Now that you’re home more often due to our crazy times – have you noticed how much repair your home needs?

Whether it’s minor chips in the wall, old and damaged flooring, or outdated fixtures that are long past their prime – spending more time at home means finding more things wrong with your home. When you are spending almost all of your time in the same place, you get inspired to fix everything.

You may think that, since you’re spending more time at home, you might as well make your house look as nice as possible. You deserve a home you are proud of, and sometimes that may mean changing it up. In this scenario, we’re not talking about caulking some of the baseboards or just painting over some scuff marks – we are talking about renovating a home – a project that will cost a significant amount, take some time, and involve lots of little tasks.

As we mentioned earlier, you deserve to have a home you are proud of, but that doesn’t mean you should go broke doing it. Renovating a house costs money, but it doesn’t have to cost as much money if you do it right.

 

Here are 6 ways to save money while renovating a home.

  1. Create a Budget

 

 

 

 

 

 

As with any large project, you have to start by knowing what you are working with in terms of money. You may want to get your entire home and re-build from the ashes, but what you can afford may not line up with that. Make a list of everything you want to do in your home, and then create a budget with how much you are willing to spend on the entire project or break it up by category (“We are willing to spend up to $X for the kitchen”). Starting with a specific amount of money helps guide every decision in your renovation to ensure your home looks good and your bank account doesn’t look empty.

In addition to money, the next thing you need to properly plan a budget is priority. You may not be able to afford to do everything at once, and that’s ok. Prioritize the major/main things you want to do first, and focus your budget and energy on those. After you’ve completed those tasks, you can reevaluate the time, money, and need for other possible renovations.

 

  1. Do It Yourself (Or Get It Ready)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some things are best left to the professionals, like plumbing. There are other projects, like installing a backsplash or re-carpeting a room, that you can do yourself. There are many resources you can use to learn how to do certain home projects…

  • Books at your local library or hardware store
  • Weekend workshops focused on specific projects at stores like Lowes or Home Depot
  • YouTube

There are contractors and professionals with their channels on YouTube who share tips and tricks on every house project you can imagine. With the right tools and the patience to learn, you can save lots of money by doing things yourself. Even if you are not going to do it yourself, you can prep the area for the contractors (like removing objects), so they spend less time working and you spend less money on their labor.

 

  1. Use Recycled Materials

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you’re going to do some renovating yourself, Habitat for Humanity has 400 “ReStores” – stores that sell used building resources (wood, light fixtures, etc.). Go to habitat.org to see if there’s a ReStore near you. ReStores focus on selling quality used materials, so you know you are getting something trustworthy.

There are also sites like Freecycle where their goal is to help people give and get things for free, so they don’t end up in the trash.

 

  1. Use A Truck (Or Ask a Friend)

 

 

 

 

 

 

When buying building materials, there is usually a delivery fee to get them to your home. You can save yourself a significant amount by transporting the materials yourself. Whether it’s using a truck you own or asking a friend to use theirs, getting the materials yourself means more money you can either save or spend elsewhere on the renovation.

 

  1. Price-Match Everything

 

 

 

 

 

 

When you’re researching materials (light fixtures, cabinets, etc.) – shop around for the lowest deals. You could find the same object online and in a store near you, but the store near you is considerably more expensive. If you find a better deal online – show the store the lower price. Almost every store will price-match items (it’s better to guarantee a cheaper sale than not sell anything). This could save you shipping costs from the online item, and you get the product faster.

 

  1. Take Your Time

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doing all of your renovations all at once can make things chaotic and expensive. Patience is a virtue, and renovating your house on a manageable timeline will make the entire process easier and cheaper. You can plan your renovations around holiday deals or just keep your stress level low by only dealing with one space at a time.

 

Renovating your home can be a stressful experience, so make it easier on yourself by approaching it strategically. Think about what you want to accomplish, the materials you need, and how much you can do yourself. These ways can save you thousands of dollars and you will still end up with an updated home that you can enjoy.