Learn how to save on home remodeling with proper planning and these problems won’t stand a chance. Without a plan, chances of getting stranded or lost in the wilderness of home remodeling will soar.

One problem that many homeowners looking to remodel their homes often face is high budget costs. It’s not uncommon for renovation budgets to spiral out of control, especially without proper planning.

In 2016, homeowners aged 55 years and over spent an average of $73,100 on renovations, according to this report.  Now, that’s a tidy sum of money!

Fortunately, there are ways that can ensure you keep more cash in your pocket. Dave from State Property Management, a property management company in Orlando, shared some of them with us:

1.  USE LESS EXPENSIVE MATERIAL THAT LOOKS RICH

You can give your home a luxury look without spending huge sums of money. For example, instead of solid wood cupboards in the kitchen and bath, select painted lower cost particleboard cupboards.

For your flooring, instead of solid hardwood flooring, select engineered wood. Or, rather than buy an expensive carpet, select a carpet in the middle-price range, then add an underpad for more cushioning.

2.  REPAINT AND REPURPOSE

Who says that remodeling or renovating requires everything to be new?

To keep your remodeling budget under control, you want to save every penny you can. While it is tempting to replace old items with brand new ones, repurposing them can save you plenty of cash.

Repainting and repurposing is a good option especially for things that are outdated but still in good quality and condition.

This works best for things like bathroom vanities and kitchen cabinetry.

3.  AVOID COSTLY DESIGN CHANGES

Major design changes can quickly spiral the cost of your home remodeling project. So, avoid them as much as you can. Moving the gas lines, electrical, and/or the plumbing can quickly lead to additional costs due to the additional supplies and labor.

For instance, if your kitchen has a functional layout that is in sync with the workflow of the stove, fridge, and sink, don’t change it. By doing this, you’ll avoid the added cost of rerouting plumbing lines.

4.  BUY USED BUILDING AND RENOVATION MATERIALS

Many people have heard about used furniture and appliances, but few know that used building and renovation materials also exist.

You can find gently used flooring, windows, lumber, and other materials online. Habitat.org should get you started in this regard. You might find good prices on interior doors, windows, vanities, toilets, sinks, and kitchen and bath cabinetry.

Usually, contractors will donate the leftover supplies on subdivisions or custom jobs. As such, the materials will often be of high quality.

Aside from Habitat.org, you could also look online at sites like Greendemolitions.com. Here, you stand a chance of buying items at half the price of retail. Generally, you’ll find items like kitchen and bath cabinetry.

But, bear in mind that determining the quality of items you buy online can be a bit harder.

5.  REPURPOSE YOUR OLD FURNITURE INTO NEW BUILT-INS

Here, creativity is vital. In addition, the more creative you are, the more savings you’ll get. You can repurpose your old kitchen into new built-ins to be used in various rooms around your home.

For instance, you can create a built-in family breakfast area by using the solid pine base of a round kitchen to anchor an extension on your kitchen counter. You could also refinish and repurpose an old desk into a front hall table for your entryway.

6.  SHOP FOR THE RETURNED PAINT

A lick of paint, if it’s the right paint, can do wonders. It’s an inexpensive way to revitalize your home’s look. But your costs may add up quickly, especially with paint prices ranging between $17 and $105 per gallon.

To save some money, consider purchasing “mistint” – the returned paint. This is the paint that a buyer bought but had second thoughts on. Or, one where there was an error in mixing.

However, bear in mind that returned paint or mistints come in limited quantities. As such, it may not be suitable for large spaces.

7.  HIRE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

First up, outsource any big jobs. From a financial and legal perspective, hiring a professional makes the most sense. This is especially true if the work involves structural, electrical and plumbing work.

In addition, you’ll avoid any unexpected and unnecessary outgoings caused by DIY catastrophes.

Before you lock anyone in, it pays to do your research. Check up their certifications and professional experience. Do they measure up? Next, get several quotes per work to assist you to weigh up timeline and cost options.  

 If you are on a tight budget, these cost-cutting tips will help you stay one step ahead and still ensure a good ROI on your investment. Not all home remodels have to be expensive just like not all have to be dramatic.

Before we examine the top 7 home renovations with the best ROIs, it’s important to realize that there is no “one size fits all” answer to this question. What plays in Peoria — or earns a great resale value in Virginia City — may not work that well in another region of the country.

In fact, many factors can affect your resale value and how much of the cost of your project you can expect to recoup when you sell your house: climate and weather, your specific neighborhood, the housing market in general, local events and economic factors, and more.

Additionally, resale value should never be your only consideration when deciding whether to go forward with any kind of home improvement project. If you’re planning to continue living in your home, your future enjoyment of the improvement and your house in general should also be considered.

That being said, it’s definitely a good idea to include your potential return on such a substantial investment in the mix when you’re making home improvement decisions. So let’s take a look at the 7 projects that earn back the most in resale value for savvy homeowners.

These are the Top 7 home renovations That will pay off in resale

1. Fix Up the Attic

Surprised? The champion home renovation project where ROI is concerned is fixing up your attic. Whether it’s simply adding fiberglass insulation to your home’s attic (108% of the cost recouped on resale) or converting the entire space to an additional bedroom (93.5%), attic improvements bear great dividends.

And remember, this is just about resale value and cost recoupment. It doesn’t include additional energy savings (in the case of installing insulation) or the significant increase in usable square feet in your home.

2. Mini-Makeover on a Bathroom

At 102% of its cost recouped on resale, a minor bathroom improvement project can more than earn back the project costs.

Here, we’re talking about smaller projects — replacing a fixture, for example, or swapping out old, tired flooring for a new set of tiles.

You don’t have to replace the tub to spruce it up, though. Re-caulking and re-glazing for a new finish can also freshen up your bathroom’s look, as can a fresh coat of paint or wallpaper.

3. Improve Your Landscaping

Don’t neglect your yard! An overhaul of your home’s landscaping can earn back the full cost of the project at 100%.

With costs ranging anywhere from a few hundred for plants from your local garden center to $3000 or more for a full-blown professional landscape design, there’s a wide range of improving you can do to your great outdoors.

If you’re not the outdoors-y type, and don’t have the budget for a professional designer, start with your favorite big-box garden center or local nursery. They’ll often sponsor free workshops and design services.

4. Improve Your Home’s Exterior

While we’re thinking outside the box, take a look at your home’s facade, as well. Repairing or replacing old, worn-out vinyl siding or chipping paint, updating your porch and outdoor entry space, and freshening up the shingles can all greatly increase your home’s curb appeal

And at an average return on resale of 95.5%, it’s a sound investment in your home.

Just plan carefully before you begin, and explore new materials for even better results. For example, wrought-iron railings make for a more attractive entryway than boring old wood supports.

5. Tweak Your Kitchen

Great news: if you want to give your kitchen a new look, but aren’t interested in a complete overhaul, even a minor tweak to the busiest room in your house can earn you up to 98% on resale.

New countertops, re-facing for your old cabinets, and swapping out old, clunky appliances for more energy-efficient models will all help you recoup the cost of improvement, and perhaps even save you additional money in electricity costs going forward.

You can also give your kitchen a budget-friendly makeover with new flooring and improved lighting fixtures.

6. Overhaul a Bathroom

If your bathroom needs more than a simple spruce-up job, a major renovation can earn you 93% on resale.

Relocate or replace your major fixtures, or swap out an open or curbless shower for an old-fashioned tub. Upgrade to a ceramic tile floor and replace the exhaust fan.  Swap out old counters for a cleaner one to give your old vanity a whole new, more contemporary look.

7. Swap Out Front Door for Steel

For a low-cost improvement with a high-sale recoupment percentage of almost 91%, consider swapping out your old, existing door for a steel model, perhaps with decorative window panels at the top for added visual appeal.

Doors like this will cost around $1000-1500, and earn back about $900-1200 on average, so they almost pay for themselves.

Bonus: This is a simple job that won’t take a lot of time to accomplish, and if you select the right color, it can add an eye-catching visual element to your home’s exterior as well.

Ready … Set … Renovate!

If you’d like to spruce up your home, but aren’t sure which project to start with, why not consult with a qualified, experienced home contractor in your area today?

You might think this is just a simple cost-driven budgetary choice. And it’s true that there are some good, budget-friendly alternatives at a number of price points, most of which involve a stock or “pre-fab” cabinet purchase at some big-box home store.

But for our money, the kitchen cabinets that result in the happiest homeowners are custom cabinets. We’ll tell you why, but first, let’s make sure we define some key terms:

• Stock (pre-fab, etc.) cabinet are just that – pre-made in assorted standardized configurations and sizes usually in 2” – 3” increments. If you find an acceptable color and material combination in your local home store, you can take them home and install them usually within a few days of purchase, if not the same day. Many homeowners choose them for remodeling because — usually — they’re the least expensive option.
  
• Custom cabinets at the other end of the spectrum are hand-made to your specifications in almost every respect, including color, hardware, materials, sizes, and shapes. If you have an oddly-shaped space in your kitchen, a stock cabinet might not work in it. Time to installation from the date of your order will vary, as will your cost.
  
• Semi-custom cabinets are something of a hybrid. You order them, and then they’re built, but you’ll choose from a predetermined list of sizes and styles. Price, lead time, and customization vary just as they do with custom cabinetry.

For you as the homeowner, the major practical differences between these three options come down to two key factors: cost and degree of customization/control.

In other words, you get what you want more precisely, but you may have to pay extra for that delight.

Why choose custom kitchen cabinets

First, though, let’s put one myth to rest: You won’t get a “handmade look” with custom cabinets. Just because they’re crafted by hand, that doesn’t mean the people making them aren’t highly skilled professionals, using sophisticated equipment and techniques.

Custom cabinets won’t require you to sacrifice consistency of finish or feel, either. Your cabinets should look “of a set” with each other, no matter what type you select.

Another advantage of custom cabinetry over stock or semi-custom options is the maximization of your available space. Professional cabinet makers can craft your cabinets to fit the available space precisely, so your kitchen benefits from greater efficiency and a cleaner aesthetic.

For example, if you need a deeper shelf on one wall, or a slightly wider fit for a specific corner, you might not find what you need in a limited supply of pre-fab cabinets. If you do, you might have to settle for your second or third choice in color and materials.

By far, however, the biggest advantage a custom cabinetry job will yield for your home kitchen project is the degree of control and customization. With stock cabinets, you’re limited to what’s literally “in stock.”

But with custom cabinets you’re in the driver’s seat all the way. You get the exact color and “look” you want, in the material and hardware combination you want, with the specific sizes you need. Your options are much more extensive.

True, you’ll probably pay a little more for that much choice, at least when compared to stock and semi-custom options — but maybe not nearly as much as you’d think. 

Depending on the size, number, and materials used, you could be looking at a relatively small increase in price for that custom cabinetry. The increase could be a few percentage points, perhaps ten percent or less.

In some cases, though, you might even wind up paying around the same amount as you would for a stock cabinet purchase, depending on the details.

So while you may luck out and find just what you’re looking for in a stock, pre-fab cabinet purchase, if you really want to get the best possible fit, with the look you want and sizing that’s tailored to your home specifically, it’s hard to beat well-made, high-quality custom cabinetry.

Feng Shui Basics for Your Home

In an earlier post, we discussed the basics of feng shui for your entrance area and front door. Let’s briefly summarize that information here before we turn to specific tips for your kitchen:

• Feng shui is a Chinese system or philosophy of design centered around creating balance and harmony between five basic elements: water, fire, wood, metal and earth.
• Practitioners place furnishings, art, and other items in a specific room or area of a home using a compass or bagua, based on those five elements.
• The feng shui elements can be seen in both constructive and destructive modes. Water puts out fire (destructive) but helps wood grow (constructive).
• The overarching principle or goal in feng shui is balance and the clear flow of energy throughout your home. So a lot of feng shui work is about removing obstacles to the natural flow of your home’s “chi,” or life energy.

As Inês Martins, a highly-respected Miami-based designer, puts it: “We always start from the client’s own essence … to know them thoroughly, to ensure that every detail, every element, every space, finds a perfect harmony with what they really are or [where] they really want to find themselves.”

That’s also the essence of feng shui.

Why the Kitchen Is Important in Feng Shui

Every room in your home governs a certain area of your life, according to feng shui. For the kitchen, that area is prosperity and wealth.

The kitchen is associated primarily with the energy, sustenance, and abundance we take from food. In feng shui, that literal energy (food into calories consumed to fuel our bodies) also symbolizes the more esoteric energy of financial wealth and abundance.

So the key to good feng shui in your kitchen is protecting the unobstructed flow of that energy of abundance.

In fact, the kitchen is so important in feng shui that it’s considered part of the “feng shui trinity” — the bathroom, the bedroom, and the kitchen. Together, these three rooms form a crucial framework for the health and harmony of the home.

Feng Shui Tips for Your Kitchen

You can ensure a free flow of prosperity through your home by ensuring a more open floor plan for your kitchen and immediately adjacent areas, such as breakfast nooks and dining rooms. Generally speaking, if a person can move easily from one area into another, so can the energy.

Also, if at all possible, avoid having your kitchen open directly into a main point of egress (i.e., front or back door), if you want to keep that energy from flowing out of your home altogether.

Install the best lighting possible. Dark, shadowy corners and harsh, glaring fluorescent lighting are equally damaging to good feng shui and balanced energy flow. Aim for building layers and levels of lighting, depending on the appliances and functions of specific parts of your kitchen.

Although the kitchen is often a place that collects “stuff” — gadgets, electronics, utensils, and lots of cookware — it’s always better from a feng shui perspective to drastically reduce clutter.

There’s no need to go minimalist in your kitchen style, though. Instead, adopt a rigorous approach to organization and storage in this all-important room.

Use smaller containers to organize small items in drawers and cupboards. Invest in beautiful, well-made containers for items that will be visible (i.e., on counter tops, etc.). And avoid the trap of the “clutter drawer”!

Colors should be carefully chosen. Yellow is considered an auspicious choice for kitchens in feng shui, whether that’s the pale, soft shades of butter or a stronger, more vivacious butternut squash.

To more fully invoke the feng shui “abundance and prosperity” energy in your kitchen, add lovely fresh cut flowers in sparkling glass or crystal vases; a vibrant, healthy potted plant on a table or passthrough surface; or a bowl piled high with succulent, fresh fruit on your dining table.

And finally, no matter how large or small it may be, one of the most effective ways to enhance the feng shui of your kitchen is to keep it clean and tidy. Neglected spaces tend to accumulate dead, stagnant energy, whereas well-tended spaces keep that energy flowing smoothly.

trying to decide between kitchen styles for your remodel? Here are the 5 most popular

1. Cottage

Cottage style is all about cozying up to natural elements and tones. White is a classic choice, but really any hues can work if you keep the overall aesthetic on the muted, neutral side — for example, pale greys and taupes.

Another key feature is eclecticism, which you can achieve simply by pairing up unexpected styles — say, a table from one style paired with chairs from another — or mismatched chairs, for that matter, perhaps tied together with fabric or paint.

If cabinetry is overwhelming, it can throw off a cottage kitchen design. Instead, consider glass-fronted or open shelving to lighten up the look. Wooden floors and pendant lighting will help complete the cozy cottage look.

2. Modern

The key to modern design: simplified, dramatic color schemes and a sleek aesthetic. Black, white, and stainless are popular, but modern doesn’t mean “clinical and cold.” Warm up the basics with accent colors that pop. Think citrus — lime green, bright orange — and incorporate it with rugs, kitchen towels, artwork, bowls, or appliances.

Flooring should be kept understated and clean. Concrete is a solid choice, but geometric tiles can also work. If you’re not a fan of the black, white, and steel motif, try blond wood for your cabinetry and accessorize with a cool accent color.

As for materials, you can go natural and earthy (wood and steel) or molded plastic (think sleek eggshell-toned high-backed bar stools or chairs).

3. Contemporary

Contemporary is about what’s current today. So, while tones of taupe, brown, cream, and white work just fine in both modern and contemporary aesthetics, you want a fresher approach with contemporary style. Consider changing one wall or panel to a bright accent color.

As for materials, use wood strategically. Either keep the wood light-toned and minimally grained, such as birch or maple, or go with darker woods (walnut, cherry) but pair with predominantly white or cream tones.

Glass is another popular choice. You can create an easy bit of texture and visual interest by selecting a frosted glass for table tops or cabinet fronts. Brushed nickel, chrome, and stainless steel are dependable contemporary touches.

4. Country

“Country style” can encompass a huge variety of looks, colors, and materials, but the overriding aesthetic is warm, comfortable, and rustic. Color schemes can range from cheerful and busy to sedate and earth-toned. A wide range of patterns from florals to checks and plaids can also work nicely here.

For materials, think exposed brick and wood, whether stained, painted, or au naturel. Depending on the size of the room and whether it’s an open floor plan, you may find that too much medium to dark toned wood overpowers the room. Lighten things up elsewhere, perhaps with white or neutral walls. Antiqued brass and pewter fixtures can also work nicely.  

5. Classic

Classic style never goes out of style – that’s why we call it “classic”! Elements for this timeless style include marble-topped counters and island surfaces together with classic raised-panel cabinetry in darker woods (think walnut, cherry). Pair cabinetry with brushed nickel or brass hardware to lighten things up a bit.

While color schemes tend towards neutral, there’s nothing that says you can’t embrace bolder colors for wall paint, such as a deep red or hunter green, although those colors may be overpowering in a smaller kitchen. You can also go all-white, and even extend it as far as the cabinetry itself, but pair it with darker-toned appliances — steel or black, for example — to add some depth. 

Feel inspired yet? See our Kitchens board on Pinterest for more amazing examples of kitchen styles for your remodel, and if you already have a project in mind, contact us today to build the kitchen of your dreams.

Color inspiration can come from anywhere but not all colors work well in certain areas or for everyone. The hardest part is finding the right colors for your kitchen. We’ve put together a few kitchen color inspiration and tips to consider when choosing a “no regrets” color scheme for your kitchen.

• Select a list of colors you love and you respond emotionally to, it will help you on your day-to-day living there. 
• Be bold.  You can quickly change the appearance of a classical kitchen by adding a zesty color.
• Choose a neutral color for the most expensive items, such as Counter Tops or Granite, and then change the wall paint to your taste.

There are no rules for what are the appropriate colors, but keep in mind that specific colors can impact your mood, so make sure you research the basics of color psychology before choosing your palette and start remodeling! Here are a few colors for your inspiration.

BLUE KITCHEN DESIGN

PINK KITCHEN COLOR

CORAL KITCHEN INSPIRATION

GREEN KITCHEN

ORANGE AND BLACK

CHALLENGING PURPLE