By Relocation.com Staff
Once reality sets in and you understand you cannot afford to do every single decorating idea or even some repairs, you will need to sit down and decide on a realistic budget for your home improvement projects. You should plan out your work and stick to your plan.
Budgeting is crucial when planning how much money you can afford or are willing to spend. Budgeting is also about making the most of your available resources such as time and talents.
Remember you can often get a lot of the expensive looks for a lot less by shopping wisely and developing an eye for a bargain. Some great places for bargains are garage sales, flea markets and even eBay for cost cutting deals. Stores like Marshall's or Home Goods are terrific sources for quality furnishings at lower costs. Now to the budget process.
First, work out how much you have to spend according to your budget. Don't allow a decorator to set this amount for you. Stick firmly to this amount, allotting some money for worst-case scenerios -- which can happen when embaring on a home improvement plan.
Secondly, think about what you are going to spend this money on. Do include at least 10 percent extra on your budget to allow for any unexpected costs that you did not plan on.
As you work on the budget, consider the following:
- Be honest with yourself about what you can spend.
- Be realistic, don't plan to spend everything on one big piece and then have nothing to spend on the rest of the rooms.
- Be practical, think about what you are going to spend your money on and where you are going to spend your money.
- Research store prices for items and think about whether you need the expensive
Mercedes" model when a less expensive "mini" model which achieves the same look.
Think about whether any structural changes or needed repairs need to be completed before beginning the actual decorating. This will need to be included in the cost.