11 Ways to Stretch Your Remodeling Dollar

Tips 6-11

6. Communicate with your contractor.
Good communication can help to keep those extra dollars from being spent needlessly.

7. Roll up your sleeves.
If you can pitch in without getting in your remodeler's way, do it. Pick up a paintbrush, pull up that dreadful old carpet, or lay down the tile for your new kitchen backsplash. If you have the time and the knowledge, you even could be your own general contractor.

8. Combine projects.
Don't nickel-and-dime yourself to death by doing several similar projects back to back. For example, if you're replacing flooring in one room and are planning to tackle five more rooms eventually, get all six rooms done at the same time. You'll save money in the long run because it's easier and less expensive for a flooring-installation company to do everything at once than to treat each room as an individual project.

9. Hide the uglies.
Refacing cabinets or relining a bathtub costs about half as much as replacing them. Typically, you can reline a bathtub for around $800; you can reline a complete bathtub and wall surround, or a shower, for $1,500-$1,800 instead of replacing them for $3,000-$5,000. And the job can be done in as little as 11/2 days, which minimizes labor costs.

10. Choose fixtures from the same manufacturer.
Sometimes, money well spent is money saved. Because competing manufacturers rarely offer exactly the same color shades, "white"could be 100 different variations on the hue. If you buy an "eggshell white"toilet and sink from one manufacturer, then are lured to buy a bargain-basement "eggshell white"tub from a different manufacturer, the odds are against you: The colors probably won't match and you'll have to replace the tub. Save yourself the hassle; in this case, conformity is a good thing.

11. Account for permits and permit fees.
Never assume that your contractor has obtained the proper permits and that those permit fees are included in his fee. If you do and the project is not built to local codes, you might have to tear it all down and start over. Or, if you obtain the permit for your contractor and the project runs afoul of codes, you—not your contractor—will be liable. The best contracts and specification documents are designed to clarify what is included and what is not.