Tips for Saving Money on Your Home Remodel
Remodeling your home can be your best friend or your worst nightmare, it all depends on the path you take to do it! In this blog post, we are sharing a few tips and tricks straight from the experts on how to save yourself time and money on your home remodel. As pros in the home improvement industry, we experience home remodels daily and have seen our clients save thousands of dollars by switching around the order in which they execute the remodel or by stepping in and doing some simple DIY projects. Both of these tactics can cut costs and/or extend the longevity of the work you’re having done. The opportunities are endless, but here’s a great way to get started!
We connected with our good friend Chase Merrell of the Mesa-based Gila Floor Coverings to get his insight on how to save a good chunk of change on a floor remodel. He mentioned that a good place to start is with carpet planning and the realization that you don’t have to install the same carpet in every room. Many carpet series have sets that allow you to mix and match according to the aesthetic and practical demands of each space. For instance, choosing to use a low pile pattern carpet in a formal room and coordinating plush for the bedrooms. To get the most life out of your new carpet, wear socks around the house instead of bare feet since that will prevent the transfer of oils. If you’re looking to install new laminate or vinyl plank it’s a great idea to lay a 6 mil moisture barrier first. It’s not required, but for just around $150 it’s a worthy investment to protect your brand new floors from moisture that may come from underneath the surface.
As for my recommendations coming from a professional painting perspective, I suggest acting as your own general contractor, especially if you’re on a budget but have plenty of time to work with. The biggest downside of this is that it is very difficult to time things just right, so be prepared for delays. However, by taking this approach and finding your own subcontractors I have seen people save thousands of dollars because they don't have every single trade marked up by the general contractor. If you're willing to do the research you will be just fine!
And last but not least, always paint last. I always find that the biggest issue with DIYers coordinating their own remodel is knowing where to start and what order to do things in. I always tell my customers to call me when pretty much every other step of their remodel is complete. The reason for this is that so many people assume it's easiest to paint first when there is no flooring or trim work. While this is true for the walls and ceiling, it is the opposite for trim work. It is always best to have trim caulking and nail holes filled before you paint so you can get the best-finished product. Otherwise, you will spend twice the time cutting in and touching things up at the end.
There are plenty of ways that you can save yourself time and money when preparing for a home remodel, and this is a great starting point. Feel free to reach out to me, Matt Kowalski for any additional questions! We are happy to point you in the right direction.
