Kitchens and baths sell homes. And everyone wants the HGTV version. But what happens when the home you love, the one you have to have doesn’t come with the kitchen or bath of your dreams and you don’t have a huge budget to make it happen? Good news! You don’t need a big budget to make big changes by doing your own home renovation. You just need to plan and budget wisely and be willing to do a little work yourself.
A recent client of mine was very particular about her kitchen and bath. I stress “very” because, well, we all are. And also because I think her close friends and family will fully appreciate it…
But she’s also incredibly smart on her financial situation. Not all people understand what it really means to be smart on your own financial situation and they could learn a thing or 200 from this client of mine.
Know Your Home Renovation Budget
She knew her budget down to the penny and was realistic about what she’d really be willing to give up in terms of lifestyle changes to accommodate “more house”. Many people get caught up in the emotion of “the hunt” and are suddenly willing to increase their monthly mortgage payment by surprising amounts to allow for a higher sales price. Is this realistic? Not usually. So this client was super realistic about her budget and her priorities–namely floor plan and location. With patience and time, her ideal floor plan in her ideal location became available. It did not, however, come with her ideal kitchen and bathroom. But she knew that those could be changed with time, while location cannot.
She prioritized her home renovations, knocking out items like paint before moving in. Then she started to plan for the big stuff. She tackled the kitchen first with a budget of about $3,000. She was able to achieve this by doing some of the work herself.
Kitchen Renovations
She started by refinishing the cabinets white, which was $2,400 to have done by a professional. She could have done it herself (there are lots of YouTube videos on DIY how-to), but white shows all imperfections, so she chose to have a pro do it. She added a Calcutta marble backsplash herself to give it some pop. Materials for the backsplash were $500, hardware was $50 and painting the walls gray was about $30. Total kitchen budget- $3,000.
Check out the before and after photos.
Big impact on a very reasonable budget with a little sweat equity. By doing the kitchen herself, she was able to save money for the projects that are not recommended as DIY- namely plumbing and electrical work. So the bulk of her reno budget was put into the master bath.
Master Bathroom Renovations
This was a complete gut job, down to the studs, and ran her $11,000. She purchased the materials at Home Depot for $4,000 and labor ran $7,000. She did the design plans herself with lots of research, then obtained quotes from four contractors to find the best possible price. Many people aren’t willing to take the time to meet with multiple contractors, but that often costs money. After reviewing the four quotes she went with the least expensive company that had the best reviews on HomeAdvisor.
The frameless shower is the real stunner with patterned tile in the niche accenting the simple floor and wall tile. The bench is not only functional, it provides different color and texture to break up the tile. And that wall color! It works so well with the shower tile and vanity–fresh, pretty and a really great pop of color.
I was really blown away when she sent the photos. These are such great before and after transformations, but what is just as impressive is how accessible they are. So many people shy away from homes that require work because they think projects are either too much work or too expensive. This is such a great example of what you can do with smart planning and budgeting, especially if you’re willing to take on some of the work yourself.
What’s the smartest home renovation project you’ve accomplished in your home? I’d love to hear about it! And if you’d like help finding your dream home, or just next home, give me a call !
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