How to Get the Most Bang for your Buck when Making Home Renovations

Home renovations is a phrase that instills fear into the hearts of many homeowners in Canada. It’s a phrase that conjures up images of their entire home being ripped apart by a team of home renovation contractors.

They would work round the clock to then reveal a home that’s the stuff dreams are made of. It would have spa-style bathrooms and kitchens adorned with luxurious granite counter tops.

At the end of the process, they would expect to receive an enormous bill that would land them in therapy for a number of years to come. Renovations, however, don’t have to be so dramatic.

There are plenty of upgrades you can make to your home that will be well within your budget. You won’t even need to camp out at your in-laws while the work’s going on.

Heres how to get the most bang for your buck when making home renovations on a budget. Read on.

1. Home Renovations 101: Landscaping

First impressions mean everything. A well-landscaped garden tells people that the owners of the home care about their property.

It doesn’t matter how beautiful your house is. If the gardens don’t mirror it, then it’s all a zero-sum game.

Landscaping costs could easily spiral into the five-digit ballpark. You, therefore, have to pick and choose the most appropriate renovations that add the most significant value without breaking your budget. There are three major elements that are likely to drive up the cost of your landscaping endeavor:

The size of your property The choice of plants for the greenery They type of paving stones you’ll use for the walkways

You can put these off for the time being and focus instead on repairing any cracks that may be on the pavement. Pull out the weeds growing out of your brick walkway and trim overgrown hedges. If you want to save even more money, it helps to do most of the work yourself.

2. Wood Paneling

You’ve got to love those old Canadian homes that have a lot of dark wooden paneling. There’s just something that’s so reassuring about them.

A fresh coat of paint works wonders to give these types of homes the dramatic facelift they desperately need. If you’re not sure what kind of paint to get, consult a professional to point you in the right direction.

Using paint that is not meant for wood can be a costly mistake if it ends up damaging it in the long run. Get your family members and friends to help you with the paintwork.

You could entice them with a couple of six-packs and pizzas to motivate them to help you. If that doesn’t work, ring in the professionals to knock it out for you in a few days. It should set you back no more than a couple of hundred dollars to paint wood paneling.

3. Kitchen Upgrades

The kitchen is the holy grail of home renovations. It makes sense since it’s the heart of the home. It’s where all the magic happens.

It’s also the one area of the home (aside from the bathroom of course) that gets the most foot traffic. As a result, it’s prone to wear and tear.

On the other hand, a kitchen renovation is somewhat of a double-edged sword. It’ll drastically increase the property value of your house if you ever wanted to sell but it could easily cost you tens of thousands of dollars to do so.

Installing a granite countertop, for instance, will definitely add appeal but the real question is can you afford it? If you can, then go right ahead.

But if you’re on a budget there are simpler and cheaper improvements that will add just as much value. Here are a few things you can do that will instantly improve your kitchen without breaking the bank to do it:

• Paint over the kitchen cabinets keeping the shades light and modern
• Install ball-bearing drawer-runner slides
• Replace squeaky hinges with some new ones
• Update the electric appliances
• Do a side-by-side comparison of the costs associated with the materials and labor. Go for the option that gives you the most value for your money.

4. Cheap Bathroom Renovations

A quick low-cost bathroom renovation could be as simple as increasing more light to brighten up the room. You can achieve this by adding some new modern light fixtures and replacing the ceramic tiles with some lighter colored variations.

Replacing your bathroom tiles might sound pricey, but you’ll be surprised at how much value that single upgrade adds to your home. If that is currently out of your price range, cheaper bathroom renovations you can consider include replacing old bass faucets with newer, shiner stainless steel mixers. Additionally, installing new knobs on old bathroom cabinets gives them a new lease on life.

5. Exterior Painting

There are two reasons why it might be necessary to paint the exterior of your home. First, if the paint has cracks, chips or has started flaking due to weather damage, it’s definitely time to consider a fresh coat of paint.

The second reason has to do with FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). If you walk around Eastern Toronto right now and look at the newly renovated homes, you’ll notice that they all have one thing in common.

Most of them are charcoal grey with black trims. It’s what’s trendy right now and most of the renovators of Canada can attest to this fact. You wouldn’t want your home to stand out for all the wrong reasons, would you?

Jump on that bandwagon and revamp your house with the latest color palettes that will instantly transform your house into a modern work of art. There are lots of options for cheap paint Toronto has to offer that will keep the costs of the paint job low.

The Bottom Line

Smart home renovations can do wonders to raise the market value of your home, brighten up the interiors and leave passers-by in awe of the exterior. You don’t need to break your budget to do it. Use the tips in this house renovation guide to getting you the home of your dreams at a fraction of the cost.

Are you looking for general contractors within the Greater Toronto Area to give your property the facelift it needs? Reach out to us now and we’ll give you a quick quote.