How to Save Money

Home Renovation Ideas & Tips

Home Renovations can encompass any number of household activities ranging from an exterior renovation with a simple coat of paint right through to a complete kitchen renovation, adding an extra storey or extending the house. Some of the home improvement jobs are easier than you think and in order to save lots of money you can choose to do all of the building work yourself. Alternatively you can do the organization and smaller jobs and get the more complicated home renovation jobs done by a professional trades person who has the necessary industry and trade insurances.

Whenever you are renovating an older residential property you must be very careful and aware of the dangers associated with asbestos products and materials because asbestos exposure is known to cause mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer. If you are unsure about whether or not your home renovation could expose any asbestos then it is always best to get professional asbestos advice and an inspection from a known asbestos consultant. These specialists should be able to help you to identify any potential asbestos materials and also help with the demolition, removal and disposal of the waste.

With any improvement the majority of the home renovation costs is made up of labour, so with a little bit of knowledge you are able to do the work yourself and save money. Whether its a window renovation, bathroom, kitchen or entire apartment renovation the following ideas, tips and tricks of the trade you will not only save money on your home renovation or extension but they will also ensure that you get the work completed safely, on time and with as little stress as possible.

Asbestos Help, Information, Safety and Removal

• Asbestos is a naturally occurring substance that, because of its strength and special resistance to heat & electricity, was used in many building products and materials in the 20th century. Some of the construction uses for asbestos was in roof insulation, wall and floor tile underlay, heat/fire insulation in a fireplace and cement sheeting used on the exterior walls of houses.
• Most developed countries have banned the use of asbestos materials for a number of years now because exposure to the asbestos dust and fibres is now known to cause mesothelioma, a malignant form of lung cancer.
• Before you begin to demolish or rip up things like tiles, insulation, roofing or a fireplace stop and think about how old the house is. If it is more than 25 years old then it quite possibly could contain asbestos products. The older the house is the more likely it is that some sort of asbestos building materials were used in its construction. If this is the case then it is a very good idea to get professional advice and do an asbestos inspection and test.
• If the asbestos identification is positive then you have a few options. Ask the asbestos consultant if it is undamaged and in good condition, because if it is you may be able to leave it alone and simply cover, seal & paint over it.
• If you do want to get rid of the asbestos then you can either do it yourself or engage the services of a professional asbestos specialist to remove it for you. If you have any doubts at all about your ability to remove and dispose of the asbestos safely yourself then you should employ the help of a reputable asbestos removal company or contractor. It may cost more but you will not be putting the health and safety of yourself, your family and your neighbours at risk.
• Although asbestos dust can be toxic the chance of inhaling asbestos fibres whilst renovating, and subsequent risk to your health, is low if you take the proper safety precautions. So if you choose to do it yourself always remember the following points:
• It is vitally important that you wear the right personal protective equipment. Purchase or hire a proper half-face filter respirator that has been specifically designed for working with asbestos. Cheap dust masks DO NOT protect you from inhalation of asbestos dust and fibres, so don't try and save money on a respirator and put your own health at risk.
• Always use disposable coveralls or overalls, disposable hat and disposable gloves to prevent the contamination of any part of your cloths, shoes or boots.
• Once you have finished work spray your disposable cloths with a light water mist, remove them and seal them in asbestos waste bags for disposal along with the other asbestos waste. Keep your respirator on whilst you do this and NEVER reuse, keep or shake the clothing.
• Finally remove any asbestos dust from your body by immediately by having a thorough decontamination shower, including the washing of your hair.
• If you are choosing to do the asbestos removal yourself make sure that you NEVER do any of the following activities. Each of these activities will release huge numbers of the dangerous asbestos fibres and dust into the air and potentially harm yourself, work colleagues and neighbours.
    - NEVER use power tools such as an angle grinder, circular saw or electric sander.
    - NEVER use a high pressure water cleaner.
    - NEVER use compressed air.

• In most developed countries asbestos disposal is restricted to specific hazardous waste landfill sites. Ring your local government of council offices to find out where these asbestos waste sites are located, how much it will cost you to dispose of it and how to safely wrap the asbestos waste in order to minimise the chance of fibres being released into the air.

Save Money On Home Renovation Shopping

• Whenever you need to get a quote by a qualified tradesperson do a specific job on your home always ensure that you get 4 quotes instead of the usual 3. This is because invariably 1 of the tradespeople will either not bother to turn up to inspect what needs to be done, forget to actually give you the quote or be so busy that the final quote is exorbitant and not very realistic. When this happens you will still be left with 3 reasonable quotes to choose from and you won't waste time looking for more tradespeople or money by paying more than the job is actually worth.
• Whenever you a performing home renovations yourself and you require a specific tool to complete the task then consider hiring the tool instead of buying it. This will save you a lot of money especially for large tools that you are not likely to use in the future for any other purpose.
• One of the best ways to save money on home renovations is to take advantage of the wide selection of good quality building materials available at auction clearance centres. You can usually get everything from tiles and bathroom fixtures right through to entire kitchens and appliances. These auction houses generally sell items that are either brand new, ex-display or end of line items so you get excellent home renovation materials without having to break your budget.
• As an owner builder or home handyman try getting a contractor discount on home improvement products. Many hardware and building suppliers offer a 5, 10 or even 15 percent discount to tradespeople so mention that you are an owner builder or drop the name of your tradesman if you are buying new fixtures for them to install.
• When you are purchasing home renovation materials make sure that you choose in-stock items. Retailers would prefer to empty their warehouses and therefore they are much more likely to give you a discount for the goods than if they have to specifically order in new stock.

DIY Home Renovation Ideas & Money Savers

• With a lot of renovations time is money. Therefore I suggest sitting down before starting the job and thoroughly thinking about what needs to be done, what problems you may encounter and exactly what tools and materials you will need to complete the task. Then before you start make sure that you have everything that you will require. This small process will save you wasting a lot of time going back and forth to local hardware store or shop.
• If you are using copper water pipes make sure that you have insulation around the hot-water lines. These preformed foam tubes are easy to fit around the pipes and will reduce the amount of money spent on your energy bills.
• When it comes to landscaping around the house this is something that can add lots of value to your home and it is relative easy for everyone to save money and do it themselves.
• If you have scratches in perspex you can remove them with nail polish remover. Simply add some nail polish remover to a clean pad and wipe over the scratches with quick, light strokes, always in the same direction. Do not, however, leave the pad on the perspex for any length of time as it will dissolve it completely.
• Painting your house inside and out is a quick and easy home renovation that can add a lot of value to your property. You can save money if you do it yourself which is normally fine for the outside of the house and the interior walls, but it may be a good idea to get a professional painter to paint the ceilings. Painting a ceiling correctly is a difficult task and a professional will use a spray gun to get it right, however make sure that they back-roll it with a roller to give it an even finish.
• To soften paint brushes that have hardened soak them for an hour in hot vinegar.
• To remove paint smells and odours from a freshly painted room place a bowl of water in the room and replace it with fresh water every 3 hours.
• For mouldy walls or dirty painted wood clean with a weak solution of liquid sugar soap, which you can get from most hardware stores.

Home Renovation Design Savings

• If you are renovating a house with the intention of adding value to it and then selling it to make money then make sure that you don't over capitalize and spend money on things that won't get you a large increase in value. Avoid renovations that buyers will view as a burden such as high maintenance landscaping or a swimming pool. Instead focus on renovations that will save a prospective buyer work such as kitchen fixtures and appliances, new bathroom fittings and replacing carpets or polishing floors.
• When designing your home reno you will ultimately have an image of what you are trying to create in mind, but your budget may not allow for this to be fulfilled. However don't let this distract you from your vision because you can always install lower cost items such as an imitation stone benchtop in the kitchen instead of caesar stone.
• If you live in a hot climate then choose a light colored roof to reduce the amount of solar heat that your roof absorbs. You should also install a few roof vents that will stop the roof cavity from becoming extremely hot and thereby giving the house an green environmentally friendly feel by reducing the cost of air-conditioning during the summer months.
• Consider installing a ceiling fan in your lounge room. Sometimes simple air circulation is enough to cool you down on a hot summer day and hence the air-conditioner could remain off or become redundant.
• When you are choosing paint colors for the entire house choose one neutral wall paint and one neutral trim paint rather than buying litres of different colors for each room. This will not only save you money but also reduce the number of half full tins of paint that you need to store in your garage.
• With energy efficiency and global warming as hot political issues make sure that you keep up to date with the latest news with regards to home construction and renovations. For example some local, state and federal governments are providing tax rebates that are rewarding energy and water saving installations such as new hot water services, roof insulation, water tanks, solar panels, etc.
• When you are designing an extension or renovation think about installing network wiring to the appropriate rooms. It is easier to install initially than retrofitting and is more reliable, secure and faster than a wireless network.

Tradesman and Building Contractor Checklist

• When you are selecting a tradesperson or renovation contractor always ask them for local references. If possible visit the customer, ask them about the tradesman or company and inspect their completed work to see if it is of a good standard.
• Always make sure that the specialist renovation tradesman or building contractor that you are using is a member of any necessary professional associations. This gives you piece of mind because it means that they are a legitimate business, you have a contact point for complaint if something goes wrong and it also ensures that they have the appropriate insurances for their particular industry.
• Trade insurance is a must have for any tradesman that you choose to hire, especially electricians, plumbers, roofing specialists, builders and carpenters. There are industry bodies for each of these trades that you can contact and check whether or not a prospective tradesperson has the necessary trade insurances.
• Once you have chosen a tradesman to provide you with a renovation service make sure that you have a written contract in place. This contract should include:
    - A thorough description of the work to be completed including the quantity, weight, color, size and brand of the materials to be used.
    - The agreed upon starting and completion dates.
    - The total cost of the job.
    - A payment schedule including any progress payments.
    - Who is responsible for any rubbish removal if required.

Laying Wall Tiles for your Home Renovation

• When you are choosing wall tiles for a room you have a few selection decisions to make, what size tile, what colour and pattern? Always keep in mind that neutral colour and larger tiles can make a small room seem larger, as well as making it easier and quicker to lay and grout.
• The walls in most homes are not perfect and that can make it hard for you to lay the tiles in a straight line. So follow the steps below and you will be laying tiles like a renovation expert:
    -When laying wall tiles don't start at the floor because it may not be level and then all the rows of tiles will be not straight.
    -Instead use a spirit level to draw a straight reference line lightly less than 1 tile width from the floor.
    -Half nail a straight piece of wood below this line and start laying the tiles in rows working upwards.
    -Use tile spacers to make sure that the grout lines are straight and even.
    -After the tiles are dry remove the piece of wood and lay the bottom row of tiles, cutting any of them if required.
    -Then remove the tile spacers and grout the gaps with an appropriate coloured grout.

Bathroom Home Renovation Ideas

• If you are going to renovate you bathroom then it is generally a good idea strip the entire room down to the stud frame so that it is easier to fix old & leaking pipes, rewire the electrical sockets and install new blueboard walls on which to glue new tiles to.
• When designing your bathroom do not make the assumption that a bath is not required, because when it comes to selling your house a bath will make it appeal to families with children.
• When choosing a bathroom vanity consider how much counter space it will provide. A pedestal sink may look trendy but without any counter space it might prove to be a bit of an inconvenience.
• A quick and easy way to spruce up the bathroom is to change the lighting that is generally located above the mirror. A good choice of lights is a rod with 3 spotlights placed on it or sconces on either side of the mirror.