The beginning of a home improvement project always holds the exciting promise of beautiful surroundings and the potential for great pride. But big projects come with costs that enthusiasm can expand quickly. Better to dream and then take a practical approach to your home improvement dream to be proud of all you’ve done and saved.
The following are the basic steps and considerations toward home improvement projects that must be dealt with upfront. Read and follow this guide closely to have your home improvement/renovation become a source of great pride and refuge.
1. Develop a Detailed Plan
Like planning a budget, set a detailed plan for a remodeling project. Define the scope of your project and stay within those parameters. It’s easy to let your imagination run wild, and there is a time for that. But, once you have a definite plan in place, sticking to that plan will bring your project into fruition more quickly and within your budget.
2. Have a Budget
All projects, big or small, should begin with an idea and a budget. Before beginning a home renovation project, create a detailed budget. Everything from materials, tools you may need to buy or rent and contractors hired for aspects you may not be comfortable doing on your own. There could also be fees to be paid to your municipality as well as any architectural design needs when you decide to be really bold.
With some projects, ie: painting, new flooring, etc., where you may need to factor in the cost of a hotel for a couple of nights. There may be dining costs if your kitchen is rendered off-limits for a time. Once you have your estimated costs, it’s recommended to add 10 – 20% to that budget to account for any or unseen issues that can (and do) arise.
This may seem somewhat overbearing or even scary. But, there is an unseen benefit. The best aspect of this practice, beyond saving a lot of money, is the expansion of your own creativity and resourcefulness that the necessary restrictions bring to you. Not only does your home increase in value, but the lessons learned also raise the value of your abilities thereof which carry forward to be expanded again with each new project.
3. Avoid Going into Debt – Keeping ROI in Focus
Easier said than done, right? There are plenty of financing options out there for home improvements, like a home equity line of credit (HELOC). It should be mentioned that not all home improvements have a high return on investment. A cost vs. value analysis for home improvements is essential. There are many good, free resources available for planning a renovation including the estimation of return on investment. If you are going for a big renovation, you may want to make a call to a local realtor for advice on this sort of investment.
4. Be Sure to Get Your Permits
Forgetting to get building permits for a home renovation is an all too common mistake. Correcting said mistakes later, however, can become very costly, even disastrous. If your renovation doesn’t meet building codes, a building inspector can force you to demolish and start over. Building codes are often complex. But, bear in mind that the rules are there for your protection as well as your neighbor’s. An example would be, a faulty wiring job in your home that may carry the potential to start a fire. As a rule, any plumbing changes, electrical changes, or expansion of windows or doors from their original sizes will all call for permits and subsequent inspections. Other less affected projects could be driveway expansion, sidewalks, etc.
With all this said, contacting your town’s building department is advisable. Their website will cover many aspects through frequently asked questions and such. If you still have questions, a visit in person to speak with them about your intentions is a good idea. They will be able to intelligently guide you around many, if not all, obstacles that could arise. They will also be able to tell you which permits your project will require if any. Be advised: some projects will call for an inspection by not only the town’s engineer but the tax assessor as well. A significant home improvement may come with an increase in the assessed value of your home and, in turn, an increase in your property tax as well.
5. Doing Your Own Demolition
If you have the tools and the time, consider doing demolition work on your own. Doing your demolition work on your home improvement project will save you a significant cost of labor as opposed to hiring a contractor for the same. It bears mentioning to be careful to do this work safely, and wear the proper protection – a hard hat, protective eyewear, gloves, and the like. Further, don’t go at this recklessly, as you might find shown on some home improvement shows and videos. A good deal of this sort of thing is shown for the entertainment value of the video.
The demolition comes with its own set of dangers and cautions. As an example, things like overhead kitchen soffit or cabinet removal; gravity is not your friend here. If something large and heavy is to come down, it is best to analyze the situation and take it down in sections to avoid potential injuries.
6. The Re-use of Materials
Cabinetry can often be refurbished (you will have to add this to your aforementioned budget, of course). It is a great way to save money. Make a color change in your staining and change out the hardware for an entirely different look. If you are attempting renovation to more than one room, perhaps, you may be able to use the cabinets found in one place in the other room. Worst case, you might be able to sell them via Facebook groups, Craig’s List, etc. If they are in reasonable shape, someone will want them and be willing to pay you for them.
7. Pick Up Your Own Materials
If your job is on the smaller side, you can save on delivery fees by picking up your materials on your own. Home Depot rents small flatbed trucks to fill this need. If you have a truck, an SUV, or a trailer hitch equipped vehicle of any sort, these will come in handy in saving on delivery costs.
8. Do Your Own Painting
This one is probably the easiest aspect of your project. Painting can be done by almost anyone. It is advised, however, to purchase high end paints from manufacturers like Benjamin Moore. Anecdotally, the paints I have found in the big box stores have always left the job wanting for better. It turns out to be a waste of your money in comparison.
Be sure to pick up the proper brushes and rollers for what you’re painting. These choices will bring about the best job possible and save time and money in the long run.
9. DIY Tiling
This is one of the least difficult aspects of home improvement DIY projects and a great one to begin to build your abilities and confidence. It’s an excellent source of pride when done right too. Your kitchen or bath will look decades younger and modern. Most jobs can be done in a weekend and can save you hundreds of dollars in expense.
10. Refinish Floors
In the old days, a professional flooring refinisher would use a light sanding, vacuuming up the dust, and then apply mineral urethane spirits to the wood followed by a coat of urethane. The trouble with this approach is that it causes wear on the wood itself as well as creating wood dust that you hope, for health’s sake, they can mitigate and clean up. If your floors in question are in rough shape, hiring a professional may be the route for you at this time and DIY maintenance going forward.
On the other hand, if your floors are still in reasonable condition (no exposed wood with a fairly good finish coat still left), you still have the DIY refinishing option of using a liquid floor refinishing system. These are very easy to use and produce wonderful results once complete. A good way to go is with the Rejuvenate Click N Clean Multi-Surface Spray Mop System preceded by the added Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer and Polish or the Rejuvenate All Floors Restorer and Polish Fills in Scratches Protects & Restores Shine With No Sanding Required. This approach will get you beautiful floors at a price of around $75, saving you hundreds of dollars you’d otherwise be spending on a pro or rental equipment and a potential hotel stay during the sanding and chemical applications (fumes can be overwhelming).
Replacing and sanding flooring, depending on the situation, can range from the intermediate DIY to the expert DIY. Further assessment and research would be required for estimates on pros or rental fees.
11. Finding the Great Hidden Deals
Cabinets, for example, tend to be one of the most expensive items in a kitchen remodeling project. But, if you take the time to shop the cabinets you’re looking for, you might be able to find deals from cabinet vendors on showroom models or discontinued stock. I had done this very thing in my own home and saved 80% on cabinets and a front door that had been in the showroom for 9 years. The owner was all too happy to sell me his showroom door, which was beautifully styled and in perfect condition. I stained the door and the cabinets and installed them and they have become a beautiful addition to my home. I found these deals by calling suppliers with my project and budget concerns. All I had to do was ask…
12. The Treasures of the Amazon Warehouse
The Amazon Warehouse holds some great opportunities to buy home items on the cheap. The items they sell here are returned items. Some are marked or slightly damaged. Some are just open box items. Amazon uses a condition category system to price its warehouse items. It’s very descriptive and will give you a very good idea of what you will be getting. What’s more, they have a pretty liberal return system. They generally cannot match your item at the point of return with a brand new item. But, they can send you another from the same warehouse category. There is a bit of “buyer beware” here but, given the considerably lower pricing, it’s worth the time for a look, especially when it comes to furniture and appliances.
13. Price Matching and Negotiating
This is an aspect that surprisingly many don’t take full advantage of. Virtually everything is negotiable. If you find a better price anywhere for an item you have found at a local supplier, most times the local supplier will be willing to match or even beat the price you were quoted elsewhere. In all my years I have yet to find a supplier who won’t negotiate. At least you might save on shipping charges levied by an outside provider.
14. Avoid Plumbing Changes
I have found that plumbing, when needed, is the most expensive aspect of those projects that I have done. If you can avoid making any plumbing changes, you will save a huge amount of money. There are times when you will have to move a sink to complete a kitchen or bathroom project. If the job is protracted in any way, it will be very expensive. If you can live with the present position of your sink, you will save a considerable amount of money.
15. The Cost of Hiring Contractors
As a former contractor, I can tell you that we were always busy in the warmer months. In the Winter, there were many jobs I had done for zero profit just to keep my men working. The loyalty of the best workers is the key to success in this business. With this said, there is often great motivation to be very reasonable with pricing in the Winter months and quite the opposite in the warmer months.
16. The Cost of Dumpsters
Dumpsters are an unfortunate aspect of any renovation. Most towns will not accept construction debris in the regular weekly trash pickup. Beyond that, most will not accept the same at their respective dump sites as well. So, a dumpster is likely a must. They come in different sizes.
In relative terms, there is big money to be saved by shopping prices, knowing how to load your dumpster for maximum capacity, and keeping the space and weight down. I have also found that many see an open dumpster in someone else’s driveway as a great place to empty their garage refuse – an illegal practice, by the way. If you can find a spot that is not so well seen from the street, you will be able to avoid this sort of thievery.
Pricing for dumpsters will range
WasteManagement Bagster, the most common for DIY folks – the cost of the WM bag is about $30. The cost of collection for the first bag is around $191.99; additional bags collected at the same time cost $168.95 per bag. These prices will vary depending upon the area code. If your project is on the smaller side, the Bagster is the way to go. You can get the bag at many big box hardware stores. Afterward, you will fill the bag, up to 1300 lbs. They do weigh your bag at pick-up time, by the way. Extra weight will cost you more. Once the bag is full, you then call to have the bag picked up by the company. They are prompt with their pickups.
Larger dumpsters will cost anywhere from $600 to over $1000 for anywhere from 20 yards to 60 yards, respectively. There are also 17-yard trailer services. These are ubiquitous. The charges here are usually baseline and then, subject to the weight as well. This can be worked out ahead of time with your provider.
Keep in mind that some of the items that you might be pulling out could be eligible for recycling at local metal shops. These shops are known to pay well for scrap metal that they can use.
17. Search Out Back Room Deals
Like with Amazon Warehouse, check out showroom models and scratch and dent models at local furniture and appliance retailers. A small, barely recognizable dent in an inconspicuous place on an appliance can result in excellent savings. An open-box item might not have anything wrong with it at all, and you can get it at a discount. Usually, you can call a retailer to see what they have before venturing out. I was able to locate an electric range top that fit my countertop perfectly. It was 12 years old and had never been out of the box before I arrived. I got it cheap and was able to install it simply saving nearly $1000.
18. Doing Projects in Phases
You don’t have to do a major renovation all at once. If your time and/or your budget require you to break up the project, consult your timeline and your resources. It is suggested that you attempt the larger pieces of the project first so as to give you the inspired momentum to keep going later on. This same strategy goes for outdoor projects as well. Be sure to nail this down before you go for your permits, however. They will expire often in a year’s time.
When you decide it’s time for a renovation, get excited and go wild with your wants especially if you know you have the budget working for you as opposed to against you. Afterward, use your budget and your shopping skills to determine what will be done in the end. If you follow these guidelines, your project will come in efficiently and you will give your home the new look you’ve always wanted.
Best of Luck,
Berk