Home renovation is one of those things that are necessary from time to time, regardless if there is a genuine need to fix a problem or just to make your home look and feel better.
But renovations can be expensive depending on the type of work you are planning to carry out, which is why a lot of people decide to put it off for as long as they can.
Renovating on a budget can be easily doable if you devise the right plan. If you are thinking about how you can accomplish that, here are the best money saving tips that you can use to help you renovate your home on a budget.
Set a Budget
The first thing you need to do is obviously set a budget for yourself. However, that budget needs to be realistic and reflect the nature of work you are planning to carry out. After all, you can’t plan to refloor the entire house on a $500 budget.
To set a budget, first, see how much you can invest. Then evaluate the most important things that need to be done in order of priority and cost.
The money you can spend might not match what you are trying to achieve which is why planning is a must. See what you can do yourself and what would require a contractor. Contact some of the local contractors and ask for a quote so you can match expectations with reality – they can easily provide you with a quote by using an estimate app.
Reuse What You Have
Clearly, getting everything brand new when renovating is the ultimate dream. However, if you are on a tight budget it might be difficult to achieve that.
Look around your home and see what you can reuse. Some of the items might be in a good condition yet the external appearance might be worn out.
Look around to find ideas of how you can refresh old flooring and furniture, even bedroom and bathroom tiles and save money by fixing what you have instead of replacing the items.
DIY Is Your Friend
When it comes to renovation, the optimal thing to do is just go on holiday and let someone carry the work out for you. We all know that due to finances that’s not possible for the majority of us. So factoring in some DIY is what can save you a lot of money when renovating your home.
Doing the paint job or buffing the old flooring and repainting it is something that you can definitely do yourself. It doesn’t take a lot of skill, you just need the right tools for the job.
Still, buying the tools and equipment will ultimately cost you less if you have some time on your hands, plus you will get to keep the equipment for future projects.
Wait for Sales
Time plays a crucial role when it comes to renovation but in order to save money, you need to find the right time. Different things you will need for your renovation project go on sale at different times of the year.
That’s why gradually buying the things you need is a good idea, plus it won’t feel like a big burden on your budget as opposed to buying everything at once.
For example, Black Friday is a good time of the year to buy new technology items, the end of the summer is good for gardening tools and American holidays are the best time to buy appliances. Don’t rush but rather take time to buy things at the best price – store them somewhere in the meantime and once you have everything, the remodeling can begin!
Home renovation can be a pleasurable experience, especially if you invest your time in it to add your own personal touch. At the end of the project, you will be happy to look at the outcome and see what you have managed to achieve.
Marie Erhart is a Success Manager at FieldPulse, creators of field service software that lets you run your entire contracting business from a single app. She works with contractors to help them grow their business using best practices.
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Save more, spend smarter, and make your money go further
Winter means more time is spent indoors, and your heating bills go up. If you only prepare for the colder months by turning a dial or flipping a switch, then your’e doing your home and budget a disservice.
Every HVAC unit needs regular maintenance, such as cleaning and changing filters, and a yearly tuneup is also a good way to encourage efficiency.
But three common mistakes might cost you more than you should pay to keep warm until spring arrives again.
Warm Rooms at Night May Cost More than Money
Almost everyone wants a warm, cozy home when the temperature dips outside, but a too-warm home at night can cost you sleep as well as extra money.
The National Sleep Foundation says that although experts disagree on the precise temperatures that are best and worst for sleep, they do agree that a cooler bedroom is conducive to more restful sleep.
When it’s time for bed, turn down the thermostat to a setting that’s noticeably cooler than in the daytime.
This doesn’t mean you have to be cold; wear warmer pajamas and use quilts to keep chills at bay. You’ll not only save energy and money on wintertime heating bills, but you’ll also sleep better.
A Space Heater Isn’t Just a Space Heater
There are two kinds of space heaters, explains the Washington Post. Convection heaters, such as oil-filled electric radiators and ceramic heaters, take longer to warm a room, but they’re fairly efficient.
Radiant heaters are the kind that glow hot and sometimes blow warm air into the room. They give fast heat in a small space, but aren’t the most efficient if you need to use them often.
Pick the wrong one for your needs, and your bills may go through the roof.
To warm a room that has insufficient ductwork, a convection heater such as an oil-filled radiator might be a great choice.
Once the oil heats up, the heater can cycle off for a while because the oil holds the heat. But if you need quick heat and won’t need it for long, the time it takes for the oil to warm can use more electricity than you’d like.
A radiant space heater uses electricity continually while it’s glowing or blowing out heat, so long-term use isn’t as efficient.
But unlike a convection unit, the space warms quickly, which might be better for short-term use, such as warming up a reading nook for an hour.
Less HVAC is Sometimes More
If one HVAC unit is plenty to heat your home in winter, then a more powerful unit must be better, right? Not usually. It’s smarter to buy the right-size unit for your home and climate.
When you install a unit that’s more than you need, you’ll pay a lot more on the front end. But you’ll also pay more down the road.
This Old House explains that an oversize unit cycles on and off more frequently, so parts wear out faster. Frequent cycling also reduces the appliance efficiency, so you’ll consume more energy.
Instead of using the “bigger is better” mindset, choose a professional HVAC installer who will not only consider the climate where you live and the size of your home, but also the efficiency of your home at reducing heat transfer.
Heat transfer means how much heat escapes in winter, or enters in summer. Your HVAC unit should be just enough to meet the demands on the coldest day of your usual winter, and no more than that.
Heating and cooling demand a lot of the appliances that you choose, and of your bank account. So if you’d rather stay comfortable while saving money, you’ll need to do some homework.
No one wants to be uncomfortably cold in order to save a few dollars. With the right approach and the best appliances for your needs, you won’t have to.
Mary Hiers is a personal finance writer who helps people earn more and spend less.
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