Remodeling On A Budget

The water heater in my home ruptured recently and flooded my bedroom, hallway, part of my son’s bedroom and part of my bathroom. All is not lost though, as I had good insurance and now I get to experience the joy of remodeling. Some people might relish the idea and while I am looking forward to putting my mobile home back in order and doing some improvements, I am already wishing I were done before I’ve begun. Here are some of my tips for remodeling on a budget because it is possible to make your home nice without spending too much.

Do It Yourself

Yep, DIY is the first budget-friendly tip. I could hire out installation of everything in my home (insulation, new carpet, new vinyl flooring, new toilet, new bathroom vanity) but the cost would be quite a bit more. Instead, I plan to do as much of the remodel myself. What I don’t know how to do, I plan to learn (thank you public library!) and if I need help, I have plenty of experienced people to give me a hand. This is the biggest area where I plan to make my money stretch as far as I can.

Make Your Budget

Write out a budget for your project and keep it with you. My budget is dictated by the insurance settlement so you can bet I’m watching every penny. Once you know how much money you have to work with, you can look into local prices to decide how best to stretch the budget.

Look for Used Materials

While this isn’t always the best option for every item, looking for used building materials can save a bundle of money. Craigslist, local newspaper classifieds, thrift stores, pawn shops and yard sales are great places to find used materials. Be sure to check everything over well for damage before you lay out the cash though–it may not be worth it if you’re going to need to spend a lot of money to fix or replace it down the road.

Check the Discontinued and Dent Department

Many local home improvement centers have a specific area for discontinued items, clearance items, and items that might have slight damage but are still in usable condition and sold at a discounted price. Check to see what is available in your local stores and you might be surprised at what kind of a bargain you can find.

Watch for Sales

If you have never looked through the weekly sale ads for your local home centers, you need to start doing so. One home improvement store in my area just happened to start a sale on carpet (which includes a free carpet pad), toilets and other items that I need for my remodeling project. The sale is good enough that I may have the funds to do a little more than I originally planned (maybe put new carpet in my daughters’ bedroom also).

Whatever your circumstances, it is possible to improve your home and do a nice upgrade on a tight budget. Have fun improving your place and be sure to pinch those pennies.