Ways to Save During a Remodel

Ways to Save During a Remodel
thisoldhouse.com- Remodels can be stressful. Sure it looks easy on television, and every now and then the homeowners freak out about going over budget. When that happens, it’s hard to tell if it’s a real struggle or something for the show. Well we understand that a “real” remodel can have it’s not so happy surprises. You can follow advice This Old House has come up with in the past- build in a 20 percent cushion to cover the nasty surprises, get contractor references and check them, banish the words "while you're at it" from your vocabulary, and so on. There’s a way to achieve your dream home without going over budget or going the cheap route. Here are a few ways, big and small, you can save some money here and there.

Ways to Save

Blowing out the walls in your kitchen may not need to happen. You can get the most out of your kitchen if you reorganize and equip your kitchen for maximum utility. Start by replacing space–hogging shelves with cabinet–height pullout drawers 8 inches wide, containing racks for canned goods and other items. "You're getting three or more horizontal planes where you might otherwise get only one," says Louis Smith Jr., an architect with Meier Group, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Bring in natural light without having to cut a big hole in the side of your house. You can install a "light tube," which slips between roof rafters and funnels sunshine down into the living space.
Hit the recycling center- hit it!!! You can save big by using recycled or lightly used fixtures and building materials. Habitat for Humanity operates about 400 ReStores nationwide, which offer salvaged materials at half off home–center prices. Keep in mind, if you do use a contractor, they might not work with salvaged items, or homeowner–supplied materials in general, because they don't want to assume the liability if something goes wrong. But hey, you’re doing the work yourself so no big deal.
Doing your own demoing came save your TONS! But consider this, the job may be too big to handle by yourself. "If a homeowner wants to demo a deck, well, I am sure they can handle that," says Michael Winn, owner of Winn Design, in Virginia. "But when it comes to interior spaces, I would dissuade them from doing it unless they have done it before." The reason: A reckless wrecker might unwittingly take out a load–bearing wall or, worse still, plunge a reciprocating saw into live wiring or pressurized plumbing.
Consult an architect for a one-time design consultation. For example, for a $400 flat fee, Baton Rouge architect Kevin Harris will meet with a homeowner, examine the problem, and sketch out a few solutions that could be as simple as opening up a partition wall or moving a door. The homeowner can then give the sketch to a builder or take it to a drafting service, which will charge about $1 to $1.50 a square foot to crank out formal construction drawings.

United Rentals in Abilene

Once you have a plan, you’re going to need the right equipment. United Rentals has everything you need for your remodel, big or small. Come by and see us or visit us at www.unitedrentals.com.

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