Five Ways to Save During Your Next Remodel
Partner with a contractor
Partnering up with a contractor will not only save you money, but it will save you time on trying to be your own general contractor. That is best left up to the professionals. By hiring a contractor for your next remodel project, you will ensure proper code is followed and will get you the best price because of their relationships with subcontractors. Legitimate contractors are insured assuming the risk, if any, during your home improvement process. Many contractors will offer a monthly discount as well on materials and labor freeing up even more money for your remodeling project and sometimes they can offer financing to help with the cost of your project.
Add natural light without windows
Instead of rearranging your framing and cutting a big hole in your home for a window, consider adding a solar tube. They are less expensive & invasive and capture the natural light that you were looking for. VELUX Sun Tunnels are optically engineered to capture light through a high impact dome on the roof your home. The natural light rays travel through a highly reflective tunnel, transmitting a pure natural light. Adding a VELUX Sun Tunnel to your hallways, bathrooms or closets is the most cost effective way to bring in the natural light you desire.
Increase your efficiency, not size
You may not need to blow out walls to increase your home’s efficiency. Think outside of the box before you start with a massive demolition. For example, recreate current spaces that are maybe under-utilized such as the cabinets in your kitchen. Add racks inside your cabinets for canned goods or cut out a cabinet space close to the floor to use as extra open storage or a dog feeding station.
Don’t move the kitchen sink
…Or the toilet if you can avoid it! Having to move plumbing in your home is going to increase the price drastically no matter where you live. For example, if you wanted to move your toilet, only 3 feet, you can expect to pay roughly $1,000 to $1,500 more. If you absolutely have to move plumbing in your home, you should take the opportunity to upgrade the pipes at the same time, saving you money in the long run.
Use stock sizes, not custom
When it comes to remodeling your home choosing stock sizes, for example plywood comes in 4 foot wide sheets not 10 foot, and you will be saving a lot of labor and the price of custom cut or made materials. This is very try when you consider standard countertop or vanity heights as well as bathtubs.