Remodeling your home before you list it for sale can help you get better offers from potential buyers. The right updates can increase your home’s value substantially and earn you more money on the sale, but you might be concerned about your budget when it comes to remodeling. Here are a few tips for remodeling your home on a budget before you sell it.
Do the Work Yourself
Hiring contractors can put a major strain on your budget and make your home remodeling much more expensive to complete. By doing the work yourself, you won’t have to worry about paying contractors for their manual labor. You also won’t have to worry about paying any of the hidden costs that some less-reputable contractors are known to present after the project has gotten underway.
Fill Holes and Cracks with Spackling Paste
Any minor holes or cracks that are in your walls or ceilings can be filled with spackling paste to cover up the damage. This can save you money over having to repaint the entire surfaces or redo the drywall. To hide spackle spots, it’s important that the spackle is flush if you have untextured walls. If you end up needing to paint the wall after spackling, it’s best to prime the area first and use a matte paint instead of a glossy paint so that the spackle spots won’t show.
Use Substitutes
Some materials are valued for their excellent quality and appearances but are known to be expensive to purchase. Fortunately, there are other materials that are less expensive and resemble their costlier counterparts. For instance, you can try installing laminate flooring panels that resemble hardwood flooring in rooms throughout the home. If you’d like to install new windows, acrylic plexiglass is a cheaper alternative to other types of glass and can still provide excellent insulation while improving the home’s aesthetic appeal.
Get Building Supplies from Auctions
ThisOldHouse.com suggests buying your building supplies from auctions to save money. These auctions are known to have all types of materials for sale that can be used for different home remodeling projects. Auctions are also known to feature materials that were used for custom-made home additions, and you can purchase these supplies and repurpose them to suit some of your projects. Some materials can even be purchased for as little as one dollar if no one else at the auction cares to place a bid.
Add More Light
Adding more light can make your home look larger, and finding clever ways to increase your home’s lighting can help you avoid having to take on expansion projects. Adding more light fixtures to certain areas around the home can also save you from cutting out sections of walls to have new windows installed. Pendant lights often work well in kitchens. Wall sconces and overhead lights can make hallways look longer. Light tubes can work great for adding more light to windowless bathrooms and hallways. By investing money into different aspects of your home, you will be able to ask for a higher amount. For example, there are many homes for sale in Beaumont Texas or your particular locale that are able to remodel while staying within a reasonable budget. This allows sellers to make a better profit.
Rent or Borrow Tools
Purchasing new tools for a home remodeling project can be a major expense, and you might be able to save a lot of money by renting or borrowing tools instead. Some retailers offer tools for rent for a reasonable fee and will allow you to keep the tools with you all the way until the completion of your project. If you know any friends, family members or contractors who have high-quality tools, you can ask to borrow them for free.
Replace Knobs, Handles and Pulls
Knobs, handles and pulls can be replaced to possibly save you from having to buy new doors, cupboards and drawers. These new additions can give your home a more updated look and come in different styles to add more appeal to the living space. They may even help improve the functioning of doors, cupboards and drawers so that they’re easier to open.
Remodeling your home to get it ready for sale won’t require you to go into serious debt to complete the work. By finding ways to cut costs on your project, you’ll be able to hold onto more of your hard-earned money and get your home ready to list with a clearer mindset.
