16
May

How to Save Money on Your Home Remodeling Project

At M&K Remodeling, it’s our goal to help you build your dream project without breaking the bank. You can often get more remodeling than you realize if you apply certain cost-saving tips. Here in the Greater Philadelphia area, including the Main Line, we help clients with houses old and new, big and small, create the homes of their dreams. 

Choose Experts

The first thing we recommend NOT doing to save money is to be your own general contractor – and that’s not just because we’re general contractors. It’s because we’ve had clients who have tried it in the past. If you don’t know the right people to choose for each component of the job, when to call each contractor in, and how to prevent time and cost overruns, the project will become a tremendous source of anxiety and possibly a money pit. So our first tip for saving your money (and your sanity) is to choose a good general contractor to help keep everything running on time and on budget. 

Minimize structural changes

With some designers, if you approach them with the dream of a new kitchen, they may suggest a creative, exciting design that requires moving walls and rewiring the whole room. While the resulting plan may look like something out of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, it may not be terribly practical and it will almost certainly be very expensive. 

If it’s not necessary to change the walls and windows to achieve your goals, leave them alone, and if your electric and plumbing are up-to-date, keep changes to a minimum. If your kitchen cabinets are still in good repair, consider repainting or refinishing them. Our designers will help you determine how we can work with what you have to achieve your dreams. 

Upgrade where it makes sense

In some cases, upgrading your electric and your fixtures to more energy-efficient models could save you money in the long run. We can look at what you have and make some suggestions, carefully considering if we think it will be worth the savings without increasing the cost beyond the benefit. 

Choose medium-grade products

While we don’t usually recommend the budget products because they’re usually less expensive for a reason, not everyone needs the high-end option. We’ll walk you through the various options, and we will look for any manufacturer-offered discounts that could bring down the price.

Do some of the prep work and finishing touches yourself

You can probably take up carpeting, remove wallpaper, and maybe even remove cabinets to save time for the contractors. And while we love to see the finished product ourselves, you may choose to handle the final painting and other touch-up work. 

Consider, too, doing some shopping for appliances and fixtures. While we have some great prices, if there’s a big sale going on, you may be able to find what you’re looking for in refrigerators or other items on your own. However, please run it by us to make sure that our plans will take into consideration the items you are thinking of purchasing.

Keep project changes to a minimum

Just because this tip is last doesn’t mean it’s the least important. In fact, changing the plan after it’s finalized is a major cause of cost overruns. Of course, if it’s important, make the change. But if our contractors are halfway through the job and you decide you want a different refrigerator that doesn’t fit the space, you can expect additional time and expense. So keep that in mind before making a change. 

At M&K, we love working with our clients to help them reach their goals within their budget and their timeframe. As homeowners ourselves, we certainly understand the importance of a budget, but we also want our homes to bring us joy. This is our goal for you as well. Give us a call at (610) 353-2895 to get started today.

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