3 Ways to Save When Renovating Your Home

Whether you’re trying to add value to your home before selling it, or you just feel like the place needs a little TLC, there are certain ways to save when renovating your home. Of course, keeping costs down is always beneficial, but it is perhaps essential when attempting to sell your house for the best possible profit.

In this article, the auction house over in the UK Property Solvers looks at three key ways in which you can renovate your home as effectively as possible without breaking the bank.

1. Do it Yourself

DIY is not just a hobby – it’s a money-saying technique that has been effectively employed since time immemorial.

Labour can be exceptionally costly. While it’s occasionally highly advisable that you employ a specialist to take on specific tasks – electrical or gas installation and maintenance or complex plumbing, for example – there’s a great deal that you can do yourself.

There are plenty of how-to videos and step-by-step guides available for free online that have been created by experts to help first-timers learn specific techniques – from bricklaying to plastering to joinery to carpeting.

Make sure you thoroughly study as much of these as possible and invest in the right tools and materials – including safety equipment – before you start. 

It’s vital to know what you are doing; otherwise, the best-case scenario is that you’ll end up having to pay more to rectify your mistakes, and the worst-case scenario is that you could severely injure yourself and others!

Where possible, try to enlist help for your project. Wallpaper stripping, painting, and or a little light demolition can be made easy – and may even be good fun – when shared with friends.

2. Fake It ‘Til You Make It

Can’t afford the latest interior decor trends? Don’t worry. Following major technological and technique-based advances in a number of different areas, you can find a wide range of “faux” materials that look just as effective as the real deal.

Flooring and Tiling

For example, if you want elegant hardwood floors without the price tag, the first step is to see if you can expose, sand, and treat any existing floorboards. If you don’t have any, or if they aren’t in a good enough condition, consider laminate.

Modern laminate flooring is extremely easy to lay yourself, and high-quality versions look almost exactly the same as the real deal. You can also get stone or tile effect – and plenty of other designs besides. They’re hard-wearing, easy to clean, and very attractive.

There’s also an easy and affordable alternative to wall tiles. Invest in high-quality adhesive “tile panels” for a quick, neat, and cheap tiled look in kitchens and bathrooms.

Paint

You can even get the perfect paint cheaply. If you see a color you’re in love with but don’t fancy the hefty price tag, various companies such as Dulux and Valspar can recreate it for a fraction of the price using their “color match” technology.

The chemical makeup of the paint may be different, so you may not get the coverage or exact finish that you would from the posher color, but it will fit much more neatly into your budget.

Furnishings

Can’t afford fancy new furniture? Take a look at what you’ve got already. You may have several old and worn pieces that could be sanded back and retreated or painted – or otherwise reused in new and creative ways.

Recycling or upcycling furniture is not only a great way to save money and give your decor a new lease of life; it’s also extremely good for the environment as it goes towards the reduction of production emissions and air miles.

3. Shop Smart

Bargain hunting is one of the great ways to save when renovating your home – and it can get pretty addictive.

There are a number of techniques you can employ to find materials, tools, and other items at a fraction of their usual price. You just need to know where to look.

Thrift or Second Hand

There are plenty of tools and furnishings available second-hand. Some charity shops have dedicated furniture stores, where you can pick up whole three-piece suites, antique dressers, retro coffee tables, and even more contemporary items.

Try to see each piece’s potential instead of its current condition. A few scratches can be sanded away, and the odd wobble leg or handle can usually be secured in place easily. 

With a little imagination and a lick of paint, you can get your property’s decor looking totally on-trend at very little expense.

You could even pick up items with a view to “cannibalizing” them and creating something totally new out of their components.

Car boot and tabletop sales are great for preloved tools – and you may even be able to quiz their previous owners on how each item operates.

Sale or End of Line

Keep an eye on local and online hardware and materials stores. They may have seasonal sales in which you can pick up items far more cheaply than usual.

Even if there isn’t currently a sale, some outlets will reduce the prices of discontinued items to get them off their shelves quickly, making room for new lines.

There are even websites dedicated to “end of line” stock, where you can find plenty of high-quality equipment or materials for low prices.

Surplus

Be sure to check out factory outlets for surplus stock as another way of grabbing a bargain.

You should also check out online selling platforms. Often, tradesmen or other DIY-ers will over-order for a particular job and so will sell the excess online to recoup a little money.

This means that you can find planks of wood, tiles, paving stones, waterproofing, and plenty more for great prices.

Ex-Display

Some hardware stores or equipment suppliers keep certain items out on display or for demonstration purposes – which means they can’t be sold at full price when the time comes to get rid of them.

You may be able to get a great discount on this ex-display stock, which usually still operates perfectly.

Combine any of the three approaches above in order to undertake a successful, budget-friendly renovation. 

If you’re planning to sell, these techniques will help you to improve the value of your home at very little expense – but they’re also great for giving a new lease of life to a property you plan to enjoy for years to come.

Thank you for reading 3 Ways to Save When Renovating Your Home