Saving money during renovation: is it possible? Every customer has this question, since the construction industry is not cheap. The amount of savings is directly proportional to the adequacy of the owner doing the renovation in the apartment. As renovation specialists, we understand perfectly well that you need to save money and you can only do it in those areas that will not affect the overall quality of the renovation.
You need to clearly understand that you are doing repairs not for a year or two, but for at least 10 years. We know that it is quite possible to spend less, without negative consequences for the interior and comfort of the residents, which is what we decided to share with you.
How to reduce repair costs?
Apartment renovation, if we are talking about major renovation, is not a cheap matter, so it will not be possible to reduce the final figure by half. You can significantly reduce the size of the overall estimate by choosing finishing materials:
- When purchasing products for finishing an apartment, you need to remember that a brand name is not a guarantee of quality . Products from less advertised manufacturers are often not inferior to their more famous colleagues in terms of quality, while their price on the market is significantly lower.
- They save on finishing materials , but do not go to extremes – they do not buy products with red price tags, but check the characteristics or use the advice of experts who have repeatedly checked the quality of similar products and know how this or that material behaves in operation;
An example from our practice: we choose laminate for a client, he wants German, because “my mother’s friend’s son” laid German, and the whole family is still happy.
The client’s wish is the law. We calculate “that very German” laminate and the client understands that it is too expensive for him, and the area is not small – 120 m2. We offer an alternative, laminate of Belgian origin, similar in characteristics to “that very”, but one and a half times cheaper. The client looks at us with distrust and simply drowns in the abyss of doubts.
We take it to the showroom, where, at our request, two boards are laid out on the floor in advance: German and Belgian. We emphasize that the characteristics are absolutely identical. We ask the client to make a choice, to which we receive the expected answer: How to choose, they are absolutely identical?
Conclusion: If there is no difference, not visually, not in terms of characteristics, why pay more?
- A point for those who do repairs themselves . Saving on professional equipment. It is expensive, and it may be used only once, so consider the rental option. It will be 100% cheaper and you will not need to store it anywhere.
- Seasonality . In winter, prices for materials are lower than in summer; manufacturers hold promotions for holidays. If you plan to renovate your apartment in summer, you should take care of the timely purchase of everything you need in winter. Due to low demand, consumers buy branded plumbing, finishing materials, doors and furniture at a reduced price.
Where saving is prohibited
When planning a remodeling of your home, you don’t need to skimp on the following points:
- Time . fast and high-quality – only with wizards and popular TV shows. In practice, haste is the killer of quality. Remember, as in TV, they do not go to the country for a week, come back – the repair is ready. It should also be understood that if you have found a “wizard” who is ready to do the job quickly, remember the simple truth: all wizards, when tested, turn out to be storytellers;
- Design project . The designer will competently select the color scheme, create a harmonious environment. Independent selection of shades, repetition of the interior seen in the picture without taking into account the architectural features of the room often ends in failure;
- Saving on communications . Do not save on the installation of bathrooms and competent electrical wiring. Trying to minimize losses, people buy unreliable equipment, install plumbing with a short service life. Excessive pettiness affects the comfort of homeowners, leads to the regular need to repair faults. It is better to do it right and qualitatively at once than to reap the fruits of unjustified stinginess later.
- Repair team . Professional services cannot be cheap. Low price lists hide negligence, dishonesty and there are no exceptions to the rules, take my word for it. Cheap prices are set by companies that are just starting to engage in construction and repairs, without sufficient experience and understanding of responsibility for quality;
By following these simple rules you can save a lot without compromising quality and visual appeal.