This is part of my Making Of Our Dream Home series. Click to read the other entries in the series.
Many of you would agree with me that while it is exciting to do up a new home, the cost can easily get out-of-hand if we are not careful. While we have a vision of a perfect dream home in our mind, it is sometimes not practical because of the high costs involved. Where do you strike a balance, and how can you have a home you are happy with and yet not pay through your noses? That has been a recurring question in my mind the past few months as I am thinking through the design of my new home. Today’s 5 tips on saving money on renovation has been my guiding principles and hopefully will be a useful guide for you as well!
Tip #1: Forget About Hacking
I know, I know.. we all have a grand idea of how we want our home to be structured – Some like bigger living rooms, some prefer more spacious kitchens, etc. But bear in mind, if cost-saving is one of your considerations, then think of ways to go around hacking because hacking is very expensive. For resale flats like mine, alternatives such as overlaying of tiles on top of existing flooring can save you quite a big sum of money, instead of hacking everything off and laying new tiles again. Better still, if you can accept the existing flooring, just go for a new coat of varnish or polishing and they will be good as new. Instead of hacking off that wall, think of way to make that wall useful or aesthetically pleasing – That will save you money, for sure.
Tip #2: Watch Out For Sales
The key collection for my new home is sometime in November (that’s 4 months down the road!), but I’ve already made several purchases for the new home simply because there were warehouse sales, clearance sales and Great Singapore Sales! While it may sound very kiasu to do this so much ahead of my key collection, this is a good way to save money. I got pieces the husband and I really like at superb prices, which would otherwise not be possible during non-sales seasons. We also managed to snug pieces that were one-of-a-kind, and would no longer be available a few months down the road. The only down side of this is that we now have new furniture wrapped up in our current home, and it can get a little messy. But when I look at the savings, I cannot help but smile – So worth it! =P
This is just one of the pieces we bought for the new home so far. Super love it! :)
Don’t ever thinking of starting to look around and purchase only after you’ve received your keys, because with the short time frame you are left with, your options are lessened and you may sometimes be forced into making purchases that you may not 100% like, simply because you need to get those furniture in time for your move. Many furniture shops are flexible in terms of delivery, so you can always purchase first then ask for delivery at a much later date. The key is – Buy when the prices are good, even if it’s still early.
Tip #3: Carousell Is A Great Place To Source
Do not just focus on the conventional furniture shops because Carousell is actually a great place to find things you really want for your new house. And in case you have the misconception – Carousell is not just a place to buy and sell pre-loved items. Many sellers on Carousell are selling brand new items, or items in mint condition. There are many people who have tapped on the Carousell platform to promote their garage sales as well, so if you are not too sticky about having only brand new items in your home, you can actually find pretty good stuffs there. We’ve come across expatriates who are moving back home and thus selling off everything in their house – Exquisite, new and vintage items can be found at such sales and definitely worth taking a look. We also found carpenters and all kinds of contractor services at really affordable prices, so we are looking at engaging some of them. Will share about that in another post. :)
Tip #4: Stick Close To Your Budget
My husband is an accountant by training, so it is no surprise that we plan budgets for practically everything we do – Be it for our family travels or home renovation. Especially for our home renovation journey, we know we have a limited budget and a list of compulsory items we need to spend on, planning a budget becomes crucial and very useful when deciding if we should or should not buy a certain item for the home.
The truth is, there are just way too many choices out there – and everyday, we are finding nicer and better items that we hope to have in our new home. But, not everything is within our budget and when we make a conscious effort to sift out items that fall way off our budget, it makes decision-making so much easier. Of course, when we are able to save on some items, that gives us leeway to increase the budget for some other items, but the bottomline is that we do not ever burst our total budget, so that we do not stress ourselves beyond what we can bear.
Tip #5: Buy From Cheaper Sources
There are two main sources that people go to when they want to find cheaper alternatives – EZBuy & JB. I have to quantify myself – I don’t have the intention to buy furniture from EZBuy, but I have had many friends who have done so and they were happy with their purchases. I guess like most first-timers to EZBuy, I have my concerns and worries about whether the furniture will come perfectly in one piece, and whether I would have to deal with returns and refunds if they are not what I expected them to be. But if you are willing to take the risk, prices can be extremely cheap on Ezbuy compared to locally. In fact, you will find many vendors selling exactly the same items at twice or triple the price (They even use exactly the same display photos as EZBuy), so you can see it as someone else making the purchase on your behalf and the additional cost is payment for a peace of mind because local vendors have to ensure that the products delivered are in good condition.
One thing to take note of when buying big ticket items from EZBuy is that you should always opt for Prime Shipping – You pay a flat fee for an annual membership for Prime, so that every delivery from EZBuy is at a flat rate of $2.99 (unlimited number of items) instead of going by weight. For delivery of furniture that are very heavy, the shipping fees can way exceed the price of the items! For me, I think I will start by purchasing home furnishing items such as decorations, cushion covers, photo frames etc from EZBuy before I dare to venture into buying furniture. I’ve also heard that their lamps (ceiling lamps, down lights, etc) are extremely affordable, but there have been cases of some lamps arriving broken etc, so it’s good to purchase a few extra ones incase of such incidents.
Many people have remarked that lamps are extremely affordable in JB, so it is worth checking the lighting shops across the Causeway. For furniture, take note that Malaysia’s GST must be added to the prices reflected and you usually have to top up to up to $100 if you need transportation from JB to your home. Still, after adding all those extra costs, it is cheaper to get furniture from JB than locally.
Tip #6: Consider DIY Projects
There are several items from my current home which I am considering shifting over to my new home but not without some refurbishing works. We all know that furniture refurbishing can be expensive though, so instead of sending them for professional services, why not consider DIY? There are many inspirations available on Pinterest which includes step-by-step tutorials on how you can refurbish a cabinet, bookshelf, etc. If you are a first-timer to DIY Projects, start with smaller items and build your confidence from there. Getting good quality materials such as chalk paint, paint brushes etc can make the whole process more manageable as well. Plus, there is always a sense of satisfaction at the end of the day, knowing that you have given a new lease of life to an otherwise old piece of furniture at home. And you save the money on getting a brand new one!
Tip #7: Opt For Cheaper Ideas
Renovation is all about decisions – Wallpaper or paint? Marble or granite? Stainless steel or wood? Carpet or no carpet? Chandelier or normal lights? These are the questions every new homeowners will be going through in their minds, and I am no different. While wallpaper may look neater and nice, there are extra costs related to installing wallpaper such as wall plastering, day-to-day maintenance and upkeeping etc. We had a friend who installed wallpaper only to find patches torn off after a few months because their dog scratched at it every day. With the humid weather we have here in Singapore, there are also concerns that the wallpaper may become moldy and eventually peel off. Replacement is often expensive, and the design may no longer be in production even.
Marble may be the most durable material for countertops, but it is also one of the most expensive. Choosing an alternative material such as granite is just as hardy and durable, but at a much lower cost. For flooring, choosing parquet and marble would incur future costs for polishing every few years, so that has to be taken into consideration as well.
Renovation needs not be an expensive affair if we have proper planning and budgeting. I’m seeing it as a challenge personally – To build a home I am happy with, yet keeping the costs low!
