The internet has allowed would-be home renovators to take their remodelling projects into their own hands and get truly hands-on with their DIY. With such a large proportion of home renovations running over budget, it’s ideal to save money wherever possible, but you still don’t want to compromise the quality of your rebuild. Here are a few ways that surfing online can save precious time and money next time you choose to redesign your home.
Do it yourself
From building furniture to plastering a wall or laying carpet, anyone can read online guides or watch YouTube and learn basic DIY jobs for free – forget the expensive manuals or video instructions! Doing as much work as you can yourself is a massive budget saver as labouring costs can venture into the hundreds just for a day’s work, and that could turn into weeks or even months. And thanks to laptops and smartphones, you can also take a video tutorial on site to make sure the job’s done correctly. It may be a little slower, particularly if you’re a newbie, but if you’re looking to cut the excess in your renovation budget, it’s certainly one expense you can scale back.
Background check your tradesmen
Even a keen DIY-er has to leave some jobs to the professionals, and most industry bodies strongly recommend hiring a registered tradesman for jobs such as rewiring a house, installing light fixtures or wall sockets or updating the plumbing. If you have a tradesman in mind, it pays to search them online to see if they’ve been in legal or financial trouble in the past and if other people have made comments on their work. Online review websites are sort of like an amplified word-of-mouth, where you hear personal experiences from real customers, and they’re a great indication of how professional a tradesman may be.
Look for bargains online
Many products and supplies are available very cheaply online from companies that don’t have to maintain expensive brick-and-motor stores, and some will even offer free samples if you want to be exactly sure of the quality. One supplier of cheap carpets online is Big Warehouse Sale, which offers samples and free delivery at a much lower cost than traditional carpet salesmen. It’s easy to be sucked into a deal that seems too good to be true, so make sure the website has a strong refund policy and has good reviews online. If you can, try to purchase from a business that has stock in the country, so you’re not stuck waiting for overseas shipping.
Renovating your house will nearly always be a headache, but it doesn’t have to hurt your wallet too. Use what’s available for free online to teach yourself the basics, check up on professionals and research the best bargains for otherwise expensive products, like wallpaper, timber or carpet. Thanks to the resources of the internet, it’s easier than ever to do your own research rather than relying on commercial services if you follow the right advice.