Home remodel projects can be an expensive venture, even if you plan to do everything yourself.
But there are ways to save on your next home remodel that don’t involve choosing subgrade materials or reusing all of your old fixtures.
What it does involve is thinking beyond the ‘big box store’ of home building supplies for all of your building needs and perhaps moving out of your comfort zone to learn something new that will keep you from blowing your remodeling budget.
1. Use unloved paint
Buy mis-tinted colors at a fraction of the cost, but be sure to buy enough to finish your project.
If you have enough paint with similar tints from other projects, consider combining them in a 5 gallon bucket to create a unique color.
Note: Make sure you keep about a quart of this color on hand for touch ups when needed.
2. Budget shop
Shop clearance sales and local building supply resources, such as Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.
Also look for an unused building material retailer
Repurposing old items for new things is another great way to save on your home remodel.
Shop sale cycles
Watch for flyers and talk with sales associates about when the next sale will be held.
Note: Holidays such as Labor Day and Memorial Day are great times to score good deals on appliances and other “big ticket” items.
Floor models/Scratch & Dent/Discontinued
Ask your neighborhood appliance dealer if they replace existing floor models with new designs when they come out. This can typically save you as much as 30 to 70 percent off of the regular price.
This tactic can also work for building supplies such as lighting, vanities and plumbing fixtures.
Outlet stores are a good source for scratch and dent and discontinued items. Often, the damages are so slight as to be unnoticable.
Note: Even new but dented or scratched appliances should still be under manufacturers warranty to cover any mechanical defects.
3. Shop the classifieds
⬥Local circulars
⬥Freecycle
⬥Craigslist
4. Shop online
Google is your friend.
Home decor, light fixtures and even wood flooring can be found at online stores at a good price.
Some to consider:
⬥Overstock
⬥BuildDirect
Don’t forget to look for independent, local businesses who may be willing to give you a discount for buying in bulk and/or paying cash.
5. Buy direct
Reach out to stores selling to builder suppliers and subcontractors.
6. Ask for discounts
If you’re planning to buy a lot of items at once, call up the store and ask them if they offer volume discounts or price breaks.
Note: Often, discounts are available to special groups such as veterans, students, teachers, seniors, etc.
7. Shop yard sales and auctions
You never know when you’ll find the perfect addition to your home.
If you enjoy frequenting yard sales and/or auctions, you could come across a gold mine of materials that will help save you a lot of money.
BONUS TIPS
- ⬥Ask the commercial desk at Lowes or Home Depot to set up a contractor account for you which will help you get items at a discounted rate.
- ⬥Take advantage of the free or low cost “how to” clinics that are offered by large home improvement stores to help save on the cost of hiring someone to do what you can do for yourself..
- ⬥If you’re hiring someone to do a big project for you like replacing your roof, or resurfacing your driveway, ask your neighbors if they need the same thing done to their home. You can negotiate a good price if the contractor knows he’ll have two jobs to do, side by side.
