10 Ways To Save Money On Home Improvement Projects
2 Materials
Easy
It’s always nice to be able to do a home improvement project, no matter how small the project may be such as planting an herb garden to enhance your outdoor patio space or a larger more advanced project like building your own gabion wall or installing a rainwater harvesting system. Home improvement projects can increase the value of your home, maybe add a new or better function, or save you money in the long run by making your home more energy efficient. But sometimes even small home improvement projects have big price tags! Luckily there are some tips that can help you spend less and save more on your next project. Check out these 10 Ways to Save Money on Home Improvement Projects!
1. DO IT YOURSELF
You knew this was going to be The best way to save money on home improvement projects is always going to be to do as much of it yourself as possible. And really, a lot of renovations can be done by anyone with some basic DIY skills. Combine those skills with some how-to YouTube videos or a DIY coaching session and you’ll be surprised what you can do by yourself! But do be smart about this. You hear horror stories of people who tried to do DIY projects to save money and messed things up so much that it cost more to fix than it would have cost to pay someone else from the start. So while it’s okay to push your skills a bit, don’t think you can go from barely knowing how to use a screwdriver to installing your own roof! And things that could be dangerous, like electrical projects, should definitely be handled by a professional.
2. IMPROVE PARTS
An easy way to save money on home improvement projects is to not try to remodel a whole room in one go. Yes, it’d be nice to have a whole, brand new kitchen in a month. But really, does it need to be ripped down to the studs? It’s likely that there are one or two things that really bother you about it that can be changed instead, like the cabinets or the counter tops. Getting new versions of those won’t cost as much as a whole new kitchen! You may even be able to change things up without making a big project, by doing things like painting the cabinets and changing out the handles/knobs. So before signing off on a huge renovation, ask yourself if there are some smaller projects you can do instead. Do smaller projects a few times a year, and in a few years your kitchen will be completely different anyway!
3. DEMO IT YOURSELF
DIY demolition can be fun, and can save you a lot of money! If you’re doing something that requires ripping out what’s already there, see if you can do it yourself. In general, you’ll be safe taking down exterior structures, cabinets, built-in furniture, etc. But don’t try to demo a wall yourself, or you may take out a load-bearing one! And you’ll want to let the professionals deal with anything near plumbing or electricity.
4. GO FOR GOOD ENOUGH
This sounds kind of bad, but it’s true- good enough is good enough. You don’t need the super special top of the line wood for your new bathroom cabinets. Some decent, mid-level wood will be just fine, and will cost a lot less! Just don’t go for the cheapest available option, as that could wind up having issues down the line (maybe the wood will start to crack in 6 months), and cost more in the long term.
5. FINISH IT YOURSELF
Just like you should see if you can start a project off by doing your own demo, if you want to save money on home improvement projects you may also want to finish them yourself. That means don’t pay other people to do those little finishing things like sanding and painting. That’s the kind of work you can do in a weekend, and doing so will save you a lot!
6. DO PROJECTS AT THE START OF THE YEAR
Did you know that there’s a peak season for home improvement projects? Most home renovation companies are busiest during the summer into the fall. But not many get calls for jobs at the start of the year! This could be because most people have spent a lot on the holidays, or just want to relax after the holidays and not deal with workers in the house. Or maybe the cold weather just doesn’t make most people thing about home improvement. Whatever the reason, take advantage of the slow times and get your projects done in January or February. It’ll cost you less, and there will be more workers and supplies available, possibly making your project go faster!
7. GET THE MATERIALS YOURSELF
If you are hiring a handyman or contractor and they are just going to get supplies from Home Depot, but plan to charge you a delivery/pickup fee, then why not get the supplies yourself? Ask them for a shopping list, then go get what they need. Depending on how many supplies you need, and your contractor’s delivery fee, you may even be able to rent a truck to haul the supplies and still save a lot of money!
8. DON’T MOVE THE PLUMBING
Another way to save money on home improvement projects is simply to not initiate expensive projects! While it’s completely possible to move plumbing and things attached to plumbing (showers, toilets, sinks, etc.), it isn’t cheap. So if you want to save money, it’d be better to leave the plumbing alone and possibly find a way to get the result you want by changing something around the plumbing instead.
9. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF DEALS
Home improvement stores tend to have deals around different holidays. So if you want to save money on home improvement projects, keep an eye on your local home improvement store’s circulars when holidays like Labor Day are coming up. Sometimes the deals are for particular things (sinks, lumber, etc.) and other times they may actually be for installation or design services!
To see our last tip click our blog link below.
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?