Four tips for cost-effective home renovations

Forget about keeping up with the Joneses; sometimes your home simply needs to be renovated. It’s a place where you should be able to kick back, relax and spend time with family. When paint is chipped or scratched, tiles have lost their colour, or faucets have gone out of style, renovations can seem like a daunting task for seemingly little reward. The mistake is often then to do a quick-and-dirty patch job rather than take the time to assess fully and implement a long-term plan. Remember, renovating doesn’t mean you have to tear down your whole house!
 
Below, we offer four tips for major or minor home renovations. These things will give you the confidence to make changes and improvements, whether now or in the future.
 
#1 Set your budget and your boundaries
It’s easy to get carried away on a renovations project, so it’s important to keep tabs on your spending. How much money are you willing to spend on this project? Before you even buy a paintbrush or call a building contractor, set your limit. Then build a buffer into that for unexpected costs. For example, if you decide you can spend R100 000, only work on a plan that costs R80 000 so you’ve got something left over (which you can still afford) when things go over budget.
 
#2 Visualise the project and ask a professional
Now that you know how much money you have to spend, you can start assessing what the most important parts of the project are. Unless the ceiling is caving in and pipes are rusted through, take your time prioritising where you will start. Use your budget as a guide to gauge how intense and long the project will be. This is also a good time to ask a professional for advice; call an architect, interior designer or a building contractor so they can advise on whether you’re being realistic or not. We have worked with a number of reliable and highly skilled contractors over the years, so chat to us if you’d like recommendations or for us to manage the process.

#3 Shop around and negotiate
If you love shopping and bargain hunting, you’re in for a treat. Do not buy the first thing you see; do not buy the first so-called bargain you hear of. This part of the renovation project will require some time, some savvy and some gentle reminders of that set budget. Visit different hardware stores, look online, create a Pinterest board for inspiration, and ask your family and friends for input. Just when you think you’re done, go back and negotiate. This project needs to fit your budget, so make it work.
 
If you’re going to hire a professional, compare the hourly/ daily rate or project cost of different construction and design teams. Ask them about the projected timeline, what it will cost for each part of the renovations.
 
#4 Do it yourself this time
Be prepared to get your hands dirty – the DIY version of renovating is not insurmountable and can be a great holiday project for the whole family. Yes, there are certain things that will require a hired professional, but there are some parts of the project that you can do yourself. Why would you want to do it yourself? You’ll be more likely to keep within your budget and you have a greater sense of satisfaction when everything is complete. Homebuilding & Renovating Magazine gives us this lovely list of DIY dos and don’ts:

If you would like more advice about how to manage your home renovations, visit our website or contact us directly on 021 801 3946 and info@hqmproperties.com