If you’re in the process of a home remodel, then you’re probably trying to think of some ways that you can save money.
Don’t do what I did and rush through the process just to get things done (faster).
I thought hiring a contractor to do everything for my home remodel would streamline the process, while being cost-effective and fast. But it didn’t. To be honest, I just didn’t want to be bothered with the details.
I learned the hard (and expensive) way. Hopefully, you can benefit from my mistakes.
Here are the 2 big mistakes I made when trying to save money on my bathroom remodel:
#1 – I didn’t tackle the small home remodeling projects myself.
Bathroom and guest room remodel projects are great for DIYers since they’re typically smaller rooms to begin with.
Why pay someone your hard-earned money to do the easier projects?
Unless you plan to put an addition onto your home, then you can save a lot of money by renovating the rooms yourself instead of paying a professional.
You may not be as fast or as knowledgeable as the contractors you’d hire, but you can still get the job done and learn new and valuable home improvement skills while you’re at it.
Looking back, I should have researched “how-to” renovations and done them myself.
It’s not like I have money to blow, but that’s exactly what I did by rushing and not considering the more cost-effective alternative of doing it myself for the simplest tasks.
#2 – I didn’t start with the best quality materials.
It’s natural to assume that when a professional contractor starts talking about using higher quality materials for your home remodeling project that they’re trying to fleece you. But that’s not always the case. Experts say that half the costs of a remodel are for materials alone!
Trust me, it pays to start with quality materials, rather than having to go through all of this again just to upgrade the lower-grade things you initially chose to save money. Even though the contractors did excellent work on my remodel, the materials I selected for them to use were not of the best quality — and now I regret not paying a little more to get what I really wanted.
I couldn’t stand the finished product. In fact, a few of the new items made my bathroom look cheap. Eventually, I broke down and did I re-did things myself. And since I didn’t have to worry about paying any professionals, I had more money to invest in better quality materials the second time around.
I took my time with this remodel project — to ensure that I was doing it right. But I definitely love the end result!
Bottom line: you don’t always need to hire professionals to get the job done. There are plenty of home remodeling resources available that can guide you — even if you have no prior knowledge.
Take it from me, it’s definitely worth it in the end — in terms of saving money and feeling satisfied with a project that you did yourself.
Other Home Remodeling Mistakes To Avoid
- 5 Secrets Your Contractor Doesn’t Want You To Know
- Home Remodeling Always Takes Longer & Costs More Than Expected
- 11 Biggest Home Remodeling Mistakes
- Real-World Budgeting Tips For A Bathroom Remodel
- 10 Mistakes To Avoid When Hiring Contractors for Home Remodeling
My husband and I have been through the home building process… from scratch… more than once! (And we still have a few pieces of property that we might build on in the future.) So we definitely have some helpful tips to share when it comes to designing your dream home and building a house from the ground up. We've also learned that the 'fun' doesn't end once the house is built. Our clever home maintenance hacks will save you time and money each year that you live in the home. And… since everyone's house eventually needs a little remodeling (as has ours), we've got some ridiculously helpful home renovation tips as well! Whenever I’m not DIYing something around the house or adding to my Dream Home Wish List, you can find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
