Archive for April 2007

Saving Money on Home Improvement

I have been updating an older house lately, and today I will share with you some ways that I have saved money.

1.  Friends/Family have helped out for FREE!

  •  For FREE!  I can't believe it!  My friend, DJ, has worked over 40 hours on my house.  He just keeps showing up!  My mother and father showed up while I was in the pit of despair over this dad-blamed house.  They stayed a WEEK and canceled a Florida trip to stay and help pull us out of the mess!  I should note that my father has built homes for almost 50 years.

2.  Borrowed tools!

  • Call me a free-loader, but tools cost a lot of money!  My friend, Will, loaned me an air compressor, hose, and air nailer.  DJ loaned me a shop-vac, miter saw, and approximately 50 other tools.

3.  Used 10%-off coupons at Lowe's!

  • If you are moving, you can get a 10% Lowe's coupon by clicking HERE.  Even if you are moving across town, you can get this discount.

4.  Used 10%-off coupons at Lowe's in conjunction with manufacturer's rebates.

  • I wanted to install the 30-year American Cottage Pergo flooring in on of my rooms.  Pergo had a special at Lowe's from 3/4 – 4/1 that offered $0.40 off PER square foot.  I used the 10%-off coupon to purchase the Pergo, and then got another $0.40 off per square foot.

5.  Buy used appliances!

  •  They aren't brand new and they won't have a sticker on them, but you can buy an appliance SOOOOOO cheap!  I have friends who were re-doing their kitchen.  They are replacing their appliances and were looking to sell their old ones.  I bought a stove that is a major upgrade from what we did have for WAY CHEAPER than a new stove (think 5 – 10% of the price of a new one).
  • I sold a refrigerator and my old stove from my house, and I was willing to negotiate.  They asked how much I wanted, and I said, "I'm asking $200, but make me an offer."  They did.  They left with the appliances.  WIN-WIN-WIN.

6.  Do the labor yourself!

  • This only applies if you actually know what you were doing.  The room addition that was put on the home that I purchased was not done well.  The down side was that the roof leaked miserably.  The up side was that it only leaked when it rained! Smile    Do not think that just because you have a hammer and nails that you are a carpenter.  This is especially true on home remodels.  It is so much harder to work backwards on a house.