Remodeling Budget Tips [Text]
Feeling cautious about spending money on remodeling during a shaky economy? Spend it wisely.
If you are considering taking on a remodeling project, we have a few tips to make every dollar count.
- Highlight the Kitchen. Spend the bulk of your remodeling budget fixing up the focal point of the home. A third of all homeowners see the kitchen as a place for socializing, gathering the family and managing the household. Even minor improvements to the kitchen—like refacing the cabinets and replacing a scratched-up sink—can pay off in a major way, should you choose to sell your home.
- Choose Function. You won’t waste money when you spend it on space you need. If your family has outgrown your space, paying for a room addition is warranted. Many clients have found it is more cost effective to add on versus uprooting the family.
- Don’t forget the outside. Replacing exterior products like windows, roofs and siding is becoming as important as fixing up the kitchen. Newer products have impressive thermal properties that offer immediate and long-term energy savings, increase your home’s curb appeal and add resale value.
- Going green. Some homeowners are going all-out with recycled construction materials and high-efficiency appliances. Others embrace “going green” one step at a time by switching to LED lighting, choosing tankless or solar water heaters and trading their inefficient, single-pane windows for double-pane models. Products like bamboo floors, made from renewable materials, are also a trending option.
- Durability sells. Investing in a few, high-quality materials can save you from having to pay to replace them often. Cheap floors, countertops and even paint can wear out quickly, show more scrapes and dings, or even fade or fall apart sooner than a sturdy tile or stone surface that is higher quality.
- Luxurious Bathrooms. Because most bathrooms are small, you can dress them up with higher-end sinks, countertops, tile and fixtures–without breaking your budget. Even a small bathroom can feel like a spa if the shower has multiple shower heads, steam attachments, seats and body sprays. Dual sinks have become a staple in the master bath.
- Smaller homes, bigger rooms. Open floor plans in smaller homes mean fewer, bigger rooms. Removing a non-load-bearing interior wall can turn a small kitchen and dining room into a huge dine-in kitchen, or an unused formal dining room and nearby living room into a Great Room where the family can gather.
Want to remodel but not sure where to start? At JEB Design/Build we’ve seen it all. Start setting goals by calling Mari at 318-865-4914, or send an email to mari@jeb.net.