Price is always the elephant in the room when it comes to home remodels. Everyone is excited to tackle home remodeling projects to transform their rooms to dream spaces, but it’s always equally met with a fear of going “overbudget”. We get it! There’s a lot of “unknowns” when talking about home remodels, as not everyone knows how much materials or labor (if you’re hiring a remodeling company) will cost.
We want to provide a bit of insight on a few key matters you may not fully understand, as well as offer some advice on how you can lower your costs during a home remodel.
Tips on Lowering Costs During a Home Remodel
Regardless of what section of your home you may be remodeling, there are always ways to reduce the costs of a home remodel. If you plan on doing a home remodel soon, but are worried about how much it may end up costing, here are a few tips on what you can do to keep your remodeling costs low:
Hire A Remodeling Company
“What!? No way! That’s so expensive!”
That seems to be everyone’s gut reaction – “Won’t it be cheaper to do it myself?”
For some projects, yes! If you’re repainting a room or doing a simple reflooring project, it may be cheaper to just buy the materials and do it yourself. However, once any amount of complexity is introduced to the mix, you have to recognize that (1) your time is worth something, and (2) inexperience leads to mistakes, which ultimately leads to buying materials two or three times over.
That’s not fun for anyone involved.
The benefit of having a remodeling company is that firstly, projects will move along significantly quicker than attempting to do it yourself, and secondly, that their experience may lead to overall lower costs. This happens in a few ways:
Remodeling companies have their own sources for building materials and are often able to get great deals in the end, which reduces a major itemized expense during remodels. Also, home remodeling companies are painstakingly familiar with how certain remodels clash with electrical or plumbing work, which allows them to work efficiently without damaging expensive repairs.
Projects that may seem “simple and quick” to you are usually significantly more complicated than homeowners realize. If you’re not convinced, it’s at least worth it to call us and ask whatever questions you may have!
Seek Out Alternative Materials
Materials are obviously a huge cost component when talking about home remodels. The type of wood or tile you use in a reflooring project will largely determine how much it costs in the end.
If you’re working with a remodeling company, be transparent with them regarding your budget and they’ll be sure to have recommendations on alternative (yet similar looking) materials that can cut costs down for you and your family.
Surprisingly, more expensive doesn’t always equal better looking. Vinyl “wood” floorboards can look as good as hardwood and last significantly longer.
Look for Long-Lasting Materials
This one walks hand-in-hand with the last point. “Alternative materials” doesn’t have to equal low quality materials. For example, particle board is almost always bad news, and while cheaper initially, will actually require you to replace it much sooner. Low quality materials are almost always a greater expense in the long run.
If you’re not sure what material alternatives are best for your home remodeling project, just call a remodeling company like Stonehearth and ask them your questions! They’ll be happy to offer their insight as well as other tips regarding your remodeling project.
