Renovating on a Budget: Tips, Tricks & Lessons Learned

Back in November, I wrote about how The Amazon Effect tipped me into home ownership. However, something I didn’t share is that the house we decided to purchase needs, as I have been saying, “a lot of love,” aka, a ton of work! We fell in love with our neighborhood and the potential of the house and knew that, over time, we would be able to make it our own. After a few weeks of renovating and with plenty more on our renovation wish list, I thought I would share what I have learned so far about renovating on a budget, as well as share two other budget-friendly things we did to increase the value of our home (that you can do, too!).The single major project we decided to do prior to moving in was to renovate the bathrooms. Take a look at the before pics and you’ll understand why! The master “bathroom” only had a toilet and a tiny shower – no sink. Hmm, interesting! The hall bath was also in bad shape. The configuration was funky, rendering valuable space unusable. That “dead space” between the two bathrooms is what we were able to capture to make a true master bathroom -- sink and all! 

Tips

Find a contractor you like. This renovation process will test your patience. It’s imperative to work with someone you get along with and can trust.If you set a timeline, forget about it. Renovations always take longer than planned. Unforeseen obstacles appear, causing unexpected changes and alterations to plans. You really have to just roll with the punches.Buy your own materials. Buying your own materials gives you the opportunity to design exactly what you want and control of the cost. You won’t fall into the same cookie cutter contractor design we see over and over again, and you’ll save money.  

Tricks

Go to Floor & Decor on Eisenhower Avenue. Seriously, if you haven’t been you must go! Even if you aren’t thinking about a renovation, go see the place for yourself. It will blow your mind!! It is a huge warehouse full of affordable flooring, tile, and marble, and it is AMAZING!Do your homework before you go. Walk in with a design in mind, otherwise there are just too many options and it becomes overwhelming. I browsed Instagram and Pinterest for inspiration and knew exactly the look and material I wanted to buy.If you are on a budget, keep it simple. White and gray subway tile make up the majority of my bathrooms. Subway tile is both classic and affordable, a win-win!Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box and be different. Just because you are on a budget doesn’t mean it has to be boring! The reason you are buying the materials yourself is so that you can make it your own.Find something unique then DIY it. I wanted a fun tile and a navy blue vanity for the hall. I couldn’t find any reasonably priced navy vanities, so I bought a white one and painted it myself.  

Two more budget-friendly ways to improve the value of your home

 Paint! We painted our house top to bottom before moving in. A fresh coat of paint can completely change the look of a home. If you have lived in your home a while and want to spruce things up, changing wall color is an inexpensive way to transform your space…and you can do it yourself!

Check out this great use of color by Kristen Try! See the whole house here.

 Maximize closet space. If you live in an older home like me, chances are you have tiny closets. We need to be able to fit as much as possible into our small space but custom build-outs like Elfa and California Closets were too expensive. After hours of searching the web, I came across www.easyclosets.com. Is it a little bit more work than having a professional come out to measure and install for you? Yes. But the price can’t be beat, the quality is great, and the customer service is five-star. We turned three dinky closets into custom build-outs that fit our needs exactly. Renovating a home doesn’t have to be a scary and expensive undertaking. Small changes like painting and closet organizers go a long way. If you do decide to take on bigger projects be smart about where your dollars are spent but don’t be afraid to make it your own!