5 Tips To Save On Your Home Renovation
You’ve been living in the same house for many years and signs of wear and tear began to show. However, you’re hesitant to make changes for the fear that renovation is expensive. It doesn’t have to be! There are dozens of ways to remodel your house into your dream home without burning a hole in your pocket. Follow our 5 tips for an affordable renovation:
1. Don’t use wallpaper
Let’s make a simple comparison between wallpapering and painting. Wallpaper costs you roughly $300 per roll and you will need about 5 to 8 rolls for a living room plus an amount of $150 – 250 for installation. Painting, on the other hand, just costs you around $1200 – 1500 for a four room flat including the cost of the paint. Therefore, be aware that wallpapering is at least 30 percent more expensive than painting
Moreover, wallpaper raises your maintenance cost. Due to the humid weather or the sun’s rays, wallpaper starts to curl and sooner or later, you will find yourself replacing all the wallpaper, not just one spot. The reason why? The design you purchased years ago is possibly not available any more.
So to avoid any unnecessary hassle later, just paint your walls.
2. Check the renovator’s qualifications
The ones you need to hire for the job are interior designers who have passed actual, architecture-related exams, not general contractors nor interior decorators.
The answer lies in the fact that interior designers also know about plumbing and electrical wiring; most importantly, they have no motive for luring you into buying as many junks as possible. Because unlike many decorators or contractors, they don’t get a commission on the stuff you buy. And finally, if your house looks like an industrial accident, it may affect to their portfolio.
So before handling the project to your renovator, check their qualifications carefully. If they are all contractors or decorators, you have no choice but run.
3. Don’t be traditional
The cost of your renovation may vary depend on the style you choose and contemporary styles tend to be cheaper than traditional ones. Therefore, pick contemporary styles for the following two main reasons:
Firstly, they are quite minimalist. You don’t need antique desks and chairs; instead, furniture from IKEA will do the job, which will be way cheaper.
Secondly, contemporary homes have straightforward color schemes like red, white and black while traditional homes require varying shades of colors, wall motifs and even wood paneling.
4. Ask for custom furniture
Instead of buying a coffee table in a furniture shop at an insane price, ask your interior designer to build one. Usually, they can build something similar on a half price.
Your renovator doesn’t know that? That sounds strange; it seems like something an interior decorator would say.
5. Minimize carpeting
After all, the main purposes of a carpet are to retain warmth and stop you sitting on the soil. Neither of them pertains to someone living in a house in Singapore.
Carpets are luxury items that can take you around $400 to $2500 for cleaning cost, not to mention they have tendency to tear and discolor. So save yourself money and hassle. Stone or vinyl floors are affordable alternatives that look attractive on their own.