No matter how well you take care of it, at some point, your home is going to need some repairs. Owning a home can already be expensive enough, meaning the bill for repairs can be especially painful. Fortunately, it’s not mandatory that repairing your home leaves you financially burdened.
First, before you ever start out with repairs or hiring a contractor to handle them, be sure you’re aware of how much the entire project will cost you. Before you get too far under way, then, you should map out exactly what the repairs will entail and how much you plan on spending. Amongst other things, this step will ensure you aren’t missing any costs or necessary purchases, which can help you save money in the long run.
Next, go online to see whether or not a project is something you can handle. A lot of times, even if you lack experience, certain repairs and even renovations are well within your grasp. These days, there are countless tutorials that will walk you through every step of executing most home repairs.
Once you have the instructions, it’s time to start looking for materials and tools. For the latter, always rent what you don’t think you’ll need again in the near future. When it comes to materials, look for sales at your local home improvement stores. However, don’t forget about stores like Sam’s Club, Costco and others where bargains are always offered. These stores usually sell home improvement materials too. Be sure to look online, too. Even when you factor in the cost of shipping, websites like eBay and Amazon often have a lot to offer in terms of savings.
If you decide to go with a contractor, get quotes from all your local options. Then revisit them all to let them know what the lowest bid for the job was and find out if anyone is willing to beat it. Of course, you also want to research candidates to ensure you wind up with quality.
With a little planning ahead of time, making repairs on your home doesn’t have to be an overly expensive process.
Source:
http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/my-money/2012/10/01/6-ways-to-save-money-on-home-repairs
