As much as you might love your home right now, there will come a time when changes need to be made. This could be because styles and fashions have changed or your own personal tastes have changed. It could be because it’s been a long time since anything we redecorated, and it all looks old and in need of an upgrade.
The issue isn’t that the work needs doing or that you don’t want to do it a lot of the time. The issue is more often than not linked to price. There might be lots you want to do, but your income and savings won’t cover it all.
Or will it? In some cases, you might be able to find enough savings to ensure you really can get the work done that you want to do. Read on to find out more.
DIY
DIY – or do it yourself – is a tried and tested method for getting work done around the house and saving money at the same time. After all, although you’ll still be paying for materials, you won’t have to pay for any labour, and that can be a huge saving. Of course, in some cases, such as if you want an extension built or if you need any electrical or plumbing work done, it is best to hire professionals to ensure the work is done well and safely. However, for smaller tasks about the home, learning to do them yourself can help massively. For example, you can learn to fix a washer that won’t drain here, thus saving the money on a call out. The money you would have spent could even be put into a separate savings account so you can save up for the larger, more complex jobs.
Compare Costs
If you want to go down the path of having an expert do the home improvements for you, you can still save plenty of money if you’re willing to put the work in and spend some time reviewing and talking to each potential contractor.
The first thing to do is to get at least three different quotes for the work you need to be done. Make sure you meet with the contractor or at least speak with them on the phone because you need to get a sense of what they are like – they will be in your home, after all. You can also gauge how competent they are from the advice they are offering and so on. If you have a variety of different quotes, you can ensure you’re not paying more than you need to, and you could save a lot of money in this way. Choosing just one contractor and going ahead with their price could mean you’re paying hundreds or even thousands more than you strictly need to.
Compromise
So you’ve found a contractor, and you’ve found a price you’re happy with. That’s a great start, but it could be that you can save even more money at this point. It’s always worth looking at alternatives to the original idea you had. For example, if you change the materials you were going to use in your kitchen countertops from marble to a laminate that has a marble effect to it, you can save a lot of money.
In other words, if you’re willing to compromise in some areas, you might save enough to spend more in others – or save enough to get the work done in the first place.