How to Stay Within Your Budget During a Renovation
One of the most common concerns clients share with me is how to stay on budget during a renovation project. Initially think about your target budget range for the project. Remodeling costs can add up quickly, especially when there are unexpected issues that arise. With proper planning and homework, many cost overruns can be avoided. An example is planning the project and choosing finishes prior to the start of the project. There will be unknown conditions that are uncovered during the project. During HHI’s planning process, we will do our best to identify potential pitfalls.
But no one has x-ray vision so deficiencies are uncovered after the demo has commenced. Hiring qualified, licensed, and insured professionals is important and helps with this process. A design-build contractor, like Hudson Home Improvement, will be able to create a detailed renovation plan that outlines every aspect of the renovation up front. The scope of the project may include architect plans, information about the timeline, materials, and costs. A showroom designer can help you narrow your choices within your budget range.
Of course, some things are hard to anticipate. Once you start opening walls, sometimes things come up that must be dealt with. Allow for some contingency in your budget for when problems arise. But for the most part, you will have better control of your budget when you are clear on what you want upfront. The more defined the unknowns and the budget are upfront, the more efficient the process will be once construction begins. Once you have your plan, stick to it to avoid making impulsive decisions.
For a kitchen renovation, using stock cabinets, rather than custom, ones will save money. Think about what high-end speciality details you must have such as spice drawers or pull-outs, and which items are less important. The less important items you may consider removing to stay within your target budget range for the project. Although these features are great, sometimes practical is best. You will still have a beautiful, workable kitchen.
Hudson Home Improvement will do our best to steer the homeowner into making cost-effective decisions weighing the possibility of additional cost versus function and desire. In a bathroom project, an example would be a shower niche. Between the cost of waterproofing and aligning the grout joints, the cost of the shower niche can be expensive. An alternative to this is installing a couple of schluter shelves which are rust-proof, stylish and meant for this application. This could save the homeowner hundreds of dollars.
A contractor, like Hudson Home Improvement, with a proven project management process helps to keep you on budget by overseeing every aspect of the renovation to avoid costly mistakes. We ensure that for projects requiring permits, the permit is obtained. Part of the permit process is following local codes and rules. Whereas every township may have different codes, generally they are similar. Thus, every project with a permit is inspected by the local code official. This reduces the risk that something may be wrong later.
The end goal of a renovation is a project that suits you and is one that you can afford.
Also Read: Top 6 Home Remodelling Tips to Increase the Value of Your Home
