It is a great time right now to renovate your home. The cost of building materials are down, and many contractors are lowering their labor charges in order to get work. You can save even more money when you do your projects yourself. Of course, getting your materials cheaply and making smart choices that save more money is even better. Imagine being able to completely renovate a bathroom for a few hundred dollars instead of a few thousand?
We are currently updating our downstairs half bathroom, doing all of the work ourself. It won’t be done as quickly as if we hired a contractor, but it will be done inexpensively. Here are some of the things that we have learned.
Save what you can
Take a look at what you really need to replace when you are doing a renovation. Homeowners tend to want everything new when renovating, even if they don’t need it all to be new. In our example, we are replacing the sub floor and finished floor, the sink and the medicine cabinet, because they are all either in bad shape or hopelessly outdated. But, there is nothing wrong with the toilet, so we are keeping that to reinstall it. Also know that sometimes an update is all that is needed, such as replacing the faucets on the sink to make it look new.
Get the best price on what you need
Before we were even ready to do our bathroom renovation, we did our research, so we weren’t rushed when the time came. When we found a great sink and vanity that included a granite counter for an amazing price, we called around to various stores ad then went ahead and purchased it. Although we purchased our sink in a retail store, there are so many other avenues for supplies. You can purchase online and use coupon codes to reduce the price (many places have a ship to store option to save you on shipping charges. You could also look into buying things wholesale, bartering for items, etc. My best piece of advice is to take your time when shopping. Go ahead and buy pieces one at a time. Unless you are trying to sell your home, going slow will save money in the end.
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