Learn how to budget a home renovation

Want a new kitchen, bathroom or an entirely new home but looking to save money where you can? Budget renovating can be tough, but not impossible! Whether you’re about to embark on a budget home or apartment renovation, you want to ensure maximum impact for minimum spending.

Renovations start to get expensive when structural changes need to be made such as knocking down walls and mixing up the floor plan. Yet even cosmetic renovations can become pricey if you’re not thinking about budgets in the planning phase.

To help you get started here are a number of handy tips and tricks to help you pull off your DIY and renovation ideas.

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DIY renovation

When looking at DIY renovations it’s important to consider three things; budget, timings and skills required. We’ve all seen House Rules or The Block and thought, sure – we can do that too. Some people find things like knocking down a wall or the art of painting very cathartic or even fun. However, it’s a lot harder than it looks and there’s a huge crew behind the cameras that help out. So, it’s often worth hiring professional tradespeople if you’re taking on larger projects and worried that something might go wrong.

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Renovations can also be a stressful time. The more you decide to do yourself, the more pressure you’re under. However, when approached realistically, DIY renovation is an excellent way to stretch your budget further. So it’s important, to be honest with yourself and decide what you can and can’t do when you’re initially planning the renovation.

Whilst you might be able to get all the painting done yourself, there are some things you can’t skimp on and shouldn’t tamper with – particularly plumbing and electrical. You can hire skilled tradespeople via Airtasker for your plumbing, electrical and handyman odd jobs.

Have a friend who’s a tradie? Make sure you have a chat with them and walk them through your ideas and get their opinion about if you should look at hiring a professional or have a go yourself. They might be able to give you a few cost-saving renovation tips too!

Budget kitchen renovation tips

It all starts with planning and looking at what already exists. Think about what can be salvaged, keeping the same layout and budget-friendly items.

You might want to get rid of everything in the kitchen, but, there could be some great bones under vinyl flooring or simply keeping existing cabinets and only changing the doors or repainting the existing ones.

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Keeping the same layout is likely to save on those expensive plumbing and electrical labour costs.
Think about it, if you change where the sink is or put your new kitchen in a totally different spot, all the plumbing would have to be re-done. Is it all really worth it?

There are so many great budget kitchen substitutes via IKEA and Bunnings, that would cost you a lot less than a bespoke cabinet maker. You (and some lovely friends) could even put a lot of it together yourself.

Budget bathroom renovation tips

Bathrooms are the most expensive room per square metre to renovate. So similarly to your kitchen it’s important to think about what may be salvageable, the layout and only updating the cheaper pieces in your bathroom.

There might be more than you realise that is salvageable in your bathroom, such as tiles, which you can always modernise with tile paint. Again, if you change the layout of where your shower, basin or toilet is, it will require a plumber and/or electrician.

As the bathroom is so expensive to update, consider small improvements such as replacing the vanity, mirrors, and tapware – these small things can make the world of difference.

Outdoor budget renovating tips

Landscaping can be quite expensive if you need retaining walls or tree removal, however, a neat entrance and backyard that is tidy and green, is what counts on making a great impression.

Street appeal is crucial when selling your home, so look at adding a new fence or giving your current one a lift with fresh paint, and adding some new plants or a hedge. Without spending a fortune, a nice lick of fresh paint on a weatherboard home or rendered bricks can make a huge difference.

It’s all in the details

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Just like fashion, interior design goes through cycles about what’s cool and what’s not. So before you jump into a total renovation, take a step back look at what’s there and currently dating your home.

It could be as simple as updating old tapware, light fittings, skirting boards, blinds and light switches.