4 ways to bring down the "operational" costs of a renovation

It’s something that more and more of us are turning to do and many of us part with thousands to perform these popular renovation projects.

At the same time, we forget about the smaller details. It’s these small details which can create umpteen operational costs that mean your initial budget is completely wiped out. Today’s post will take a look at some of these smaller costs that are so often forgotten about.

Avoid any damages; store your items out of the way

If your renovation project is something of a major one, it goes without saying that you need to prep the immediate vicinity to the room in question.

Furniture is the big thing here and with tradesmen wandering in and out, dust flying everywhere and so on, you need to give it some sort of protection. If you have anywhere else you can move it to in the house then great, but if not, take a look at self storage options to help you along your way.

Contain everything in the room in question

When we talk about "containing", we're largely referring to the dust. This is something that can be surprisingly overpowering in a renovation project. While you might just be working on your kitchen, unless you plan accordingly you'll soon find that dust spirals to all other areas of the home - regardless of how far away they are! We're not quite sure about the science of how dust can do this, but it does, and it means that your whole home is a mess.

It means that you need to invest in some barriers. Dust sheets are the main thing, but don't just cover furniture with them. Also cover any door openings, just so none of the little particles can sneak into any rooms. Sure, it makes life a little more difficult, but it does make all the difference.

Limit the chances of you turning for takeaways each and every night

You're potentially investing thousands in your project, so many people don't stop and think about some of the smaller costs (such as the price of food and so on).

As it turns out, this can still make a huge difference. Again, this usually revolves around the kitchen, and if this is the room you have decided to renovate, you'll quickly find that there's no place to cook meals. We're not going to do the math for you, but eating out for a couple of weeks for two meals a day is going to put a lot more stress on your bank account that you could ever imagine.

It's for this reason that you need to meal prep beforehand and store as much in the fridge (it might have to be a travel fridge) for as long as you can. Or, rely on the generosity of neighbors and friends.

Never invest in overly strict deadlines

Sure, projects need deadlines, but if you have set one for a specific occasion it can be a license to burn money. Put simply, very few projects run on time, and if you are up against the clock you are going to be forced into hasty decisions. You might pay more for labor towards the back end of the project or take short-cuts which prove just as costly in the future.

Have a rough idea of timescales – but have some flexibility as well.