Saving On Home Renovations

by Laurie Masera Garza
Home Renovations

Is your kitchen in desperate need of a facelift?

Haven’t remodeled your bathrooms since… well ever? With the warmer weather approaching, many homeowners are thinking of making minor and major household improvements. And for most, the cost will be high: The average kitchen remodel can usually cost up to $60,000 and a bathroom overhaul can easily run over $15,000.

But don’t worry! With some careful planning and smart choices, you can shave thousands off the cost of renovations. Here are 7 terrific ways to save when remodeling.

Don’t do a complete remodel

It’s tempting to want to go all out once you’re remodeling, but unless structural damage demands that a room or area be completely gutted, there’s rarely a reason to start from scratch. Instead of knocking down walls and hallways, try to envision the outdated area with a fresh coat of paint, new light fixtures and some minor décor changes. Is your kitchen a total blast from the past? Instead of giving it an overhaul, consider replacing the drawer handles and knobs, staining the cabinets and refacing the moldings. Perfecting old cabinets can be a full 50% less expensive than putting in brand new ones. That alone can save some people up to $30,000!

Shop around for a contractor

Choosing a contractor is not an easy decision. You’ll want to find someone honest, professional and reliable – and willing to give you a decent price. So shop around! Don’t hire anyone on the spot; check out at least three different contractors before making your decision. Ask for references and meet with each contractor in person to get a feel for their character and professional conduct. Take note of whether they show up on time and their willingness to answer questions.

Just doing these simple tasks will provide you with important clues about their reliability. Be sure to ask your prospective contractor if they generally stick to their schedules or tend to fall behind. In this business, time is money, and a delay in a project’s completion can cost you a pretty penny. Finally, be sure to sign a detailed contract before making any final decisions. The contract should stipulate the final cost and estimated timeframe for the project. This is another bit of advice that can add up to thousands in savings.
The Cash You Need to Pursue Your Dreams

The Cash You Need to Pursue Your Dreams

You’ve achieved your dream of homeownership. What’s next?

Whatever it is, a PrimeWay Home Equity Line of Credit can provide you with the cash you need to pursue your dreams. HELOCs allow you to borrow money using your equity in your home as collateral.

Learn More

Consider long-term costs and benefits

You don’t want to choose the most expensive option for every remodeling decision you’re going to make, but it often makes sense to pay more now if it’ll save you big further down the line. For example, if you’re installing clapboard siding, you’ll save in the long run by paying more for pre-primed and pre-painted boards. Using the more expensive prefinished claps means you’ll need half as many paint jobs in the future. This can easily save you over $1000.

Pick decent but midgrade materials

Choosing the cheapest materials usually ends up costing more in the future. But that doesn’t mean go with the most lavish and expensive. in general, it’s best to go with the midgrade option whenever possible. One significant area where you’ll see this at play is in carpeting. Basic olefin and polyester carpeting will run you $1 to $2 per square foot, while wool costs upward of $9 to $11 per square foot.

Bring in natural light without windows

Looking to add a splash of sunshine in your kitchen? Don’t cut that gigantic hole in the side of your house just yet! Adding windows is a major deal and there are other, less expensive ways of bringing sunlight into your home. Instead, consider installing a "light tube." This genius contraption slips between the rafters on your roof and works to funnel sunshine down and into the living space below. Adding a double-pane window can run you $1,500, while a light tube is only about $500.
Saving On Home Renovations

With some careful planning and smart choices, you can shave thousands off the cost of renovations. Here are 7 terrific ways to save when remodeling.

Click To Tweet

Lend a hand

You don’t have to be super-handy to help out and save money at the same time. You can easily do some of the demolition work yourself, paint some walls or even sand the walls to prep them for painting. If you think you’re too clumsy for even these minor jobs, lend a hand with the cleanup at the end of a project. Why pay a cleanup crew $200 a day to sweep up sawdust when you can handle a broom just fine on your own? Money saved: $200 a day or more.

Increase efficiency, not size

If you feel like your kitchen is too cramped and you need to push out some walls to make it work, think again. You can easily reorganize your kitchen for maximum efficiency and save tens of thousands of dollars. Replace large, clumsy shelves with pullout drawers that are equipped with racks for easy, aesthetic storage space. Upgrade your cabinets with lazy susans, dividers, pullout trays and more. Consider hiring a professional organizer to show you how to maximize the space you’ve got; the organizer’s fee and the money you’ll spend on the specialized cabinets will still fall way below the cost of an expansion. Money saved: up to $60,000.

However you choose to go about your renovations, don’t forget to call, click, or stop by PrimeWay today to learn about our fantastic  and Home Equity Lines of Credit.

SOURCES:

Author Bio

Laurie Masera Garza

Laurie is a digital marketing and social media maven who has more than 15 years of interactive multi-media experience under her belt. When she is not rocking the social media atmosphere, Laurie loves to find Houston’s hidden dining gems, but ask her about tacos. She loves tacos. In her spare time, Laurie loves creating, whether its art or memories.

Subscribe To Blog

Welcome Back!