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21 Frugal Home Renovation Tips: The Best and Easiest

Starting a home improvement project is an adventure. Whether you’ve recently purchased a house or are looking to spruce up the one you already own, renovating can come with a hefty price tag. While the journey itself may be exhilarating, the expenses linked to renovation can escalate rapidly. That’s where I step in to offer some assistance. In this blog, we’ll explore 21 frugal home renovation tips. So let’s get started!

Frugal Home Renovation Tips, House interior renovation, an unfinished construction.

1. Set a Realistic Budget:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Firstly, it’s important to establish a realistic budget. Avoid setting a budget where every dollar is meticulously planned, since expenses can easily accumulate, as previously mentioned. In short, understanding your constraints, being realistic about them and maintaining a reserve for costs are key strategies to consider.

Selection of euro notes held in a male hand isolated on a white background.

2. Plan Ahead:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

When renovating, planning is key. Don’t rush things, take the time to do your research. Gather information about contractors and create a detailed renovation plan before starting a new project. Also, plan one project at a time. This way, it’s easier to make a thorough plan and remember all the details.

People planning a renovation.

3. DIY Where Possible:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

The most expensive aspect of renovating is actually the labor costs. Therefore, consider doing it yourself. Again, do your research, you are capable of doing more than you think. However, if you know that you lack knowledge about crucial aspects such as plumbing and electricity, make sure to seek assistance for those tasks.

Hands driving nail with hammer into wooden shelf laying on round table.

4. Research Materials:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Again, do your research, it might take a little extra time but can save you lots of money. Do not settle for the first supplier you come across. Instead, compare prices for different materials. We often assume that the more expensive it is, the better it is, but that’s not the case. Look at the quality of the material, not the price. This way, you’re getting the best deal without sacrificing quality.

Different materials mdf.

5. Reuse and Repurpose:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

When choosing furniture, second-hand is your best friend. You can find a lot of goodies second-hand. However, when you are shopping second-hand, remember to see the potential of the product. Most of the time, the product won’t look beautiful in the store, therefore you have to visualize the piece in your home.

Woman remodeling a chair.

6. Focus on High-Impact Areas:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Next, focus on high-impact areas. But, what is high-impact areas? These are the areas that can highly impact the value of your property, such as the kitchen and bathroom. These spaces needs to be well done and follow certain rules. Therefore these are the areas that you should focus your money on.

Luxury domestic kitchen with elegant wooden design.

7. Shop Secondhand:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Secondhand shopping is a great alternative to finding true treasures and unique pieces. However, you need to keep in mind that you can easily renovate certain furniture pieces that you find secondhand. For instance, if you find a table that you like, but the color is off, you can easily sand it down and repaint it.

Man second hand shopping.

8. Repaint Instead of Replace:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

An easy way to transform a space is to repaint it, whether it’s furniture or the walls of the room. This is a cheap and easy way to give your space a new look, also something that most people can do by themself.

Family repairs. Couple at home. Woman in a overalls painting a wall.

9. Keep Plumbing and Electrical Intact:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

The best, easiest and cheapest way to renovate is to keep as much of the original floor plan as possible. Because, when you move for instance, a kitchen, you also need to move the plumbing and electric. This will quickly add up in costs.

Service maintenance worker repairing under sink kitchen.

10. Negotiate with Contractors:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Feel free to discuss pricing with contractors and subcontractors. This is something that can truly make your renovation a lot cheaper. Additionally, obtaining estimates and being open to rejecting offers can help you save a considerable sum of money. So, in conclusion, do your research.

Mid adult businessman shaking hands with colleagues while having a meeting in the office.

11. Explore Energy-Efficient Options:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Opting for energy-efficient appliances, lighting and insulation might be an extra cost while renovating. However, it will substantially decrease the monthly bills for years to come. Therefore, it will be worth it in the long run. By focusing on these enhancements during your home renovation, you not only cut costs in the future but also creates a greener and more environmentally conscious living space.

Energy efficient home concept. A woman shows a model of an energy-saving house.

12. Consider Alternative Materials:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

It’s easy to get stuck on what material to use when renovating your home. However, it is very important to consider all of the options and not stress into choosing something. Consider exploring the cost-effective alternatives for the expensive ones. For instance, laminate floor is a cheap option to hardwood floors. However, it will still give you the same look, without going over your budget.

Top view mdf boards.

13. Reuse Existing Structural Elements:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

As we discussed before, it’s best to keep most of the floor plan as it is. This includes keeping the existing walls and ceilings instead of tearing them down when renovating. This will save you both plumbing and electrical costs, as well as the costs for tearing down the walls and then rebuilding them.

Man wearing helmet in house when renovating.

14. Do Your Research:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Now for the most important thing, in my opinion. DO YOUR RESEARCH! When renovating a home, most of the costs comes from the acknowledge. If you spend the time actually educating yourself about different materials, painting and DIY options, you can save a significant sum on your budget. So, don’t stress the renovation!

Serious busy female office worker, looking at the computer screen, sitting in the office.

15. Avoid Scope Creep:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Stick to your renovation plan and avoid unnecessary upgrades to keep costs in check. This disciplined approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and prevents overspending on features that don’t align with your budget.

The piggy bank's overflow of coins illustrates savings and financial learning.

16. Stay Flexible:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

As we have discussed before, the costs almost always add up on the way. Therefore, it is important to do your research and stay flexible. By being flexible and not stuck with the design choice from the beginning, can save you lots of money. Sometimes a small change in the design can lead to major savings.

People renovating and compromising.

17. Timing Is Everything:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Contractors can be very expensive, it is the most expensive cost when renovating your home. Therefore, you have to be smart about it. There will always be a peak season for when people decide to renovate their home. However, when there is a peak season, there is also a off peak season. This is the timing you want to renovate. If the contractors have less projects, they will be more likely to offer you discounts, or accepting the price you want. In addition, it will speed up the project since the contractors may have more time and flexibility in their schedules.

Close-up of businessman looking at his modern wristwatch.

18. Get Creative with Storage:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Get creative with storage solutions, instead of spending a lot on your built-in storage solutions, think about other solutions to save you money. Look around on the materials you have from the renovation and consider using the material for creating your own storage solution. Repurpose things, such as baskets, crates and shelves to organize your space. This is a way for you to organize you home without breaking the bank.

Renovating old house fireplace, dry wall.

19. Borrow or Rent Tools:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

The cheapest way to renovate is, as we discussed before, to do most of the work yourself. However, there are lots of tools you need that costs money. Therefore, you need to look at other options than buying the tools, for instance, think about borrowing or renting them from friends, family or your neighborhood hardware store. This is a cost-effective way for you to get the tools you need for your renovation.

Various DIY tools on the table.

20. Keep an Eye on the Details:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

By paying attention to all of the details can save you money in the long run. For instance, think about investing in quality hardware for your cabinets and doors. This will in the long run save you costs, since you don’t have to pay for all of the repair costs or replacements in the future.

Modern black kitchen with a kitchen island.

21. Home Design AI:

Frugal Home Renovation Tips

Woman choosing color of the chair on her phone.

Conclusion on the 21 Best Frugal Home Renovation Tips:

In summary, following these stratergies can lead to cost savings during your home renovation project. This approach enables you to turn your home into the haven you’ve always envisioned without depleting your finances. Let’s dive into the renovation process! Additionally, feel free to share your money saving tips for home upgrades so we can all contribute to building our dream homes!

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