Four Home Renovations That Cost Extra Money (and Five That Don’t)
Renovating or remodeling your home can be a disorienting experience. Between clutter, strangers crawling around, and the constant discovery of disasters hidden inside your walls, your stress levels can skyrocket. And when the bills come, it gets even worse.
One of the reasons the average home renovation can cost more than $40,000 is because of our tendency to assume you’ll have to do it all in one marathon rather than in stages , and spend big bucks on everything along the way. All those flooring, hardware, and building materials (not to mention appliances and new furniture) really add up quickly, especially if you assume that higher prices equal better quality . While some renovation materials cost as much as they cost (you won’t be comparing drywall purchases anytime soon), the fact is that not all of your renovation or remodeling options are created equal. There are aspects of any renovation where extra money makes a difference, and there are also aspects where you can get by with cheaper, less flashy materials and no one will notice. If you have limited funds for your project, here are renovations that are worth the extra money—or not.
Home renovations that are worth it
There are certain aspects of home renovation that you should spend extra money on:
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Kitchen floors. You have many flooring options , and in other rooms you can probably get by with cheaper carpet or some faux wood. But your kitchen floor will be a lot of people, not to mention a lot of spills, temperature changes and cleaning. The flooring in the kitchen also brings the whole design together and you won’t be able to easily cover it with a rug like you can in other rooms. Spend that extra money here.
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Furniture. In general, it’s worth investing in furniture such as sofas, chairs and beds. If you’re remodeling or renovating your living room, invest in a really nice sofa. After all, you’ll spend a lot of time using these parts, and the small problems that arise with cheap stuff will quickly become major irritants.
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Appliances. Higher-end appliances will generally be worth any extra profit in your budget. They look better, actually last longer, and generally perform better.
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Window. If you are replacing windows, spend the extra money on quality ones. They will look better, last longer, and provide energy efficiency benefits that will actually reduce their overall cost over time.
Home renovations that may not be worth it
If you have all the money in the world, of course, go to town and spend it on every little thing. If you’re trying to fit your renovation project into a tight budget, there are some areas where you can get by with simple, no-frills items:
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Kitchen cabinets. After all, your kitchen cabinets are just wooden boxes. You want quality construction, but beyond that, you can buy basic cabinets and easily make them more expensive with new hardware, paint, or adding a soft close feature .
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Relocation of plumbing and wiring. Your ideal kitchen or bathroom renovation might involve rearranging the sink or toilet and changing the location of every outlet, but you can almost certainly do without it. Relocating plumbing fixtures can add about $1,000 to your job, while rewiring your kitchen can cost you nearly $2,300 . If you don’t have to do that to get the place up to code, this is a place where it’s easy to avoid spending money.
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Lighting fixtures. Recessed lighting costs an average of $300 per fixture . By simply choosing wall and ceiling lights, you can save a fortune while maintaining style. And there are plenty of inexpensive fixtures that look expensive and produce the same light as more expensive fixtures.
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Cabinet/Drawer Hardware. Trust us: No one will know if your drawers and cabinet handles are worth $300 each or $10 .
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Apron. While you don’t have to spend a fortune on tiles for them to look luxurious, in general cheap tiles will look cheap. But the backsplash is usually a very small area and is usually covered by appliances, cabinets and anything else on the countertops. You may not want to put the cheapest tile or other materials on your backsplash, but you can definitely get away with a cheaper option .