We all love sitting down on a cold winter night with a cup of hot cocoa, picking up the remote control, and turning on one of the endless home improvement and remodeling shows. For many of us, it’s a guilty pleasure where you can just watch a home transform into something amazing and not really pay attention to the overall cost of the project. While that’s great when we’re watching television, when we start remodeling projects on our own homes, however paying attention to the cost is usually one of the most important aspects of planning.

Budget!

Sticking to a strict budget is a great way to make sure you can get the most out of every penny when turning your house into the home of your dreams! Kenny Grono at houzz has some tips to get the remodeling jobs of your dreams for less.

Finalize Plans, Know What You’re Doing

The more time you spend working on a finalized plan with an architect and/or contractor, the more time you’ll have to find ways to save money on components of the project and prevent having to change orders later on. Make sure you have a contractor that will help you find ways to achieve your perfect design intent for as little as possible. Be honest with them about your budget, don’t try to project wealth, be honest about what you are willing and able to spend.

Know Who You’re Working With

You want to work with somebody that knows you’re serious about working with them and not just shopping around for quotes—they’ll be more likely to put in the time necessary to be creative with the budget. Also, if you can schedule work for the winter there is a chance that you might be able to get a discount, as most contractors aren’t nearly as busy when the snow starts flying. Just ask your contractor when work is slow and see if there is a way to get a discount if you postpone work until then. If you are transparent and let it be known that you are a client who can make payments without needing to be reminded or convinced there is a better chance of discounts and great deals.

Save Money As Much As Possible

If you can get something online (eBay, Amazon, Craigslist, etc.) for less, do it! It’s not always wise to buy your own materials, but it’s worth your time to look online to see if you can find an amazing deal on something you want for your remodel. You should have everything planned out in the early stages of your project, so finding great deals can be something that you do in the initial stages that way you can have it onsite before you plan around it. When you’re planning what appliances and components of the project you will be bringing in focus on what you need and not what is the fanciest and flashiest version of that sink or counter on the market. Scaling back and cutting out some fluff can save you money not only on the component but also on labor and time.

Keeping these things in mind, staging or downscaling your project, and doing some of the work yourself can save you a lot of cash on creating the perfect home project. Now it’s time to get back to binge-watching HGTV for some inspiration. Cheers!