Everyone loves the idea of renovating a house until they see the price.
Renovating your home is expensive. Some might say that it is too expensive. In addition to the physical cost of materials, you'll need to consider frequently overlooked expenses such as garbage disposal, heavy machinery rental, personnel, and new facilities to name a few.
This does not mean that your dream renovation will cost you an arm and a leg. Most renovations are more expensive than necessary because people often don't consider cheaper alternatives.
Here are five ways to save money on every renovation, from residential to commercial.
Pay attention to recycled material
Recovered materials are often poorly packaged for no reason other than that they have been used before. That doesn't mean they're less effective. It just means that someone has done a renovation or demolition and has not recycled it. What people don't realize is that these materials are often of better quality than anything you would find at Home Depot or Lowes. It's like material that comes from an antique chest of drawers instead of an IKEA chest of drawers. Habitat for Humanity operates over 400 ReStores nationwide that sell materials at half the price of normal renovation shops.
Donate your garbage
If you throw it away, you can also donate it. According to Habitat For Humanity, almost 85 percent of renovation waste is reusable. Not only will you save space at a landfill, you will also receive a tax credit for charity and the certainty that you have helped the environment and other people.
Be a team player
If you have some time, the best way to save money is to come into play and help the construction team. Do your own demolition (to a point), tidy up at the end of the day, and help with the plastering. You will be amazed at how much money you can save. Overall, you could save at least five percent of your budget by doing the dirty work yourself.
Consider less expensive alternatives
Everyone wants pine floors, but that's not always feasible. Expensive materials are expensive for a reason – they are expensive. Look for alternatives for materials like wood. Some woods perfectly mimic more expensive species to the point where the naked eye would never tell the difference.
Do not move the lines
If you can avoid moving water pipes like toilets or sinks, do so at all costs. One of the biggest costs renovators have to bear is the cost of adding plumbing. If you need to make any changes, you will need to update the pipes. It will save you thousands in the future.
Renovating your home doesn't have to be too expensive. The most important aspects are the return on investment and the depreciation value. In the short term, it may be more expensive, but if it saves you money over several years, the initial cost is worth it.
Image license: Creative Commons Image source
Author bio : Patrick Rafferty is a marketing assistant at Brahman Systems, a Louisiana-based construction company with a patented all-steel hose and cable protector.
