A home renovation usually requires a huge budget to undertake, with many homeowners running over their original budget. But fret not! With the right help and careful planning, there are ways to renovate your home while maintaining a decent budget.
To kick-start, here’s some money-saving advice that will help to keep your budget low when renovating and some examples of real-life landed homes in Malaysia that cost less than RM200,000 to renovate!
Explore: 4 Ways to Keep Your Renovation Budget on Track
1. Choose renovation that adds value to your home
Renovation Cost: RM160,000
While it may be important to have a comfortable and well-made home for you and your family, think about which renovations make the most financial sense and will appeal to a wide range of people.
For example, you may want a swimming pool in your house side yard, but the cost of such a renovation could outweigh the value it adds to your property, as well as push potential home buyers who don't want the upkeep responsibility away if you plan to sell it in the future. However, installing ample built-in storage in your home can benefit every homeowner, besides increasing your property value.
Take a closer look at this double-storey home designed by Pocket Square that is brimming with custom-made cabinetry for a purposeful and well-built interior that will last for years to come. Each zone delivers practical storage while offering stunning aesthetics at the same time.
2. Don’t replace everything in your home
Renovation Cost: RM170,000
People sometimes get the idea that home renovations mean replacing everything you own with brand new items. If you have this notion too, then you should probably reconsider to avoid overspending. Look for furniture or any other home accessories that are worth keeping such as a dining table set, a coffee table or an armchair and consider reusing or repurpose these items before throwing it away.
With RM170,000 renovation budget, Interior Hunters has successfully made every individual piece of furniture in this 3-bedroom landed home look like they are part of a matching set. Our favourite part of the home is the entertainment area that features a comfortable blue lounge chair and black cabinetry to store and display a flat screen TV, games and toys, among other things.
3. Skip the less-traffic areas
Renovation Cost: RM160,000
When renovating on a budget, focus mainly on the highly visible areas in your home such as the bedroom, living area, kitchen and skip the less-traffic areas such as the laundry or the backyard. Injecting shine factor on these high traffic areas will add more value to your home, especially when you plan to sell your property in the future as potential buyers will spend more time in these places compared to the less busy areas of your home.
We love how IQI Concept has successfully pulled off a high-end look to this contemporary landed home with only RM160,000 renovation budget. Bronze mirror and marble elements found behind the freestanding TV create a striking focal point in the living room.
4. Avoid making major structural changes to your home
Renovation Cost: RM110,000
One of the things that will easily add up to your overall budget is making major structural changes to your home such as relocating sinks, bathtubs, stoves, walls and windows. Sometimes removing a wall requires the installation of expensive load-bearing beams and these structural changes will cost more on labour and materials. Unless it affects the functionality of your space and the comfort of people living in your home, it’s not always worth the cost involved in making huge home improvements if you wish to only change the overall look of your home.
Without making any big structural changes, Vault Design Lab has transformed this 1580 sq ft home into a warm and welcoming residence with only RM110,000 renovation budget. The concrete-effect wall in a soothing shade of grey is an easy way to inject a bit of an industrial feel into the home. While the surface of the wall itself is smooth and soft, it creates the illusion of texture, adding depth and interest to the living space.
5. Go for timeless materials
Renovation Cost: RM100,000
This might not save you money upfront, but it certainly will in the long run! When renovating your home, choose materials that you’ll be happy with for years to come. For instance, replacing your entire flooring with earth-tone timber floors is a safe choice as it is a timeless material that will age well, and it also provides a universally appealing neutral backdrop that would pair well with almost any type of furniture or home decor.
On top of that, earthy ambience, if played correctly, can exude a luxurious atmosphere to a home. Take design inspiration from this landed home designed by Movent where dark wooden flooring creates calmness and elegance to every room, especially when paired with dark-tone walls.
Hire a professional
While it might seem that hiring a professional will increase the price of your renovation, sometimes the opposite can be true. Why? Because interior designers know where to find materials at the best prices, and will be able to oversee the contractors so you won’t have to do anything yourself. Request for free quotes here and we will recommend you with up to four (4) reliable interior firms based on your budget and needs.
All recommendations made by Qanvast will be protected under the Qanvast Guarantee scheme that covers 50% of your contract value, up to RM50,000, in the case that the recommended interior firm becomes insolvent.