If you’re renovating your house but want to make sure you stick to your budget while still being able to afford the best door handles and other fixtures, you should plan carefully before you start.
The first step to take before embarking on such a project is to get a number of different estimates of how much the entire undertaking will cost, taking into account labour, time and materials.
You should also bear in mind that, during a refurbishment, the unexpected is typically bound to happen so making contingency plans is definitely a good idea. When drawing up a budget for a renovation, you should certainly set aside some extra cash so that if and when disaster occurs, you are more than covered for it.
It could be a good idea to talk to your bank manager, who can help you work out how much you can afford to spend on a refurbishment project and how much you can borrow. You need to factor in what can be borrowed and any interest rates you can get, what you consider to be a reasonable monthly repayment and how long you intend to live in your house.
If you’re planning on selling up and moving on fairly soon, there are some parts of the home that deliver greater return on investment than others, such as the kitchen, bathroom, conversions like attic bedrooms and master suite additions.
Even if you want to stay in your home for years, remodelling the bathroom and kitchen and adding finishing touches like Lydia door handles may well be worth it.
People spend much of their time at home in the kitchen and many use it as the hub of the family home, so making sure it is perfectly styled and practical is certainly a good idea.
You must also put a lot of thought into which contractors and tradesmen to hire. Tips for finding the one best suited to your needs include asking colleagues and friends if they can recommend anyone and using the internet to find local resources, as well as leafing through lifestyle and remodelling magazines for reputable firms.
Don’t forget to ask tradesmen if they are licensed and insured, as well as how long they have been in business before making any decisions.
Another good way of sticking to a budget and saving money while renovating a property is to do some of the work yourself. Even if you’re not particularly practical, there are jobs you can do on your own, such as painting, spackling and installing minor fittings like ouvre door handles, which will help you keep costs down to a minimum.
Of course, there are some jobs that are probably best left to professionals, such as rewiring or fine woodworking, so before you decide to do a lot of the work yourself, consider whether you have the necessary skills and time to do it. Any mistakes could prolong the project and end up costing you more money in the long run.
However, you can certainly save yourself quite a lot of cash at the start of a renovation project by doing as much of the demolition work as possible yourself. Why not try your hand at sanding, installing insulation and removing any rubbish from the site? If you pick up any goods you order yourself, you can also save on delivery costs.
