No matter how much money you have earmarked for your apartment renovation project, you will likely be interested to reduce costs wherever and whenever possible. Unfortunately, this isn’t always possible as quality so often equates to high cost in the construction business. However, there are ways to reduce the cost of an apartment renovation considerably by making slight modifications to the design and by rethinking your choices in materials and processes.
The first step in any construction project is to set a realistic budget. This is so often where apartment renovators make a crucial misstep, and many find themselves having to make last minute compromises in order to shoehorn the last crucial steps of the process into a rapidly dwindling budget. You definitely don’t want to sacrifice on quality and structural reliability at the last hurdle, so plan your budget accordingly.
Taking on the bulk of the work yourself–or with a group of able-bodied buddies–might seem like it would be a great way to save some money; and it is. But you do have to make sure that you aren’t breaking any local ordinances regarding construction and renovation work in a residential area. Hiring a general contractor generally frees you up from such concerns, since most will be familiar enough with the business to know to check up on local building codes and regulations. So if you do decide to tackle the apartment renovation job yourself, make sure you conform to city ordinances as well as the terms of your rental agreement.
Much of the work done on an apartment involves making changes to the interior. But don’t neglect the benefits of exterior work as well. Repainting the exterior of the building, repairing fixtures, and even changing the gate or fence can enhance the appearance of a building considerably and possibly increase the value of the property as well.