Hello sweet friends! I’m back with more renovation tips for you today! Saving money during a renovation is always important, whether you are taking on a simple cosmetic update or a complete gut job of your home. Here are some of my tried and true tips to help you save money while creating a home you love!
We found our vintage bathroom sink on Craigslist for a fantastic price!
- Do As Much Of The Work As You Can
Doing the work on your renovation can save a tremendous amount of money! With the help of knowledgeable family and friends and the school of Google you can learn how to do so many things. While I don’t recommend taking on complicated aspects of a renovation without an expert, simpler projects like painting, laying flooring, and even some demo work might be possible. It is amazing how a room can be completely transformed by paint, flooring, and a new light fixture! When taking on projects yourself be careful and always use good judgment.
When we moved in we removed the ugly 1970’s toilet and sink and trimmed the trees. I can’t even imagine what the neighbors must think of us sometimes!
- Interview More Than One Contractor
If you are using a contractor for a project, ask people you trust for recommendations, check the Better Business Bureau, and interview several contractors before you decide. Get quotes in writing. Don’t necessarily go with the person who gives you the cheapest quote. Paying to fix work that is poorly done can be more expensive than paying a little extra to have it done right the first time! Be thorough in your research. - Shop Smart
Knowing a few tricks can save you a lot of money on construction supplies and decorating items. One of my favorite places to buy supplies is the Habitat for Humanity Restore. Some of the merchandise for sale is brand new still in the package and some are used items. The prices are great and the money goes to a good cause. You can also donate items you are removing from your home like cabinets, toilets, sinks, and light fixtures.Another great place to look for vintage items is at antique stores and flea markets. We’ve purchased several of our vintage crystal chandeliers this way.
There is also an awesome architectural salvage store near us which is a fantastic source if you are doing a restoration of a historic home. The owners of the store remove anything that can be reused from old buildings that are being remodeled or demolished. The store has everything from vintage sinks, tubs, windows, doors, flooring, tile, hinges, lighting, and so much more. Plus the owners are very knowledgeable about historical homes and design trends of the past. If you are doing a remodel of an older home and are removing vintage pieces consider contacting an architectural salvage place to see if they are interested in buying your items. You might make some extra money for you renovation, and you are recycling vintage pieces!
Craigslist is one of my go-to sources for remodeling our home. I find lots of decorating items and furniture on the site, and we also bought our vintage bathroom sink on Craigslist. It was one of those rare times when I found exactly what we were looking for the first time I searched the site (often it takes weeks or months of searching on Craigslist to find the perfect item at the right price). It is also a great way to sell things you are getting rid of during your remodel to make a little extra money. I’ll share more Craigslist tips in another blog post soon!
This playroom rug came from Craigslist!
Our living room rug was another Craigslist find!
Auctions are another resource for purchasing items at great prices. Besides our house, we also bought our kitchen cabinets and counters at an auction. The cabinets and counters were brand new and we got them for an unbelievable price. While they aren’t exactly the style I would choose if designing a brand new kitchen (I personally love the look of painted cabinets and marble counters), I am so grateful that we were able to put together a kitchen at such an affordable price. I love what we’ve done to the space and am so proud of our hard work and creativity!
We bought our cabinets and counters at an auction for an amazing price!
Big box home improvement stores like Lowes and Home Depot are an obvious place to consider buying supplies for your renovation, and you can find good deals there as well. When shopping for appliances always check the “scratch and dent” section. You can find appliances being sold at a reduced price for minor things like a small scratch or a situation where a customer changed their mind after placing an order. We purchased our first house as a foreclosure and the previous owners took all of the appliances with them when they left. Lowes sold us a fridge that was on display in their store. It was being replaced by an updated version that was about to come out on the market. We got it for a deeply discounted price!
The fridge in our first house was the floor model that we purchased for a discounted price.
Also, ask the big box home improvement stores what time of year they plan to take inventory of their store. I recently bought a very fancy curtain rod at my local Lowes store for $1 (I think it usually sold for around $50) because it was a discontinued item. When they took inventory of the store they found one random curtain rod in a box in the back. Because it was no longer in their computer system they stuck a price tag on it for $1 just to get rid of it! The sales associate told me that happens a lot when they take inventory, so ask a manager for the store’s inventory dates and plan a shopping trip!
If you need paint, check the “miss-tints” section at the big box home improvement stores. “Miss-tint” paints are colors that a customer does not want and it is therefore sold at a reduced price. This can be because the sales associate was trying to create a custom paint color and it wasn’t the right match, or because they accidently mixed the wrong color of paint. Recently I bought three gallons of miss-tint paint for less than the price of one regular priced gallon simply because the sales associate thought the customer asked for the paint color labeled “spa green” when they had actually requested another green color. Lucky me! For the best selection of miss-tints check on Sundays and Mondays since many people order paint for their projects during the weekends.
I used some of my “miss-tint” paint on the mirror above my mantel.
- Live With It For a Little While
Recently I found a list my husband and I had created when we first bought our house. We had brainstormed several home improvement projects that we wanted to do immediately after moving into our home. Then, surprise! Baby #3 came along and we didn’t make many of the changes on the list. We laughed when we read it, because some of the things we were convinced needed to be changed don’t even bother us anymore. We would have wasted so much money changing things that are absolutely fine! I’m so glad that we decided to wait and only complete projects that were absolutely necessary in the very beginning (like installing a “temporary” kitchen that I now adore). Thanks baby #3 for forcing us to delay several projects that ended up being completely unnecessary! We avoided wasting a ton of money, and honestly I think we’re happier now with our home than we would have been if we had done all of our dream projects. - Take Your Time and Plan Ahead
If possible, don’t rush the renovation process of your home. Take time to consider your wants and needs and to look for supplies. The strategies I’ve shared can save you a tremendous amount of money, but typically it tends to take more time to find the best deals. Start dreaming and planning and searching well before you actually start your project. Taking your time allows you to make more thoughtful decisions and prioritize what is truly important to you. For example, we don’t plan to redo our kitchen for a long time, but I’ve already started searching for the perfect vintage 1920’s kitchen sink. By thinking ahead and buying supplies slowly I’m saving us money in the long run. Take your time, enjoy the process, and dream big dreams!
What about you, friends? Do you have any good tips to save money on a renovation? I’d love to hear from you. Chat with me in the comments below or on social media using the gray icons below. Happy renovating!
Remember to pin this picture to Pinterest so you can refer to this post in the future!
Have a beautiful day!
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