How to Renovate Your Home On a Budget

To renovate your home on a budget, identify what needs to be renovated, decide if you can renovate it yourself, decide which furniture and items to reuse and which ones to sell, set a budget, purchase new tools, and start renovating. 

Want to learn more? Let’s break those steps down below!

Step 1: Identify what needs to be renovated

Before you take out your toolbox , the first step is to find out which part of your house needs to be renovated. 

Check for visible signs of wear and tear, rot, and water damage around different parts of your house. Don’t be surprised if your kitchen and bathroom show the most signs of damage because many daily activities take place in these areas. 

Once you’ve identified the problem points, prioritise renovating places with the worst conditions. Issues like broken tiles, worn down furniture, paint wearing off walls, faulty switches, and rotting wood are just some of the problems you should look out for.

Step 2: Consider if you can do the renovation by yourself 

Now that you’ve identified which parts of your home need to be renovated, you can decide whether you can DIY or if you need to enlist the help of a renovation company. 

You’ll have to look at the space you plan on renovating and take into consideration its size and the complexity of the problem. A small space doesn’t necessarily mean a lower level of difficulty – it all depends on the issues you’ve identified.

If you decide that the project requires professional help, you can start looking for a renovation company online. Thankfully, a quick search on Kijiji will show you tons of affordable renovation services in T.O. 

Step 3: Choose which furniture to reuse

Knowing which furniture you can salvage and which to throw away can save you a lot of time and money. The good news is furniture is usually reusable, and a little TLC can get it looking new again. 

You’ll need to assess the condition of your furniture by checking the extent of their wear and tear. Furniture with cracks and worn-out paint can easily be repaired with a little handy work like a repaint or using synthetic fillers to fill in cracks. 

Also, if you’re feeling crafty, old furniture can be repurposed into unique things. Imagine building a bookshelf or room divider made out of an old table!

Step 4: Sell things you don’t use 

Once you’ve decided which furniture to keep,  you can try selling all items still in good condition. This  is much better than just throwing them away since you can earn money to add to your budget later on. 

You can either sell your unused items online or in person. There are many reliable websites (where to sell used furniture) to sell your items online, but some of our favourites are Craigslist, Kijiji, and eBay.

Step 5: Set your budget 

Setting a spending limit for your renovation project ensures that you can complete the project within your financial capabilities.  

Start by allocating funds to different categories. People hiring a renovation company must consider the cost of labour, contractor fees, and materials, whereas people planning to do renovations themselves should consider safety and cost of materials.

Aside from that, you also have to prioritise your needs over your wants to avoid unnecessary spending. Deciding which aspects of your renovation are non-negotiables and which ones can be compromised helps you focus on what really needs to be fixed.  

Step 6: Purchase needed tools and furniture if you’re going DIY

If you’ve decided on doing the renovations yourself, you’ll need to purchase all the equipment and materials you need for your renovation. 

You’ll mostly need essential tools like a ladder, screwdrivers, a drill, paint, and a hammer, which can all be found in a hardware store. 

Materials such as wood can be found in your local hardware store and they can come in a variety of different sizes. You may consider purchasing reclaimed materials if you’re on a tighter budget, which are cheaper and add more character to your renovation. 

If you hire a renovation service, keep in mind that the company will provide you with a customised quotation.

Step 7: Start renovating

Once you’ve gathered all the needed materials and tools, it’s time for you to begin renovating. Remember to clear out the space you plan on renovating for a safe working environment.

Follow the guide and instruction manuals of the tools you bought to maximise their use. This will also help you avoid damaging whatever you’re working on. 

People who hire a renovation service will simply need to clean the area that needs to be fixed up before labourers arrive.