How to Renovate a House Perfectly [Save 43.7% Material Cost]
Let’s face it. Home renovation is never an easy job. And you’re not alone. Every homeowner wants to know how to renovate a house nicely and cheaply.
Do you know what a professional contractor will do to save their project cost?
You’re in the right place
In this guide, we will cover all the basics of home renovation and remodeling, and you will know how much people are spending on their reno project.
Of course, the best part is what you can do to save your cost significantly like a pro.
This guide is focused on Australia but would work in other countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, United States, and many more.
Let’s dive in.
Seeing some reality shows, you would observe it takes about 24 minutes to renovate a house.
Well, this is impossible and also not practical.
An understanding of the major elements involved in a full home renovation will go a long way to know what’s involved in the process.
How to renovate a house correctly? Now let us look at some best-ordered steps:
① Design and Planning
In carrying out your house project, design and planning take the bulk of the time. For starters, this is where things could get complicated or straightforward. So you build a well-detailed house improvement plan. This would pinpoint the goals you wish to achieve. This plan includes a blueprint of your finished project, a list of wants and needs, and lastly, the whole process step by step.
Having done this, you are sure to have a smooth ride when you begin the renovations.
② Apply for Building Permits
It is essential to find out what permits are needed to renovate a house. Although some neighbors might not need this, it depends on the community. So try to learn more from your local council if a planning permit, building permit, or both are required.
With a planning permit, you develop the land in a particular way. On the other hand, a building permit would give the go-ahead since your plan complies with the building regulation.
③ Order Building Materials
One thing I have noticed over the years is that everyone wants quality design; therefore, they would pay any amount to get it. However, overpaying is a turndown. No one wants that. During renovations, trying to reduce costs is essential. This can be done in various ways, such as going to local salvage stores to make a purchase.
Enquiring from a contractor, get in touch with the manufacturer, scoping out construction sites are other options that would bring down your expenses. You can also look for furniture, materials, and other items to buy from trade resources overseas.
④ Fix any Roofing or Foundation issue
A building won’t last long on a bad foundation. Trust me, and a bad foundation is a piece of bad news. A weak foundation opens the building to further damages and would end up costing you more than you planned for.
Check to see if your roof has issues, too, because all these are essential to the renovation process. Therefore, make it a priority to take care of your roof leaks, punctures, and holes, shrinkage, cracking and blistering on your roof. Most importantly, your foundation should be repaired.
⑤ Demolition
It is difficult to carry out a proper renovation without the destruction of some areas. It is an essential part of the process. Usually, it could be frustrating, dangerous, and also expensive. However, if it is correctly done, it would help you a lot. However, a professional approach should be made when carrying out this process.
Get the right tools, wear the right outfit, and seal off the demolition area before you begin. Renting a dumpster would make your work much more comfortable. Try to make use of a dust mask.
⑥ Framing
Framing is merely fitting pieces of wood or steel together bring about structure support and the desired shape. There is heavy frame construction such as timber framing or steel framing. The second type is light-frame construction. Usually, light-frame construction takes place when the support is small and numerous.
⑦ HVAC, Electrical and Plumbing
The HVAC system should not be overlooked during the renovation process. For a successful renovation should not be forgotten. Unsafe electrical wiring should be taken care of. They can be upgraded to optimize their performance.
These are often overlooked because they are usually installed behind the walls. The renovation period is the best time to upgrade these wires. Most importantly, do not forget the bathroom and toilet. You’d preferably hire a professional to get the job done.
⑧ Insulation
Depending on the kind of insulation, you make use of loose-fill, batts, expanding sprays, among others; most importantly, during renovations, moisture issues should be avoided. It is very vital to prevent this. When moistures from the living space get into the walls, they cause problems when they condense in the insulation.
Also, moist air could migrate into the building. However, ask advice from your insulation manager before you decided which insulation material to use.
⑨ Drywall
Of course, when renovations are ongoing, walls are torn apart. There is a need to put the place back together after the electrician or plumber has done their magic. Now you could save some cash when you choose to redo the wall yourself. However, you might want to consider each drywall panel weigh about 30kg and usually comes in pairs, which means two people will have to carry up to 60kg.
Better still, if you choose to get a professional, understand that a 3-man crew is about $25 per hour for each laborer.
⑩ Painting and Wallpaper
Carrying out a full renovation process would require that you’d paint at the end of the process. Paining and wallpapers are like finishing touches to the renovation process. If you want a cozy room or dramatic room, these feelings could be triggered by the kind of painting and wallpaper you choose.
⑪ Cabinet and Fixtures
Before you change the kitchen cabinet, you should consider some vital factors. Most importantly, knowing what to renovate first in a house is incredible. In changing the kitchen cabinet, you’d consider your budget, because you don’t want to begin and not be able to complete it successfully.
The budget and quality have to do with your style and size of the cabinet. Even the kitchen space will be considered.
⑫ Doors and Windows
At this level, your home remodeling is gradually coming to an end. Doors and windows are usually in various amazing styles, options, and prices.
If you’ve seen enough standard double-hung and casements, there are also more options. Like the Jalousie windows, awning windows, glass block windows might be a good idea.
⑬ Clean House and Air Vents
Now, ensuring the air vents are correctly functioning after most of the renovation process. Air ducts usually have clouds of dust, dirt, hair, etc. During your home renovations is an excellent time to ensure you get them clean again.
⑮ Siding, Gutters
Next step, siding or wall cladding your house. This protects the exterior of your house. Gutter cleaning, repair, and installing are the final steps in how to renovate a house.
Transforming your house doesn’t happen overnight. Restoring an old house to its former glory after many years would hit hard on your pocket. However, with a plan, reasonable budget, and effort, you could make it happen.
How Much to Renovate a House In Australia
To ensure you don’t go bankrupt, you need to find out how to renovate a house on a budget. This would have information on what changes or repairs or installations that would be made during the home remodeling. Enabling you to understand how to channel funds into a renovation.
Home renovations do not always imply a complete renovation process. Sometimes, you might have areas that are still perfectly ok. However, if it is an ancient house, you might want to make it everywhere, it is touched.
After a proper understanding has been reached, well, you can begin the renovation process. Here a picture of what the costs look like:
Bathroom cost is from $10,000 to $35,000 depending on your style, budget, and choice. The living room renovation cost goes from about $10,000 to $15,000 plus. Your master bedroom cost goes from $2,000 to $35,000+, making it to your taste.
How Much to Renovate a Kitchen
Kitchen renovations are technical and quite important. They cost anywhere from about $10,000 to $45,000. However, the more work that needs to be done would reflect in the cost going high because renovations supplies would increase.
Also, you’d be needing a professional for your kitchen. Labor would take part of the cost. Workers such as electricians, tilers, plumbers, builders, and cabinet makers would be paid for.
Your kitchen renovation can be broken down into three categories: the budget renovations, standard repairs, and premium renovations.
For a budget renovation, which involves things like replacing lights and appliances, setting up new cupboards, and all would cost $10,000 to $23,000.
Standard renovations costs about $20,000 to $45,000. You’d get new flooring, replace windows, just the layout is left untouched.
Premium renovations are quite big deals. The cost range is from $40,000 to $70,000, and it depends on the nature of the work required.
SIX STEPS TO BUDGET YOUR HOME RENOVATION
It is not impossible to bring back an old house back to life without having to break the bank to do that. Better still, for a complete home renovation, you need a budget. Without a budget, all you have is just wishes. For this guide, we would consider 6 necessary steps to budget your home remodeling plan.
Endeavor to make a list of particular renovations you intend to carry out. This would make you see clearly what needs to be done and identify the necessary renovations supplies you would need. Writing them down on paper helps you think clearly and avoid any mistakes along the budgeting process.
Sometimes, writing the project down in a priority order could be quite helpful to you and your budget.
- STEP TWO: Estimate costs on all possible items
Get yourself some remodeling magazines. When you read through, you would see the prices for some things you need for your renovation. Also, visiting a manufacturer, contractor, or engineer who would be able to help you get a better idea of cost.
With the knowledge of the cost of materials and all, you could go on to make a viable budget, although it is just a rough estimate. At this stage don’t cut things out because of their prices, just put it all in the budget. Remember, it all estimations, and nothing concretes yet.
- STEP THREE: Think About How Much You Are Willing to Spend.
Now, with a list of the various renovations needed and also an estimated price list, you could decide how much you can set aside for this project. Would it require you taking a loan? Would you need to wait for your next paycheck? This guarantees that when you begin the project, your plan will follow through. These are questions you should be able to answer before commencing the home renovation.
- STEP FOUR: Decide Your Renovation Priorities
Quite an exciting phase. The numbers and figures are right in front of you. Deciding what to and what not to do is up to you because you have your budget in mind. Now make a list of your renovation priorities. You would need to compromise in certain areas. However, the goal must be achievable.
- STEP FIVE: Set an Amount for the Unexpected
Typically, when budget requirements have been met, it is helpful to keep a certain amount aside for unexpected expenses. No matter how perfect a plan is, there is always a tendency for certain things to occur and because you don’t want to halt your progress, you have to have a backup strategy. This is usually written as miscellaneous on the budget.
However, understand that there is a need for you to apply creativity during these times. This enables an optimum result of the whole process and peace of mind on your part.
- STEP SIX: Update in Real-Time
It would be nice to keep yourself abreast. The more knowledge you acquire would help you make sound and healthy decisions for your project. With this, you are sure you are getting the best deal there is, and your money is not going out for anything.
Another reason for keeping your budget updated is because it’s possible that the budget you prepared in march of a particular year, most items prices have been altered. Let’s say you planned for a custom kitchen cabinet of about $5000, and currently, it is $6500. You would have to apply this adjustment to your budget.
Even with a small budget, the cost of a home remodeling can get out of the rail. Specific steps must be taken to ensure this does not happen.
Sticking to your budget, paying cash, taking your time during the whole process are simple steps to ensure you don’t get caught in a bad situation.
Also, making sure to get a product with high efficiency before you think of their size, picking basic products if you have a tight budget, making use of previously used material would help minimize your budget.
However, to save on home renovations cost, you need to consider doing it yourself. This is one of the significant steps taken to reduce expenses during home remodeling.
Also, making sure to get a product with high efficiency before you think of their size, picking basic products if you have a tight budget, making use of previously used material would help minimize your budget.
However, to save on home renovations cost, you need to consider doing it yourself. This is one of the significant steps taken to reduce expenses during home remodeling.
Although, you might not be able to carry out all the task by yourself, generally, the following can be carried out by yourself:
Although, you might not be able to carry out all the task by yourself, generally, the following can be carried out by yourself:
- demolition,
- painting interiors,
- managing subcontractors,
- installing laminate flooring,
- fixing an outlet,
- installing a toilet,
- changing a ceiling light,
- buying building products
- installing partial PEX plumbing
Despite all these, there are things you shouldn’t do yourself because you do not have a license to do such. Such works are like electrical works or works that involve moving the utility lines.
IMPORT RENOVATION BUILDING MATERIALS FROM CHINA
China has been known to be a manufacturing powerhouse throughout the years. Half of the products made today are produced in China. Lots of homeowners buy this idea because importing products from china can save a lot of material cost.
Most of the renovation supplies you bought locally are made in China. The products are the same but just packed in different ways. I’m not saying it’s an easy approach to import overseas, because you also have to make sure things like products standard and certificates etc. However, if you can get it done correctly, importing your renovation supplies from China will pay off your time spent.
Anything can be imported from China; however as a homeowner, there are certain items you should buy locally while others imported from overseas.
Raw building material: sand, timber, concrete, cement & masonry, etc.
Buy locally – for one house project, importing overseas probably won’t help you save too much
Electrical Items: lighting, oven, range hoods, cables, etc.
Buy locally – quantity needed for one house does not reach the MOQ for Chinese factories to customised in your local standard.
Finished building material (building products): tiles, wood flooring, doors, windows, kitchen cabinets, built-in wardrobe, bathtub, etc.
Import from China – you’d be surprised how many renovation supplies in your local stores are made in China.
It’s always good to know there is an option to lower our building material cost. But is it worth all the hassles to import from China? Let’s take a closer look to see how much you can save by importing your renovation supplies from China.
How to Calculate Landed Cost from China to Australia
Why is the landed cost so important? Because that‘s the only number, you should be compared with the prices of Local Australian sellers. So what is landed cost? It‘s the total cost you spent on buying products in China to getting it here in your country after paying all the import duty and GST.
In calculating your landed cost for your goods, there are certain factors to take into consideration. Freight costs, duty and brokerage cost, storage costs, purchasing agency commission, and other regulatory fees are to be considered.
Now to calculate the landed cost, the formula goes thus:
Landed cost = Factory price + Local Charge + Import Duty + Shipping Cost + Insurance Cost + GST + Import Processing Fee
Landed Cost = FOB Price + Door to Door Shipping Cost + Insurance Cost + Import Duty + GST
Let’s see the numbers of our recent project which we’ve helped our client to import renovation supplies from China to Australia:
Total purchasing amount = 20405.54 USD
Door to Door Shipping Cost with Insurance = 2406 USD
Import Duty = 5% × 20405.54 USD = 1020.28 USD
GST = 10% × (20405.54 USD + 1020.28 USD + 2406 USD) = 2383.18 USD
Total Landed Cost = 20405.54 USD + 2406 USD + 1020.28 USD + 2383.18 USD = 26215 USD
Landed Cost Rate = 26215 USD ÷ 20405.54 USD = 1.285
Which means you can work out your landed cost by China price × 1.285 (about 30%)
The landed cost rate may vary for different products and shipping methods, but according to our experience, it fits most of the renovation supplies via sea freight.
What is the Cost Difference Between Buying Renovation Supplies Locally and Importing from China
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Screen Shower
Importing from China and buying from a local dealer always have different rates. Most times, despite the cost of importation, clearance, and transportation, and it is usually imported cheaply.
For example, let’s consider the screen shower.
You can find a shower screen in Burnnings with a dimension of 1170 x 870 x 2000mm, a frameless sliding screen shower, cost $885 in Australia.
However, importing a shower screen with dimension 1200 x 1000 x 2000mm and 8mm AS/NZS 2208 Glass cost AU$498 (all-inclusive landed cost from china). The reduction in price is about 43.7%. This means that you just saved up 43.7% of what you would have spent when you buy from a local dealer.
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Kitchen Cabinet
There is some misunderstanding that Chinese factories can only produce stock or semi-custom kitchen cabinets (like Ikea). However, that’s apparently not the truth. Many Australian homeowners already imported their fully custom made kitchen cabinets from China.
Let’s take a look at our recent case on bespoke kitchen with dimension 3.2 * 2.5 metre:
Plywood structure
Heritage look MDF Door fingerprint-free matt finished
With quartz benchtop
with 2 * 1 metre island
2 Full hight Pantries
W/ pull out stainless steel pantry basket
Import from China Landed Cost: AU$8161
With similar configuration, you will be looking at around AU$15000 – AU$20000 if buying locally in Australia.
The saving is very significant and even more when you are ordering for a larger project. The factories would deal with you at less cost because of the quantity you are ordering.
Some challenges come up when you decide to import products from china. These challenges, sometimes, can be regarded as risks. Business gurus understand that there are always risks when doing business. However, you must learn how to navigate your way through the process to reduce the risks.
It is essential to know these risks and take the necessary precautions to reduce them. This is very vital to the success of your business. Fewer risks would mean more profit for you. Let me quickly summarize the problems you could likely encounter when you are doing business with China.
1.Supplier scams:
A lot of supply scams have taken place and are still taking place. Often, these goods have deals that are too good to be true. It is advised that before you conclude and exchange of funds take place that you carry out extensive research on your manufacturer. Ask a lot of questions.
2. Language Barrier:
right from inception, life has always had the issue of language. When it comes to international trade, language is a big deal. Although, in China, there is quite a handful of manufacturers that can understand and speak English. One significant way of avoiding such a challenge is to hirean interpreter or local sourcing and buying agent. They would be able to get your message across to the manufacturer.
3.Lack of knowledge about Australian product standard:
Australia has specific regulatory rules or laws for various products. When importing from China, you must ensure that your products are aligned with the standards. Tell your manufacturer the required stand before he begins the manufacturing process. This would avoid your goods being confiscated at the borders or airports.
4.Quality Issue:
you would be at a loss when your supplier makes goods that are of low quality. Chances that you might get a refund might be slim. Always check the quality before you close the deal.
5. High Price and Cost:
always remember that price does not ensure quality. You should find yourself a manufacturer that would produce your product at a reasonable price. However, it’s not easy to find a manufacturer in China. And most of the “facotries”on alibaba.com are just trading companies.
6. Time Consuming:
due to the different business cultures in both countries, you might need to travel down to china to check things out for yourself. This is usually time-consuming, seeing that you might have other businesses to take care of at house.
You are imagining having to go to China for two weeks to transact and finalize deals. Usually, to avoid this, you need to get a professional who would save you time and cost you little money too.
Now you know the best home renovation steps and how to renovate your house nicely and cheaply. It’s never an easy job, but when you see your beautiful house, all your hard work will pay off.
Get started on your home renovation plan and talk to us if you want to save costs by importing building material from China.
Happy renovating!
I’m looking at sourcing all building materials fir my duplex developments.
Can you please contact me
Very good can someone do all this for me I am very busy