My experience of inexpensive apartment renovation and some good advice

Inexpensive apartment renovation is the desire, perhaps, of many of us. Naturally, I also wanted to repair my apartment inexpensively when I bought a kopeck piece on the secondary. I gained some experience on all this and now I decided to share it. I think it will be useful for many people to know.

But I will not limit myself to describing my experience. I will also give you some specific tips for smart savings.

How I planned my inexpensive repair

From the very beginning I was limited in money. Therefore, at the first stage, I decided to repair only the kitchen. Moreover, in order to save money, I immediately decided that I did not need luxuries, without which I could well do without.

I proceeded from a clear plan of what I should get as a result of the repair. In particular, the scope of work defined by me included:

• replacement of linoleum with skirting boards;
• wallpaper plywood;
• stretch ceiling installation;
• electrical wiring. In principle, this should be done by a specialist. But there was only one outlet. So I decided to do it myself;
• arrangement of thoughtful lighting.

I saved money on the design project. To create it in my head, I used Instagram. I just studied there ready-made options for the request "kitchen design".

Preparing the premises for renovation

I did the pre-finishing and finishing work myself. But for the installation of a stretch ceiling, he invited a specialist.

He dealt with the old wall tiles pretty quickly. Old linoleum and wallpaper also did not constitute a problem for me.

The concrete floor had some small drops, but it looked pretty even. So I didn't cook it. And as a floor covering I decided to buy linoleum. Because it lays down without problems, even if the floor is not perfectly flat.

Selection and purchase of materials

I selected and purchased materials in several stages. First, I bought draft ones. And then the clean ones. And I started both times with an introductory trip. That is, he traveled to the maximum number of stores in order to find cheaper materials.

All items were delivered by myself. Luckily I have my own car. It's always cheaper than shipping.

To buy linoleum, I chose the construction market of my city. I picked it up live in one of the stores, but bought it, although in the same place, but via the Internet. Because it was much cheaper.

It turned out that for new settlers they give a tangible discount on wallpaper and some other goods. But this is not in all market stores. So I had to go and ask around.

How I did my inexpensive repairs without being a professional

So, I did most of the work myself.

Surely, you are interested to know how I coped with what I had not had to do before. Everything is very simple: the Internet has always come to my aid. Particularly YouTube. There are a lot of videos in which you can learn everything from experienced craftsmen. Or you can read the websites. For instance, here.

A few words about the installation of a stretch ceiling

This work is very specific. So I didn't take it on myself. But I didn't contact any companies. Tried to go directly to the experts. The site profi.ru helped me a lot with this.

For "shooting" he invited several masters. And this, as a result, allowed me to choose the one whose conditions and price suited me the most. This master not only mounted the ceiling itself for me, but also installed spotlights in it.

So, I talked about my approach to repair, about how I did it. I want to end with a few specific tips that I myself have drawn from my own experience.

Inexpensive apartment renovation: a few specific tips

1. If possible, do not choose expensive fixtures, do not mount two-level ceilings, do not lay expensive parquet. That is, try to exclude the use of elite class finishes. Even with budget-grade materials, a refurbished space can still be stylish. But on condition that you choose the right color for the flooring and wallpaper.

2. Do not try to make the walls perfectly flat. If we are talking about budget repairs, then the visual evenness will be quite sufficient.

3. Buy building materials without haste and do not use the services of only one building market. Because the prices in stores are always different. You should always try to find an acceptable price and a store where there are discounts. Be friends with the Internet: if you take the trouble to “google”, then it will surely reward you a hundredfold.

4. Try not to spend money on shipping, because it is quite expensive.

5. Try to do the maximum possible amount of work with your own hands, because the services of professionals will cost you a pretty penny.