7 simple ways to Save money on apartment repairs
For many, repairs are a real nightmare: it takes a lot of time, effort and money. There is an opinion that to calculate the final cost, you need to double the amount from the estimate and add another 30%.
That is why many postpone repairs until the last, or even completely refuse serious changes. But if you approach the issue wisely, it’s not as scary as it seems. And we are already ready to share ways to save money!
1. Plan and count
Most of the problems with the timing, price and progress of repairs arise precisely because initially no one paid due attention to planning, design and calculations. Do not prepare for repairs in a hurry: write down an approximate procedure and let him lie down. During this time, you will have time to think about everything, analyze and make adjustments that otherwise will arise just on the go.
If you are repairing the entire apartment at once, make several plans. In one, write down the general order of work: from which premises and stages to start, what you need as soon as possible. In the rest – actions for each room separately. And it is better to develop this plan immediately with a team that knows what kind of work will take how long. If at this stage you decide to trust the professionals, then on kvadratremont you can get all the information about the repair and calculate the cost.
2. Don’t buy anything “just in case”
Many people remember from childhood those extra rolls of wallpaper and boxes of tiles that have been gathering dust on the mezzanine for years. Usually they are left just in case something needs to be repaired or updated. In practice, it rarely comes to this, and if the need arises, one tile is enough, not several packages.
Such an amount of unnecessary materials remains due to the fact that initially no one wanted to waste time on scrupulous calculations. Do not be too lazy to measure the entire apartment and calculate the actual consumption exactly to centimeters. Or contact the construction team with this task – even so it will be cheaper.
Buy strictly according to these calculations, do not take anything over: even if something is not enough, it is unlikely that the collection will disappear from production and sale in a month of repairs. But it will definitely save you from deposits of unnecessary, but already paid for building materials. There will still be minor waste in the process – that’s what they can be saved in case of minor repairs.
And another non-obvious trick: some construction stores buy back the remaining materials. Of course, this does not apply to opened cans and bags, but if you still have sealed rolls or boxes, be sure to find out if there is such a possibility.
3. Study the offers and assortment of stores
Prices for the same materials in different stores may differ by 15-30%. Carefully study them in advance, especially since now the Internet is often enough for this. Make a table and write out in it what and where you can buy cheaper – as a result, you can save a tidy sum.
If you have a huge construction megastore in your city, it may be more profitable to buy wholesale right away. If the amount is large, the store can make a favorable discount, offer free shipping or bonuses. Do not refuse the help of a manager – perhaps he will help with the registration.
Take into account the time of year, especially when choosing seasonal products: for example, radiators and air conditioners. And repair work in general is much more profitable in winter out of season than in the height of summer and the holiday period, when everyone is doing it. Sometimes this way you can save up to 20% of the total amount.
4. Stock up on paint and dry mixes
Simplicity and minimalism are in fashion now, and this is not a new trend, but a stable trend of recent years. So you can safely save on complex, expensive and not particularly necessary finishing materials. Of course, textile wallpaper with artistic parquet looks very expensive – but do you really need them?
The cheapest, affordable and versatile materials, which are enough for half of the repair work, are dry mixes and ordinary moisture–resistant paint. Choose a shade, color and paint over all walls, partitions, and even ceilings if desired. If the surface is uneven, use decorative plaster or liquid wallpaper: they simultaneously solve functional and aesthetic problems.
To save money on leveling too crooked floor – pay attention to self-leveling mixtures. And for ceilings – on stretch structures, behind which at the same time you can hide all communications. Under them, you don’t even need to remove the old paint or whitewash.
5. Save on materials wisely
To save on repairs in the future, do not save on the quality of materials initially. If you use paper wallpaper instead of moisture–resistant non-woven or cheap linoleum instead of wear-resistant laminate – you will save during the purchase. But in a few years, this one-time benefit will turn into even more expenses to redo everything.
But there is no need to overpay: choose quality, not brands. You need mixtures of a certain composition, wallpaper – a certain density and laminate – a certain class of wear resistance. All these parameters have been standardized for a long time and most manufacturers have different collections.
Do not immediately take the most famous and promoted trademarks, in which at least half of the price is the brand name. Pay attention to local manufacturers or just to lesser-known companies. Perhaps you will find the perfect tile or laminate there.
6. Decor against major repairs
If you like frequent changes, but do not plan to do repairs every few years – choose the simplest and most neutral finish. By itself, it will already cost less, and in the future you will not have to re-glue the wallpaper, rearrange the tiles and floors. And give style, mood, personality and atmosphere to the room with the help of decor, furniture and accessories.
The same goes for the nursery: children grow up quickly, and their tastes and interests change. The princess’s castle or treasure cave will have to be radically redone in a few years. But if you immediately make the walls, floor and ceiling as simple as possible, it will be enough to update furniture, toys and other small things.
7. Cleaning on your own
One of the non–obvious, but unavoidable items of expenditure during the renovation of the apartment is the removal of construction debris. Professional teams and cleaning companies charge a separate fee for this service. And it depends on the volume of work and the scale of the disaster.
But even here you can save money if you plan the order of work correctly and minimize the amount of construction waste. Always start from the back room and gradually move towards the front door. This way you won’t constantly dirty and clutter up the finished premises.
First, make the kitchen and bathrooms – there is most of the complex work associated with communications and tiles. Living rooms can be repaired in any sequence, and at the very end – go to the corridor and hallway.
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