Budget and Building Considerations

If you have gotten all the costs associated with your planned project and find that they exceed your budget, what should you do?

• Forget the project, or...
• Consider where you can make some cutbacks that will not compromise the integrity of the project.

Things not to cut back on:

• Don't cut quality on the more permanent and structural components such as: doors, windows, roofing, foundations and insulation.
• Don't eliminate the modernization of your kitchen or bathrooms, as they are usually very important for current use as well as any future resale plans.

Areas to consider cutbacks:

• Consider reducing the cost/quality of the floor coverings.
• Do consider doing some of the work yourself to stay within your budget.
• Removing your own old flooring, cabinets, wall coverings, etc. saves labor charges.
• Do your own painting, wallpapering and install floor coverings to save money too.
• Do the project in phases as money permits, breaking a big job into several mini projects. Finish each phase or mini project before starting another to avoid leaving the room in constant disarray and discouraging you from continuing.

Other Ideas:

Need to update your kitchen making it more efficient, but not enough money to add a wall of new custom cabinetry? Try these suggestions:

• Install an island with storage cabinets beneath in the center of the kitchen.
• Update your lighting with recessed, direct lighting.
• Change the hardware on your cabinets.
• Paint your existing kitchen cabinets to freshen and brighten your kitchen.
• Breaking the massive job of updating a kitchen or bathroom into affordable mini projects makes your overall goal attainable.

Don't do any of the work yourself that you do not feel competent in doing. A shoddy done job usually appears worse than not attempting a renovation at all.

Still not sure? Give Lowell Tukua a call. He'll be glad to give you his expert advice.