Your home is a hefty investment from the moment you move in, however, is it possible to renovate your home on a budget?
We have been in our home for 15 years almost and over that time we have done lots of renovations, some that seem so minor to other big projects such as removing internal walls and having new windows installed.
Now, in an ideal world, we would bring in the professionals to do it so we could go about life as the work happening around us, however, we have never had the budget to do that since we moved in so most of the work has been carried out by us, or relying on friends and family to help with their trade skills where possible.
Of course, there have been some projects that we have left to the professionals such as our double glazing or boiler replacement. Those jobs needed to be done professionally, however, there are many jobs that you can do yourself or cheaper than planned as you renovate your home.
If you are in need of some home renovations or want to stage your home to sell but are unsure where to start, especially with a tight budget, here are our top tips to get started on the renovations on a budget.
DIY what you can –
This goes without saying, the more you can DIY the better. Getting in the tradesman to do the job can be expensive, as rightfully so, it is their job and they are trained in the skill they do. However, when you are on a tight budget it is not really an option. For us, we get the professionals in for things we can’t do for safety reasons such as gas/electrics etc and then everything else we try and see if we can do it ourselves.
Use what you have –
Buying materials for home renovations can be expensive, our garden is costing a small fortune at the minute as the price of materials has shot up.
If you have things in your home you can use, do that first. So for example in our garden, we had some old posts from a previous fence we put up. They have been in our garden a while and have seen better days, but rather than taking them to the tip we have used them to build our flower bed. They don’t look the best and I wouldn’t trust them to hold up a fence or decking, however, they are perfect for the flower bed and saved us £24 a post!
You might not have lots lying around, but even if you pick up some bits for free on Marketplace etc, every little bit helps.
Make the most of the offers –
If you have to buy materials, take advantage of the offers that are out there. Most of the time big sites such as Wickes, B&Q and others have offers throughout the year.
I have seen things like decking material come up on offer twice already since we started looking and I am sure there are more times it will appear. Paints and exterior wood paint are always on offer at one of the big stores so don’t pay full price when you can help it! Use this same approach when it comes to your furniture and soft furnishings. I am on the lookout for some hammocks for our garden and will be keeping an eye on the offers coming up.
Don’t forget to get cashback too on your purchases using places such as Quidco and Topcashback! If you are unsure how these work, check out this post here for helpful tips.
It doesn’t need to empty your savings to renovate your home
Whichever way you decide to renovate your home, it doesn’t need to empty your savings account.
A little bit of careful planning with the time taken to look at the best option for you could save you money in the long run, it is all about investing in the project first to make sure you get the best outcome for you.
