I remember my first full home renovation quite clearly. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing, but I was doing it- and I kept doing it. To complete an entire home it took us about 8 months. I didn’t think that was too bad for someone who had never painted a wall until this project. We saved a lot of what we could in the property to save time and money. Looking back there are things we would definitely do differently, but it’s all a learning process. So here’s a couple of my suggestions for your next project.

1. Gut everything first. Figure out what needs to go and do it all at once. Don’t just gut out the area you are working in if you know more needs to go. That way you get the mess and dirt out altogether. Not to mention you will save money on your dumpster if it doesn’t need to come back multiple times. You don’t want to have part of the house finished and then dragging crap through it. You’ll have to go back and clean everything again. So it’s just easier to do it all up front.

2. Start with the renovation of the upstairs bathroom first. This is mainly a preference of mine based on our previous experiences. We used to start with the kitchens first, but then if the upstairs bath needed plumbing work or a new floor, we would be ripping open some of the ceilings on the first floor. So it’s just easier to start upstairs and work your way down. Also reduces the mess to a finished space if you are cutting open ceilings.

3. Paint your ceilings then your walls. I always go through and paint my ceilings first and then cut in the wall color. By doing the ceilings first we can put the light fixtures back which is helpful. To simplify things, use one or two paint colors throughout the house. What I have found looks nice is to use one color for the kitchen, bath and bedrooms and another color for the living space, stairwell and hallway. Tends to break it up a little but still keeps it easy.

4. Do your flooring last. This way you don’t have to worry about getting paint on it or scuffing it up. We typically put sheet vinyl in our bathrooms and kitchens. To make it simple, use the same flooring in both areas. It will also typically save you money.

Anytime you can buy bulk such as flooring, cabinets, paint- it will typically save you money. So if you are renovating a double and are planning to do the same design in both sides, it may be worthwhile to purchase it upfront if you are able to swing the cost. Or if that is not feasible, maybe they are having a sale on cabinets, then buy what you need and reap the savings.

We have also had some great luck at our local Restore. Here you can find all kinds of things. I once got a large Corian countertop for $100. On average these countertops are anywhere from $42-$65 a square foot. It can be hit or miss, but if you check often you can make out pretty well and cut your costs in half.

Hopefully this helped steer you in the right direction! It’s all a learning game, but as long as you keep moving forward you’ll be on the right track.