Let's be honest: renovating your home can be both intimidating and exciting. Budget, choices, and the fear of making costly mistakes can drag down your mood and kill your motivation to get started. Don't panic, though — we've put together a deep-dive article to help you turn that anxiety into motivation.
1. Build a budget and a shopping list
Picture the joy of painting your living room and realising the colour is exactly what you wanted. That joy fades fast once you realise you forgot to level the wall, or worse, overspent on expensive designer paint. To avoid surprises like these, set a clear budget and prepare a shopping list. Start by visualising the end result for each room.
Whether you want a cosy, bright reading nook or a lively, modern kitchen, budget for labour costs, not just materials. Don't forget to factor in extra costs like taxes and permits, and split your budget into segments, setting aside roughly 10–20% for unexpected expenses. And if unexpected costs do come up, consider an ESTO home renovation loan, built specifically to cover renovation costs.
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2. Discounts and promotions
Worth knowing: sign up for updates from your favourite home-building, renovation, and household stores. These stores often run big discounts in spring, making it the best time to buy materials and tools. You'll be surprised how many good deals you can find. Also check out offers from ESTO Market partner stores. JYSK, STOKKER, or Cenuklubs, for example, carry quality products for refreshing your home at unusual prices and with special discounts.
3. Plan your purchases
Plan purchases around seasonal sales. Consider buying items — a heating system or an air conditioner, for example — when prices drop significantly, like during seasonal sales or Black Friday, letting you buy at much lower prices. Think ahead about what you might need in the coming months, and plan your purchases accordingly.
4. Reviews
We live in an age where information is easy to access for everyone. Use that as smartly as you can. Before buying a specific product, always check its technical specs and parameters, and read reviews to assess its quality and quirks. Websites, forums, and social media groups are great resources for gauging real user experience and recommendations. Look for reviews that cover both the pros and the cons. After all, you don't want to buy bathroom tiles only to discover they get dangerously slippery when wet. Don't forget to factor in long-term costs too — sometimes it's worth spending more on products that last longer.
5. Ask for a custom price
Don't be afraid to haggle, especially for large orders or exclusive, expensive items. Some sellers, for instance, may be sitting on seasonal stock that's been on the shelf a while, with only a few units left that aren't worth keeping in the warehouse. That's a good deal for both seller and buyer. Ask about discounts, free delivery, or extended warranties. Retailers are often willing to offer extra discounts to close a sale, so ask without hesitation — you've got nothing to lose! Quite the opposite. Worst case, you'll just hear "no"!
Safety first
Renovating your home involves things you can handle yourself — stripping old wallpaper off walls, taping window sills to prep for painting, or laying protective film on newly laid flooring to keep it from getting damaged or scratched while moving furniture. But some jobs are better left to professionals — demolition, tiling, or plumbing work, for example. It might sound doable, but without experience, jobs like these are pretty unsafe and risky. It's worth honestly assessing your own skills and taking the time to understand what a job actually involves, so you don't end up overpaying a specialist to fix your mistakes later.
Home renovation is always a challenge, even with experience. But to keep costs under control, choose the right planning strategy. Plan your budget wisely, keep a close eye on deals, or buy certain items during sale season, and you can turn your home into a cosy space while saving money. If you need extra funds to modernise your home, use ESTO's smart payment solutions.
Looking for more tips or ideas on saving money or managing your budget? Check out this article: How to save using budgeting apps?