By Nathan Coyne
Anyone considering renovating their house will no doubt be keen to come up with a budget and stick to it, but this is often easier said than done.
There are a number of factors to take into consideration when embarking on a refurbishment project and a good place to begin could be getting a number of different estimates of how much the entire scheme will cost, accounting for materials, time and labour in the process.
When devising a budget, one point you really must bear in mind is that renovations can be quite tricky to bring to completion and the unexpected is sure to happen. As such, it is vital that you make a few contingency plans so you can manage easily should the worst happen.
So, when setting out your refurbishment budget, make sure you put aside some extra money so that if disaster does occur, you can cope and are more than covered for it.
If you're looking for a bit of advice before you begin, why not talk to your bank manager? He or she will be able to help you figure out how much you can realistically afford to spend on a project of this kind, as well as how much you can borrow.
You will need to take into account any interest rates you can get, how long you plan to live in your house and what you consider a reasonable monthly repayment to be.
Some parts of the house deliver a greater return on investment than others so, if you're doing up your home with a view to selling up and moving on, you may want to focus your attention on the bathroom, kitchen, attic bedroom conversions and additions to master suites.
Of course, if you intend to stay in the property, remodelling the kitchen and bathroom will also deliver great benefits, as people spend a lot of time in these living spaces. The kitchen is considered by many to be the hub of the home, so ensuring that it is aesthetically appealing as well as fit for practical use is sure to be a good idea.
Once your budget is decided upon, you will need to look at which tradesmen and contractors to hire. There are several ways to go about finding appropriate workers and one of the best ways to ensure you find a reliable service is to speak to colleagues and friends to get recommendations.
You can also use the internet to locate certain resources, as well as looking through magazines for any reputable companies. When hiring someone, make sure you ask if they are insured and licensed, as well as how long they have been in business.
One of the best ways to make sure you stick to your budget and save as much money as possible while making over your house is to do a lot of the work yourself.
Numerous jobs do not require much practical skill, such as spackling, painting and installing door handles, so you should certainly consider doing such tasks yourself, as this will help you keep costs down.
However, there are some jobs that you should perhaps leave to the professionals, such as rewiring and fine woodworking. Skimping on areas such as these could well prolong your renovation project and end up costing you more cash over the long term.
You may find that you can save most money at the beginning of a refurbishment project by doing as much of the demolition work as possible without the help of a professional. You can undertake sanding tasks, remove rubbish from the site and install insulation - and save on delivery costs by picking up any ordered goods yourself.
There are a number of factors to take into consideration when embarking on a refurbishment project and a good place to begin could be getting a number of different estimates of how much the entire scheme will cost, accounting for materials, time and labour in the process.
When devising a budget, one point you really must bear in mind is that renovations can be quite tricky to bring to completion and the unexpected is sure to happen. As such, it is vital that you make a few contingency plans so you can manage easily should the worst happen.
So, when setting out your refurbishment budget, make sure you put aside some extra money so that if disaster does occur, you can cope and are more than covered for it.
If you're looking for a bit of advice before you begin, why not talk to your bank manager? He or she will be able to help you figure out how much you can realistically afford to spend on a project of this kind, as well as how much you can borrow.
You will need to take into account any interest rates you can get, how long you plan to live in your house and what you consider a reasonable monthly repayment to be.
Some parts of the house deliver a greater return on investment than others so, if you're doing up your home with a view to selling up and moving on, you may want to focus your attention on the bathroom, kitchen, attic bedroom conversions and additions to master suites.
Of course, if you intend to stay in the property, remodelling the kitchen and bathroom will also deliver great benefits, as people spend a lot of time in these living spaces. The kitchen is considered by many to be the hub of the home, so ensuring that it is aesthetically appealing as well as fit for practical use is sure to be a good idea.
Once your budget is decided upon, you will need to look at which tradesmen and contractors to hire. There are several ways to go about finding appropriate workers and one of the best ways to ensure you find a reliable service is to speak to colleagues and friends to get recommendations.
You can also use the internet to locate certain resources, as well as looking through magazines for any reputable companies. When hiring someone, make sure you ask if they are insured and licensed, as well as how long they have been in business.
One of the best ways to make sure you stick to your budget and save as much money as possible while making over your house is to do a lot of the work yourself.
Numerous jobs do not require much practical skill, such as spackling, painting and installing door handles, so you should certainly consider doing such tasks yourself, as this will help you keep costs down.
However, there are some jobs that you should perhaps leave to the professionals, such as rewiring and fine woodworking. Skimping on areas such as these could well prolong your renovation project and end up costing you more cash over the long term.
You may find that you can save most money at the beginning of a refurbishment project by doing as much of the demolition work as possible without the help of a professional. You can undertake sanding tasks, remove rubbish from the site and install insulation - and save on delivery costs by picking up any ordered goods yourself.
Install your own door handles to save money when renovating your home. Door Handles UK offers a range of fittings like Lydia door handles and ouvre door handles, all at competitive prices.
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