Confused About Budgeting for a Home Renovation Where Do I Start?
I’m planning a medium-size renovation on my house mostly kitchen updates, some flooring, and possibly redoing a bathroom later this year. I’ve been trying to budget it myself but honestly… I’m getting lost pretty fast. Material prices seem to change depending on who I ask, labor costs vary a lot, and I don’t want to start something I can’t finish halfway through.
I’ve watched a few YouTube videos and used online calculators, but they all give totally different numbers. Some seem way too low, others make the project sound impossible.
For homeowners who’ve already done remodels how did you figure out realistic numbers before hiring contractors? Did you just get a few rough quotes, build a spreadsheet, or bring in someone early to break everything down?
Also, what costs do people usually forget to include? Permits, demolition, dumpster fees… I feel like those little things probably add up fast.
Would really appreciate any advice or lessons learned. Thanks!
Been there, honestly. Budgeting a renovation always sounds simple until you start pricing things out and realize how wide the ranges are. What helped me most was first locking in the scope exactly what was being changed, finishes, layout tweaks, plumbing moves, etc. Once that was clear, the numbers stopped jumping around so much.
Getting a few contractor quotes is smart, but I’ve also seen people bring in a construction cost estimating service early just to break everything down line by line before committing to anyone. That way you understand where the money is actually going instead of guessing from online calculators.
As for forgotten costs… permits, demo, disposal, temporary kitchen setups, electrical upgrades behind walls, and even small design changes mid-project can creep up fast. I’d also keep a contingency buffer, because something always pops up once walls or floors come out.
Good luck with the remodel planning this stuff ahead of time is already putting you in a better position than most.