Renovating your home can be pricey! Find out how we saved money during our recent condo remodel and get a sneak peek at some of the remodel details before the big reveal!
It’s been a few months since we started renovating our new condo. The project is alllllllmost wrapped up and we’ll hopefully be moving in within the next few days. Yay!
It’ll be a little while still before I share the final reveal, but I thought it would be fun to check in on the progress today.
This project has been a big undertaking since we’ve literally updated every square inch, all while trying to stick to a tight budget.
We needed to keep the reno budget manageable because in addition to the renovation costs, we’ll be also starting from scratch with furnishings (we’ve been full time RV living for the last 4 years).
In fact, the other day I wrote this on one of my Instagram stories:
“This condo renovation is brought to you by Marketplace finds, thrifted items + prayers.”
The responses in my DMs told me that a lot of my followers really resonated with that sentiment. While remodeling your home, even if it’s a relatively small space, costs can add up fast.
And let’s be honest- everrrrrrrything is more expensive these days.
As nice as it would be to have an endless amount of money to spend on home projects, the reality is that most of us are trying to stay within a reasonable budget to make it happen!
The truth: I kind of love working with a tight budget. It forces me to flex my creative muscles & find ways to makeover our home in ways I might not have thought of had my budget been bigger.
So today I thought it’d be helpful to share 3 of my biggest tips for renovating on a budget. And as promised, I’ll sprinkle in some of the renovation details and a few sneak peeks… I can’t help myself!
If you’re catching up, here’s the before tour of the condo the day after we purchased it.
3 Tips To Save Money During A Renovation
When we bought our condo in early 2022, we knew we’d want to update a few things before moving in. It needed new paint, some TLC in the kitchen and definitely some new carpets.
While we do plan to live in this space for the next 1-2 years, we also purchased this property with the potential of turning it into a rental property down the road. So there was a balance of making over the space to feel more like us, but also finding ways to keep the overall budget fairly small.
Here’s how we saved money during a whole home remodel.
1. All You Need Is Paint
If I could only choose one project to makeover a space, it would be new paint. Talk about low cost, big impact! In the condo we painted all of the walls & ceiling in Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace.
We also saved money by painting the existing cabinets instead of replacing them. We used Accessible Beige by Sherwin-Williams. This is also the color we used on all of the interior doors (pictured above).
Choosing paint colors can be so overwhelming! We love using peel & stick paint samples to make the decision process so much easier. Here’s a look at the three other color options we considered for the cabinets- you can see just how helpful these peel & stick samples are!
Need help choosing the right paint color for your space? You can find all of my paint color guides HERE.
How To Get A Great Deal On Paint
Did you know that you can use budget friendly paint, and have it color matched to premium Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams paint colors? We do this for all of our painting projects!
Any paint store, or home improvement store with a paint section will be able to match colors from most major brands. This means that you can select one brand of paint, but get it mixed in any color you want. This can save you a ton of money!
I share more of my painting tips favorite paint supplies at the bottom of this post.
Related: My Top Painting Resources & Tips
2. Amazon Warehouse Deals
This is one of my FAVORITE ways to save money. We do a lot of our shopping on Amazon, amidst a remodel or not. But before I ever click that ‘add to cart’ button, I always check to see if there is an Amazon Warehouse Deals option first.
Wait… what is Amazon Warehouse Deals? I’m glad you asked. 😉
Amazon has a little known section of their site where they offer products at a discounted rate because they have been returned or had damaged packaging while being shipped to the warehouse. You can often find items marked down by 50% or more off their brand new price!
FAQ: Can you return a Amazon Warehouse Deal item? Yes! You can return an item for any reason, even if you just don’t like it, or no longer need it.
There are 2 ways to shop Warehouse Deals:
- Simply search “Warehouse Deals” in the Amazon search bar and you can browse all of the categories & current inventory.
- On the product details page of a specific product, scroll down to the “add to cart” area and if there is a Warehouse Deals option, it will be listed under the regular price with the title: Save with Used. (This is my preferred way to find discounted items on Amazon.)
We ALWAYS check for discounts before paying full price and have purchased countless items this way. For the condo we’ve scored so many Warehouse Deals, like this bathroom faucet:
For 9 more Amazon hacks, checkout this blog post I wrote with all of my favorite ways to save money using Amazon.
3. Thrift Finds & FB Marketplace
Ever since we closed on our new condo, I have been scouring Facebook Marketplace & local thrift stores. We’ve been living in an RV for the last 4 years which means we have very little furniture & home items. In other words, we would need to be purchasing…a lot.
I knew things like a couch, coffee table, dining table & chairs, beds, etc. would add up FAST. Since the remodel would likely take a few months, it was the perfect opportunity to be patient, and save money by finding gently used items for a fraction of the retail price.
And I’m happy to say that I’ve found so. many. amazing. deals this way. Here’s a sneak peek at just a few of the items I’ve picked up for CHEAP!
And pretty much everything in the girls’ bedroom is thrifted or from Marketplace!
Tips for finding quality items through Marketplace & thrift stores:
- Check often– when I’m actively looking for items, I’ll check Marketplace a few times a day, and even more during the weekends when people are more likely to be decluttering & listing their items. As for local thrift stores, try to stop in once or twice per week.
- Use specific search terms (pine dresser, wood bed frame). Yet, sometimes people don’t realize what they have and you can find diamonds in the rough using generic search terms like old wood furniture or coffee table.
- My favorite keywords to search: vintage, old wood, antique wood, English pine furniture, pine furniture
- When searching thrift stores, I like to look for things like woven baskets, brass candlestick holders, glassware, lamps, frames, mirrors and books.
- Keep a list of items you’re needing to refer back to as your thrifting and/or browsing Marketplace
I hope these tips for how to renovate your home on a budget have left you feeling empowered and inspired. Creating a home you love doesn’t have to break the bank!
These are just a few of my favorite ways to save money while renovating your home, but there are so many more. You can find more budget-friendly DIYs & decorating ideas HERE.
I cannot wait to finish up this remodel and share the full reveal!
Want my A-to-Z blueprint on how to design a room that’s beautiful and stylish?
A Fun Experiment!
I’m thrilled to be working with Google as a paid early tester for their pilot program Thank with Google.
Thank with Google allows readers of my blog (pssttt that’s YOU!) to send a virtual sticker that shows their support & appreciation for the content on my website. That means as a loyal reader of Joyfully Growing Blog, you can now directly express your support with me & let me know how my content has helped you – whether it be a DIY tutorial you followed, decor inspo you loved, or even just pretty room reveals you enjoyed!
I put a lot of time into creating blog content that I think my readers will enjoy and I love that Google is trying to come up with a fun new way for my audience to connect with me & show their support.
*Bonus* Every time a reader decides to purchase and send a sticker, not only does it show me which content they value the most, but there’s also a place where they can write a personal note that is sent directly to me. Love this!!
I hope you find the articles on my blog helpful & inspiring! Feel free to tryout this fun feature & be one of the first readers to send me a virtual sticker. You can find the Thank with Google feature in multiple places on my site, including as a button at the top & bottom of this (and all blog posts), as well as in the sidebar.
If you try it out, let me know what you think! Thank you SO much for reading along and supporting my blog!
