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Old 02-08-2017, 02:02 PM
 
Location: State of Transition
102,212 posts, read 107,931,771 times
Reputation: 116160

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Quote:
Originally Posted by 49erfan916 View Post
And if so, did you guys do it frugally? I want to remodel my house, mostly cosmetic, because i feel like some of my stuff is dated.

I want to:

get new porcelin tile floors
paint my kitchen cabinets white
get some new furniture
and convert my storage room into an office space.


Do you know any ways to cut costs?
This isn't remodeling. You can do the painting yourself, and maybe find some discontinued white shades of paint.

Tile floors: through the whole house? Kitchen only? What are we talking, here?

Converting storage to another use: I don't get it, what's so hard about that? Move your stored stuff to the garage, move in a desk. Done.

Furniture: comparison shop like crazy. Try consignment shops and cruise yard sales for an occasional piece. Don't get cheap pressboard/laminate cr@p. You'll end up having to replace it in a few years. Definitely NOT a savings.
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Old 02-08-2017, 02:31 PM
 
Location: Where the sun likes to shine!!
20,548 posts, read 30,397,537 times
Reputation: 88951
Also watch sales and specials on paint. Sometimes if you order it online it is cheaper than the store. A flooring discount can be good if you have one close by.
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Old 02-08-2017, 04:21 PM
 
Location: 415->916->602
3,143 posts, read 2,660,430 times
Reputation: 3872
Sorry, I guess it was redecorating instead of remodeling. But i do have carpet but i want to lay down the tile but right now, i have carpet. I got some estimates for the work. I want to lay it all downstars, including the kitchen, and i would estimate that the downstairs is about 1500sq.

This is a long-term goal of mine, probably about 3 or 4 years. But thank you for your advice!
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Old 02-09-2017, 06:20 PM
 
Location: Traveling
7,045 posts, read 6,298,150 times
Reputation: 14724
Check out re-ue it store or Habitat for Humanity resale stores for materials.
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Old 02-09-2017, 07:12 PM
 
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,724 posts, read 58,067,115 times
Reputation: 46190
Are you sure you want to do ceramic tile floors? (one way trip (hard to remove / upgrade) and expensive / time consuming) Personally they are too hard and cold for me. Everything you drop WILL BREAK, and if it is a hard or heavy drop, your tile may break!
You need to be very good with your layout to minimize cuts and visible seams, Floor prep and quality supplies are critical to assure a nice finished product. Hint: It will take a LOT longer to do your floor than it does on a 1/2hr TV program!

But for CHEAP... used materials and dealer overstock will be the bargains
shop shop shop, especially Habitat Restore Early each week when they set out the donations from commercial businesses.

Freecycle
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Old 02-09-2017, 07:19 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,584,768 times
Reputation: 53073
Marry a contractor.

That's why my home, growing up, was always in a constant state of remodeling.
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Old 02-09-2017, 07:20 PM
 
Location: Middle America
37,409 posts, read 53,584,768 times
Reputation: 53073
Quote:
Originally Posted by StealthRabbit View Post
Are you sure you want to do ceramic tile floors? (one way trip (hard to remove / upgrade) and expensive / time consuming) Personally they are too hard and cold for me. Everything you drop WILL BREAK, and if it is a hard or heavy drop, your tile may break!
You need to be very good with your layout to minimize cuts and visible seams, Floor prep and quality supplies are critical to assure a nice finished product. Hint: It will take a LOT longer to do your floor than it does on a 1/2hr TV program!

But for CHEAP... used materials and dealer overstock will be the bargains
shop shop shop, especially Habitat Restore Early each week when they set out the donations from commercial businesses.

Freecycle
My husband redid our kitchen floor in our old house with ceramic tiles from Habitat ReStore. Never again. Ever.
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:49 PM
 
4,993 posts, read 5,292,680 times
Reputation: 15763
Quote:
Originally Posted by 49erfan916 View Post
And if so, did you guys do it frugally? I want to remodel my house, mostly cosmetic, because i feel like some of my stuff is dated.

I want to:

get new porcelin tile floors
paint my kitchen cabinets white
get some new furniture
and convert my storage room into an office space.


Do you know any ways to cut costs?
Personal experience... I don't like tile floors. Most of the main living areas in this house have it. It's harder on your body to walk around on it. The grout didn't get sealed and it looks like heck. It is slippery especially when wet. If you do get tile, find one where the dirt will blend in like some sort of marbled look and get darker grout so dirt doesn't show. Don't cheap out on it. Get something of a decent quality.

New furniture, go to nicer places and look for discounted furniture. You might check consignment or 'antique' type places. They usually have some stuff that isn't junk.

The storage room to office conversion depends on what you have and what you want. I like older office furniture better because it is usually sturdier. Look for estate sales. I like wood floors in an office. You can look for clearances or closeouts particularly if you only need to do one room and don't need to do a whole house.
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Old 02-09-2017, 10:29 PM
 
Location: 415->916->602
3,143 posts, read 2,660,430 times
Reputation: 3872
Thank you guys for your suggestions. I'm very new at this so i don't know the names of some of these things. The flooring i was referring to are these:

https://www.google.com/search?q=blac...mLXYeoFRMHOxM:


If these are the flooring that i should stay away from, then i will def. consider it
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Old 02-09-2017, 10:50 PM
 
Location: Silicon Valley
18,813 posts, read 32,512,273 times
Reputation: 38576
I much prefer a good linoleum to tile. Tile is a pain. The grout is hard to clean, and if a tile gets cracked, it's a costly pain to get it repaired. You can find really nice linoleum now, or even really nice vinyl tiles.

Ceramic tiles are hard and cold, and the grout is really hard to keep clean. There are just way better, cheaper options out there for you, that I bet you'd be more pleased with.
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