One aspect of home building, renovating or remodelling that should be paid the most attention to is cost-efficiency. Just a little bit of smart planning done beforehand can help put together your home very easily. The small decisions you make are an essential part of this plan since you understand the trade-off between long-term benefits versus short-term gains in an important part of life – your property.
Be efficient about renovations
Often people end up wishing for more room for storage, wider corridors and bigger living space after feeling too cramped up in their place. This feeling is mostly due to the fact that they lack space for their belongings and often find themselves in the middle of a mess they can’t put away. At times like these, it is best to not make a hasty decision. Integrate efficient storage solutions in your home. For instance, foldable tables, sofa-cum-beds, pullout drawers, etc. These help you stay organised, elevate the appeal of your home and are cost-effective.
Replace or reuse your belongings whenever possible
Just because you have recently moved into a new home or have decided to renovate your home doesn’t mean you NEED to change everything inside your home. Try to replace or reuse your belongings in the best way possible – if you’ve got old furniture that’s sturdy, you could slap on some polish, and it’ll be brand new again; instead of changing your entire seating arrangement, you could just use replacement cushions for cane furniture to add a change to the scene;
Try your hand at being handy!
You don’t always have to hire someone to work for you. You can—if you’ve got the physical capabilities, time and resources—try to do certain tasks such as demolition of a wall, changing fixtures, painting around the walls and ceilings. Leave the technical stuff to the professionals if you aren’t confident about it, but you’ll still manage to get half the work done! Working on renovating your own home can be therapeutic for you too.
It’s okay to ask for expert help
If you’re considering not hiring a professional because your budget is a little tight, it might lead to a big mistake. Consulting a professional architect, in case you are remodelling your home entirely, or a professional home designer, in case you are redoing the decor, can be of great help. They’ll guide you through the process seamlessly and help you avoid any bad choices that you might end up making. Additionally, they might even get you contacts leading to small discounts to certain contractors and resources. It’s a small price to pay for larger issues that you might have to face if you avoid taking their advice.
Be practical, not cute
We understand. That limited edition couch, the matching curtains, the shiny doorknobs can be very tempting. However, if you’re working on a tight budget, it is best to make wiser decisions. Make a priority list that helps you prioritise what you need to get done first. One of the most important things to do is insulating your home well. Consulting the designer or the architect might be a better option. Insulating your home well will save you that extra energy expense on heaters in the winters. Make sure to insulate your heater and plumbing while you’re at it to avoid extra electricity costs.
Material matters
Shiny new hardwood, premium ply and the best fabrics around your home sound amazing, but so does thrifting! Visit a thrift store or a reconstruction yard to find great recycled materials such as cement composites, good-quality recycled steel, and pressed panelling to use around your home. This can be a good choice, especially for an outdoor project.
No matter how small, living space is always a priced commodity, and hence, you must always make full, efficient and practical use of the same. And the choices you make that often go unnoticed or regarded as not important make all the difference in the world – your home and life ahead.
