When To Spend & When To Save

No one wants to spend more than they have to when it comes to renovating or designing your home. But where should you spend, and when can you make savings?

Here are 5 of the guiding principles that we consider whenever taking on a renovation or build project.

1. Buy well

Many of your savings are going to be made when you buy well. What does this mean? If you love timber floors and windows, prioritise these on your “must-have” list when searching for a home because they can be expensive to change or add down the track. The more you can work with the existing building, the more you are going to save.

Design Tip — Prioritise a home with an abundance of natural light. This will enhance your enjoyment of your spaces, and is something that can be hard to change, unless you are on a large block of land. If you live in the Northern Hemisphere, look for a home with a south-facing aspect for your main living areas. Conversely, if you live in the Southern Hemisphere, try to find (and orientate) your home towards the north.

2. Work with the existing footprint

The more you can work with the existing footprint of your existing home, the more savings you are going to make. This means you are more likely to keep the existing foundations and frame. Instead of spending money on making costly changes to these elements, you can spend more on the fixtures and finishes you use every day, such as your kitchen and bathroom.

Design Tip — If you want to increase space but work within the building’s existing envelope, raise the roof. Even if you remove the ceiling and expose beams, you can create a greater sense of space. If your budget allows, go up a storey working within the existing footprint. 

3. Spend on long-term savings

Okay, we know – it’s not exciting to spend money on insulation, but spending money on these types of sustainable features will not only save you money in the long-term but will make your life easier and more enjoyable in your finished home. It doesn’t matter how beautiful your home looks, if it feels too hot or cold, you won’t enjoy it as much as you want.

Design Tip — Make sure you allow enough budget for window treatments. Adding curtains and blinds to your homes can help regulate indoor temperatures, and add visual appeal to your spaces too. 

4. Keep the position of the plumbing

One of the easiest ways to save money is to keep the existing position of the plumbing. What does this mean? If you can, keep the toilet, shower and hand basin in the same location, but just update the fixtures.

Design Tip — You can use materials such as microcement to go straight on top of tiles. If you don’t want to remove and replace them, simply go on top of them. You can do this in showers, but they will need to be waterproofed. Only deal with experienced contractors who have done this process before.

5. Use paint to your advantage

Don’t underestimate the power of paint. Even a fresh coat of white paint in a room that gets a reasonable amount of light can make it look and feel shiny and new again. However, you can experiment and have fun. If you have a media room (or a bedroom) you can go a little moody, and create a cosy vibe. Paint doesn’t have to be boring.

Design Tip — Paint your walls, ceilings and trims the same colour if you want to elevate your spaces, and create a space that feels more expansive. When you don’t paint the borders or “joins” of a room, it will make the room look bigger.