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After living in apartments with white walls for most of my adult life, I was excited to become a homeowner when my husband and I got married. Paint options! Landscaping! Curtains! My house was a blank canvas, just waiting for me to decorate it. Well, the decorating buzz wore off quickly after I found out how expensive everything was. I thought, naively, that asking my mother-in-law to sew some curtains for me would be a cheap alternativeuntil I priced the fabric.
And that trend continued. Landscaping plants? Yee-ow! New flooring? My wallet felt pinched again. Despite the sticker shock, we have accomplished a lot in the six years since we've moved to our current home.
I love reading DIY blogs and magazines, though their ideas of inexpensive kitchen remodels are usually different than mine. But I have to be careful: When I flood my brain with picture after picture of fantastic home makeovers, my house with lots of character seems in need of a major face lift.
For instance, when we moved in six years ago, the kitchen was my least favorite room in the house. Dark, peeling cabinets, atrocious drawer pulls that caught every bit of flour that drifted off the counter, chartreuse counter tops, lots of very shallow drawers, and more unpleasantness welcomed me every morning. Such a room practically begged for some TLC, and I had ideas of how everything, even the layout of the appliances, could be improved. But I didn't want to do anything at all, until we had saved enough money to do things exactly the way I wanted to do them.
We planned to do most of the work ourselves which would have saved a bundle. But with the average kitchen remodels nearing $20,000 (and I think that's kind of conservative), it would have been expensive.
Anyway, somewhere between adopting our children and quitting my full-time job, we decided that a full kitchen remodel was not a responsible use of our money. Instead, I allowed my husband to do what he had wanted to all along: paint the cabinets and walls and replace the drawer pulls and handles.
For less than $400, we went from dark to for-$400-this-is-a-major-improvement. It's not really impressive, but we saved a lot of money. Even though we still deal with shallow drawers and no range hood, I don't even think of making other improvements. I am also happy we don't have tens of thousands of dollars wrapped up in a kitchen. I think I will cook here happily for another decade or two, beating eggs on my formica chartreuse counter top. (If you spent money on a kitchen remodel, don't read this as a condemnation. We just did what was best for us.)
My best money-saving tip may actually prevent you from spending money at all. Figure out what you really like and what fits your house. For instance, our house feels cottage-like. Even though I think granite counter tops and stainless appliances and gorgeous cabinets are, well, gorgeous, it wouldn't fit in our simple house. It would make the rest of our rooms look shabby by comparison.
1. Paint. Two rooms in our house were painted with leftover paint from my sister's house. I think I paid her some money for the paint, but I know it was below market value. I was happy to get the colors I was looking for, and my sister was glad to declutter.
Many paint manufacturers are now selling small sample jars. As someone who can't pick colors well, those sample jars have saved me several times. Even when I've picked the wrong hue, I have taken the paint back in and had the color changed slightly (this can be tricky, but I have a favorite paint guy who can usually handle my color-changing quirks).
Dear EarthTalk: Im planning a major home renovation and want to include as many green-friendly features as possible. Where do I begin to look? Matthew Glaser, Queens, NY
There has never been a better time to renovate green, given the abundance of Earth-friendly building material choices as well as contractors well-versed in energy and resource efficiency. You can save money in the long run despite the up-front costs by choosing materials and strategies that will lower utility bills and reduce maintenance and replacement costs moving forward. For starters, look for building materials that contain post-consumer or post-industrial recycled content that can be easily recycled later. Also, make sure the materials are sustainably sourced such as wood certified as sustainably harvested by the Forest Stewardship Council (www.fsc.org). And try to minimize the distance any building materials need to travel to help reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions. In areas of the renovation that are not a complete tear-down and re-build, tighten things up by plugging holes, patching or replacing roofing or siding as needed and adding weather-stripping around doors and windows. Also, switch out older single-pane windows with more efficient modern double- or triple-pane styles. This can pay for itself in energy savings within just a few years while improving comfort. Replace or add insulation to walls, attics and other spaces to keep heat inside and cold out (and vice-versa). You can also save lots of energy by swapping out old appliances with newer models that qualify for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agencys EnergyStar label (www.energystar.gov). Such appliances 20 to 30 percent more energy-efficient than standard models will reduce not only your carbon footprint but also utility bills. For guidance on how to renovate as sustainably as possible, check out the U.S. Green Building Councils Green Home Guide (greenhomeguide.com/program/leed-for-homes), a free online resource that bases its recommendations on its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, LEED, guidelines for certifying green buildings. At this site, you can ask an experienced contractor questions on sustainable materials and techniques or find nearby green home professionals qualified for larger green renovation jobs. Another valuable resource is the REGREEN website (www.greendepot.com). This joint project of the American Society of Interior Designers and the U.S. Green Building Council offers case studies for green remodeling projects, interactive tools and basic guidelines written so even do-it-yourselfers can understand. A REGREEN Strategy Generator widget can provide tailored tactics for specific green remodeling projects. For example, if you enter the parameters bathroom and water efficiency, the widget might suggest the installation of faucet aerators and low-use showerheads. Talking over projects and options with a design professional at a retail green building supply store like Green Depot, with locations in 10 states, can also help you source cutting-edge materials that will save energy and money in the long run. Green Building Supply (www.greenbuildingsupply.com), which offers an extensive free online learning center, will ship a wide range of green building materials anywhere in the U.S.
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