeling your house is typically a costly endeavor. But there’s no need to give up; you may achieve your home design goals by making the most of your renovation budget. We consulted industry professionals to gather their best advice on maximizing a remodeling budget in order to assist you save money on your upcoming renovation job.

1. Focus on priority areas

Choose a few rooms in your home that you truly want to spend the most money on, then cut back on your spending in other less important rooms, if you’re attempting to stretch a renovation budget.

According to David Steckel, a house expert at Thumbtack, “For the majority of people, these areas are typically kitchens, foyers, powder rooms, and the main bathroom.” “When it comes to tiling, hardware, lighting, and other elements, you may utilize more affordable materials in other places. For instance, you may decide to use Caesarstone in the kids’ or visitors’ bathroom and marble worktops in the kitchen. This will enable you to combine expensive products into sections of your home that are often utilized or noticeable while saving money on other items.

2. Combine projects

Yoselin Castro, a senior interior designer at Portland-based Mackenzie Collier Interiors (MCI), explains that while remodeling many rooms at once may seem paradoxical, the more spaces you can alter at once, the better. This strategy is ultimately more effective for a variety of reasons.

According to Castro, this involves reducing stress, cost, and time. Every remodel entails costs for things like project management, permits, and even things like a port-a-potty for your construction crew in order to complete the project. Since they may work on multiple things simultaneously throughout the entire house rather than waiting for a specific product for one room, contractors sometimes charge lesser project management fees when you combine projects.

3. Ask for feedback on ways to cut costs

Pamela O’Brien, principle designer of Pamela Hope Designs, asserts that a capable contractor ought to be able to value-engineer some goods if their cost seems out of reach.

For instance, framing a 10-foot ceiling is less expensive than a 12-foot ceiling, according to O’Brien. “While 12-foot ceilings are fairly opulent, they demand extra materials for everything from the window coverings themselves to the framing and trim. Even with a 10 foot ceiling, a room feels spacious and might be cheaper.

Steckel also suggests utilizing your design experts to their fullest potential. Encourage your remodeling crew to offer recommendations, and make sure they do a value engineering exercise where they determine the project’s needs before work starts, advises Steckel. Utilizing the expertise and experience of the team you have recruited is essential.

4. Make all design decisions before you start work

Finalizing the design components of a project may be stressful and draining. As a result, you frequently put off making decisions of this nature until after you’ve begun your house improvement. This strategy, though, might not be good for your wallet.

The process of choosing your plan, materials, and even those annoying details like where you want new outlets before you start is just as crucial, according to Annie Elliott, product and design manager for New Again Houses, a company that converts old houses into contemporary homes. For instance, if you decide later to relocate a wall that has bugged you for a while, you can spend too much of your budget up front on expensive new outside doors, causing you to compromise later on your floors or go over budget to obtain what you want.

According to Elliott, the likelihood that the building process will go well and your budget will be satisfied increases significantly if your budget and design choices are decided upon in advance.

5. Identify a few things you can’t do without and compromise on the rest

It might be difficult to say no to things you love but can’t necessarily afford when there are so many resources available for creative (and even extravagant) design ideas on websites like Pinterest, Instagram, and more.

Elliott advises choosing a few more expensive remodeling things that you really must have, budgeting for them adequately, and then making compromises on the rest.

The ideas on those Pinterest boards you’re developing might grow pricey, despite the fact that you might desire the finest of the best. When everything is said and done, you won’t even remember what the alternatives were for all those other minor decisions you made; you’ll just be satisfied that you took a few actions that make your house amazing.

6. Only replace cabinet fronts

Consider your cabinets carefully while making decisions on a kitchen makeover. Carlos Adame, owner and project manager for Dallas-Fort Worth-based Transom renovation, a company that specializes in home renovation, advises leaving the original framework intact if the cabinets are still in excellent shape. Simply changing the doors would instantly transform the room, advises Adame.”In a 10×10 kitchen, upgrading just the cabinet fronts could save between $8,000 and $12,000.”

7. Opt for marble look-alikes

Another money-saving advice is to forego marble worktops in your kitchen or maybe even a bathroom. Costly is marble. Additionally, according to Adame, it needs constant upkeep and repair. On the other hand, choosing quartz might make your remodeling budget go a lot farther.

Adame argues that because quartz is an artificial stone, it is a more cost-effective choice. Another excellent [cost-effective] alternative for countertops is granite.

8. Choose engineered wood instead of hardwoods

Using engineered wood is a terrific method to acquire the appearance of oak, maple, or cherry hardwood floors at a cheaper cost and with more longevity.

According to Adame, engineered timbers are made to withstand wear and strain as well as water spills. Engineered wood doesn’t require staining or sanding since it is made of plywood laminated to a thin hardwood veneer.

According to Adame, bamboo flooring is another dependable and cost-effective option. There are many advantages to using bamboo as a sort of grass. The substance won’t expand or compress and doesn’t absorb moisture.

9. Don’t purchase expensive hardware for every space

Hardware, including drawer handles and pulls, can cost as little as $3 to as much as $100 per piece. Spend more money on hardware as you just need a few pieces in the guest bathroom. For concealed spaces (like your laundry room) or rooms with lots of knobs or pulls (like the kitchen, which may have between 50 and 100), pick less expensive hardware. Make hardware decisions based on how the area will be used, advises Adame.

10. Use solid subway tiles and simple patterns for tile installations

With tile designs, it’s simple to get carried away. There are so many gorgeous choices. However, bear the following in mind while you look through image after image of lovely tiles: A tile installation becomes more difficult, time-consuming, and—this is the important part—expensive when more tile colors or patterns are added, such as herringbone. By selecting a plain tile instead of a pattern, Adame claims that waste in labor and materials can be reduced.

11. Be willing to get down and dirty

In an ideal world, a fantastic team of contractors and specialists would handle all the challenging aspects of a makeover, but when money is tight, one of the greatest ways to save expenses is to roll up your sleeves and complete the grunt work yourself.

When it comes to pulling out carpet or a short paint job, a little DIY goes a long way, according to Emily Yeates, principal designer at her full-service interior design company Urban Revival. “Of course, most major remodeling should be left to the pros,” she adds.

12. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it

Even while it may be tempting to completely overhaul a kitchen that doesn’t suit your preferences, if the cabinets are strong, it will be far more cost-effective to give them an updated coat of paint and new hardware rather than spending a lot of money on brand-new furnishings. “Not to mention, cabinetry can typically be refinished by a professional in a fraction of the time it would take to build brand-new,” adds Yeates.

13. Save by buying in bulk

It could be tempting to do your home renovation work in pieces. However, the overall cost of this strategy is frequently higher.

Andra DelMonico, head interior designer for Trendey, advises saving money and replacing all of the floors in your house at once if you know you want to do so. By purchasing more materials, you may get bulk discounts and bargain more effectively with contractors.

14. Mix materials

Last but not least, don’t be scared to experiment with your design and have fun. Being willing to do this may have a significant impact on both your home’s ultimate appearance and your bottom line.

Even while a home with gorgeous hardwood flooring throughout seems ideal, Yeates warns that it may be quite expensive. Mixing materials is not a bad thing! Consider using large, colorful tiles in the bathroom and a lovely, neutral carpet in the bedrooms. Spend more on classic flooring for the major spaces. Utilizing a variety of materials not only saves money but also adds character and individuality to a home.