Hands up if you have ever Googled how to save money on a renovation?
If you have, you’re not alone. In fact, I did it before writing this blog post. And the first
thing I noticed, without even going very deep, was the huge amount of conflicting advice.
So it’s my hope with this post, that we can use our 18 years of first-hand experience renovating and building in a budget friendly way, to answer that question as succinctly and clearly as possible.
Here are our top 5 cost-saving practices to get the most out of your money when renovating.
1. Have a master plan.
Whether it’s a one room or whole house renovation, knowing where you are heading with clarity is undoubtedly going to save you money. Ensure that you are making the best use of space and that all rooms in your home work together in a functional and practical way without wasting what you already have. If you can use what you have wisely, you will save yourself a lot of money.
If you have any doubt in your direction, seek help. We offer an affordable layout design service that specialises in builder, and therefore budget-friendly, layout solutions; saving our clients tens of thousands of dollars in mistakes or unnecessary reworks.
Redos, ‘wish I’d thought of this earlier’ and half-way through change of minds will end up costing you a lot more than investing a small amount in a solid, perfected plan before you start. It’s also a great way to ensure you are confidently and clearly communicating with trades which is bound to keep your quotes down too.
Floor plan of a client before working with us:
After:
2. Project manage yourself.
Once you have a detailed master plan for your reno, consider project managing it yourself. This will save you tens of thousands of dollars or more.
Handing a plan and all the organising over to a crew or builder is so nice, but definitely a premium service that you are paying a lot more for. Crews understandably also put large safety nets on these quotes to ensure they come out on top and cover their business costs, including an instant 10% or more just on materials alone.
3. Conduct the renovation in stages.
It’s rare for any client of ours to be able to hand their keys over to a building crew and walk away for months (or longer) while everything is handled for them. Life, and bills, go on. So a great way to keep costs down and not get overwhelmed during the renovation process is to do it in stages.
The recommendation for exactly which space gets done first would differ from client to client, but typically our advice is to look at the impact of each space being out of action and stagger it in logical order. For example, adding an ensuite before renovating the main bathroom so you are able to maintain a functioning bathroom as you live there. The other consideration may be to start with the space that will provide the biggest impact on your quality of life.
4. Consider DIY.
You can save tens of thousands of dollars doing things yourself, even without prior trade experience. Some common elements of a renovation that you could consider having a crack at yourself are demolition, flooring, painting, splashback tiling, flatpack cabinetry installation, etc. This could mean that, for example, you organise and pay for a builder to come and sort your walls out in a new space, leaving you with an empty shell to hire a plasterer to finish, then you come in and paint and put together some flatpack joinery for and lay a click together flooring option. You then hire a plumber and electrician and
potentially the builder returns to finish off.
There will be different levels of ability for each person, so of course this is a super general example, but you can learn a lot from YouTube. And as long as you are not causing yourself more trouble and interfering with the jobs that really need a licensed trade to complete, you’ll likely surprise yourself with what you can achieve.
5. Sourcing materials.
When you project manage yourself and are working to a solid master plan, you are able to shop around at sales and second-hand options like Gumtree or Marketplace over time. Second-hand avenues often present new or near new product - even things such as windows and doors, insulation, wall panelling or bathroom fixtures – and, if your master plan is clear, you will be able to work to a list of items that you need and look to the future renovation of spaces with certainty to begin sourcing.
If you leave purchasing what you need to the time that the renovation is occurring, you will be limited in your selections and short time frames will cause you to spend more. If you don’t have a master plan, you may find yourself getting excited and purchasing
things before you need them, only to realise that the plan has changed or you’re settling for a worst layout in order to use the item that you bought in your excitement.
All of these things require patience, time and effort; which is why the cost will be a lot lower. But like most things, the more you do it, the more confident you will feel in the process. And there’s certainly a very satisfying (and dare I admit, addictive!) element to the renovation process.
Comments