Renovation on a BUDGET!!!

Are we the only ones trying to fix up a house a tight budget? I keep reading about all of these exciting big projects that everyone is doing…and their budgets! Wow! We were just fortunate to be able to BUY the house, and now we have such a little amount of money to actually do anything to it (although the list of desired renovation projects is long). Anyone else? Any secrets for those of us who don’t have $100K (or even $50K) to spend???

kcc414

in Renovation 9 years and 2 months ago

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robertvar | 9 years and 1 month ago

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Build It Green, Roy by Lowes, Eddie in Fort Green — all great resources for salvaged material including high end appliances. Good luck!

cate | 9 years and 1 month ago

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My advice is to start with a sound structure and mechanicals. You want to be sure you don’t have leaks. The pretty stuff is optional.

wggqsudnnfoyce | 9 years and 1 month ago

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you can spend 50K easy on paper work and the yuppies and contractor trolls here will scare you to think its the only way, its not but its also trtue you can get some dangerously done work if you dont research thoroughly both methods and workers

soundhoner | 9 years and 2 months ago

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> The other piece of the puzzle that is COMPLETELY frustrating is the need for an architect, filing and permits!!! Ah!! Why can’t I just do what I want? Adding those costs for people like us (without all this extra money) is so debilitating. I hate even having thoughts of wanting to just go ahead and not do things the “right way” to make it even possible financially.

One of the contractors I might be working with basically, when I asked him about filing, suggested it was a big racket, used to help that whole bureaucracy-economy of architects, expediters, inspectors, etc. I think he was exaggerating a bit, we DO want safety standards after all (think, gas line explosions), but I think he has a point. The amount of overhead doesn’t faze many people, especially on these forums, but for those of us on a budget, if we REALLY wanted to do things exactly the right way, to be honest we probably would leave some of our apartment units forever empty. Not great for a city with a housing shortage.

kcc414 | 9 years and 2 months ago

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You guys are great! Thank you for all of this advice! I was beginning to feel like I was the only not having access to $100-300K just for renovations! I think I am going to find someone (friend? architect? GC?) to help us think through all the things we eventually want to do, and have them help us prioritize a plan for long term. Then we will pull together ALL we can as far as cash and credit, and get started on the prioritized list (slowly), watching and searching for deals (however, craigslist is super OVERWHELMING when it comes to stuff I don’t know about). The other piece of the puzzle that is COMPLETELY frustrating is the need for an architect, filing and permits!!! Ah!! Why can’t I just do what I want? Adding those costs for people like us (without all this extra money) is so debilitating. I hate even having thoughts of wanting to just go ahead and not do things the “right way” to make it even possible financially.

Townie | 9 years and 2 months ago

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Try to have a master plan so that the improvements you do today will not have to be redone tomorrow. Also nothing works miracles like a fresh coat of paint.

livingthedreamingreenpoint | 9 years and 2 months ago

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One thing I wish someone had told me was to get a line of credit in place before you do any work. We bought a house three and half years ago and had an 80k budget. But when we started opening walls and finding unpleasant surprises, things we had to fix because it didn’t make sense not to do it while the walls were opened, then the budget swelled. If you have your line in place you avoid a potential financial disaster. As a long term plan, it worked for us to do some work, which, along with rising property values, increased the value enough to do a refi and get some cash out. We finally got our line in place and now we are starting round 3 of work. After this round we will be a little more than half way through our punch list. It’s a process. Good luck.

Lurker | 9 years and 2 months ago

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The golden rule told to us was that there’s fast, cheap, and good, and you only only get two of those at best. So pick wisely.

catboot | 9 years and 2 months ago

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There are lots of people fixing their homes on a budget. But reading Brownstoner, you’d think everyone is a gazzillionaire doing gut renovations. Resident2’s advice is spot on (including how HGTV is the worst!).

thetinkerswagon | 9 years and 2 months ago

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I would recommend waiting until you can do it and do it right. in the past, my parents and my grandparents waited. they saved. and waited. also, someone mentioned craigslist for materials. I go there all the time looking for tools and materials and there are bargains – someone is selling armored electric wire for a great bargain right now (that is one thing that comes to mind) and if you are planning electric work I would have a look. there is enough wire to do a house at a fraction of the cost. Steve

soundhoner | 9 years and 2 months ago

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I’m starting to like the feel of this thread already. I’m coming to some of the same conclusions, that I’m going to have to manage the process myself, be very involved, go very slowly, and keep an eye out for bargains. @zekedancin, I know what you mean about crazy budgets. There’s another recent thread in this forum where several people are spending or have spent $250/square foot, which comes out to, at least with my house, approximately $185,000 per floor. I had to laugh because if I had that sort of budget, I could purchase at LEAST one other property. I think a lot of the Brownstoner crowd are people with big pockets, and who like the idea of an architect, project manager, etc., and who wouldn’t? If they could afford it. People who are looking at their properties like investments don’t think like that, they think of the impact on rent rolls and value-add of the property, i.e. how long will it take to cover that cost given rents, or how much more will I be able to sell the property for. In fact, at 185K per floor, that’s about the price my insurance company is saying they would cover for the cost of a brand new structure. @resident2, that is great advice. These forums also have great deals. I will start checking ebay as well. Question for you: how do you pick certain brands over others when it come to these myriad options for fixtures.

resident2 | 9 years and 2 months ago

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Do not rush into things. That is where you will waste a lot of time and money. Make sure you have a good roof, that the windows are tight and the heat & plumbing work fine. Then just clean everything…. I mean really roll up your sleeves, get a bucket and scrubbing brush and clean… windows, wood work, tiles… every surface. It is amazing what the house will tell you once you experience the light, the cracks, the warps and all up close. Spend at least the first year just living in it and experiencing it… it will tell you to do very different things than what you originally were thinking you wanted to do. During the first year keep going to house tours, look at lots of what other people have done, not just in Magazines & on HGTV (the worst) but walk through it see what really works up close. Also constantly look on Craig’s List, even Ebay for all many of building stuff. I recently bought a $1,500 Kohler kitchen double sink for $75.00, another bargain I found was a cast iron classic claw foot tub in excellent condition and when I got to the location to pick it up, the guy asks if I wanted an old white cast kitchen sink with draining board etc. also came with an amazing faucet… all for $100.00 tub, sink.. the lot. I am always working on several houses at the same time so yes I need many Kitchen sinks… I am getting a whole set of interior solid oak early 1900’s paneled interior doors with glass knobs for less than $500.00 this next week, from a house under demolition in Long Island. The hunt for this stuff is as much fun as working slowly on your house… don’t rush it. Yes I used to go with contractors to the supply houses to pay for plumbing etc. on credit cards, it is good to do this, not just so that your cash does not run away from you, but you learn a lot as you are waiting around in the lines, listening to other plumbers, the guys behind the counter etc…

workisfun | 9 years and 2 months ago

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We have been working on an extremely tight budget as well. Fortunately, I have the time and interest to research and oversee all of it. We not only have to pick and choose what gets done, but we need to be sure that the money we DO spend gets us what we need. SO many contractors are not interested in the way you prioritize and consider cost v benefit in your decision-making process. The more you can be involved, the further your money will go.

timber | 9 years and 2 months ago

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You can absolutely make it work….take care of the basics first and then fix it up as you go. I have done that at least twice and it worked fine.