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How To: Home Renovation On a Budget

by Jessica Amey

There’s no doubt that renovating your home can be costly. We spend so much time in our houses and naturally we have big plans for how to use the spaces and places we live in – but sometimes it seems that champagne dreams don’t live up to the reality of our bank balances. When you look at re-doing a room, especially areas like fitting a new bathroom or kitchen, costs can quickly mount up. There is good news though- renovating on a budget doesn’t have to be a pipe dream. There is a way to save on costs without cutting corners…

Upskill Yourself

Labour is undoubtedly one of the costliest components of any renovation project. And while jobs like the electrics and plumbing should definitely be left to the professionals, there are a host of smaller, less skilled jobs you can have a go out. YouTube is packed with DIY video tutorials on everything from learning to tile to how to paint the perfect wall, and with a little practice you can easily build up your confidence.

Shop the Sales

Whether you’re after a heated towel rail or new Kitchen Sinks, prices will vary enormously over time. So use an internet shopping price tracker to keep tabs on the item you want to pounce at the best time. Similarly, visit a retailer’s website, add the item to your basket and log out again- many retailers will follow up a abandoned items by emailing you a discount code to use. Don’t be afraid to buy freestanding items second hand, especially furniture and rolls of unused wallpaper.

Rent the Tools

You’ll definitely need some tools to get the job done, but before you splash out and buy them, take a look and see options for tool hire in your local area first, especially for specialist tools like wallpaper strippers that you’re unlikely to have lots of use for. Avoiding the cost of buying and storing tools you’ll only use once or twice is definitely a smart move.

Change the Details

Sometimes, you don’t need a full-scale renovation to breathe new life into your home. Smaller projects can still work to perk up the space at a much lesser cost. Paint kitchen cabinets and replace the handles to give them an instant update without paying for fitting a whole new set. Adding a patterned rug, changing the lighting and buying a new bedspread or curtains can really change the feel of a room too – or look into re-upholstering tired furniture. It can be as simple as buying some fabric, padding and a staple gun! Consider what you can repaint and repurpose from other areas of the house as well. Painting a chest of drawers or changing a kitchen dresser into clothes storage is a relatively simple project but can give a room a new lease of life.

Once you get the home renovation bug, you’ll soon be looking at your house with fresh eyes and discovering new projects to take on all the time!

‘Contributed Post’

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