When it comes to renovate old properties you should know that low costs do not have to equal low-quality finishes. You should keep this in mind when you decide to start renovating. There are many ways to keep count of your budget when starting renovating.
As you know, renovations are notorious for going over budget due to the fact that unexpected things happen. This means that you will probably need to spend more money than you have estimated when you started the renovation process. One of the ways you can keep on the budget is to take advantage of the DIY things that you can do without the help of any experts.
Bear in mind that you will always need to keep things as simple as you can. In order to do so, you can choose standard-sized fittings and use some materials which you are familiar with.
If you buy cheap, you will buy twice
There is a time to save and a time to spend your money. When it comes to paints, if you save some money, you will be disappointed with the ending result. There will often be the case when you will need to repaint after a few months because the color you used looks different. Another thing that you should know is that you always need to choose high quality fitting such as screws, nails and even wall plugs. If you go for the cheapest versions you may have troubles with these.
Mix and match
One clever thing to do when you are renovating is to mix more expensive things with cheap buys. The kitchen is the perfect room where you can use this idea. You don`t need the highest quality unit carcasses.
Don`t be snob
You should find what you need in a lot of places such as a small local or “unfashionable” firm. Don`t always go for the most known firms just to impress your friends. You can find the things you need even in the stores closer to your house.
Go DIY
One of the best ways to save some money is to DIY as much as you can. Some jobs will require some skills and you should take that in consideration. I have made a list of things that you can easily do by yourself and a list with things that aren`t really recommended for you if you don`t have the needed skills. I hope you will find this list useful and pay attention to it
DO`s:
- – Laying wooden flooring
- – Digging a simple drainage or trenches
- – Hanging doors
- – Decorating
- – Ripping out old bathrooms
- – Some easy electrical work
- – Fitting rainwater good
DONT`S:
- – Everything that involves expensive materials that you aren`t confident to work with (such as solid timber worktops, heavy stone wall or floor tiles)
- – Bricklaying – you will need skill to do this
- – Plumbing work involving gas
- – Electrical work
- – Plastering is a skilled job and if you mess this up it will show
