Saving money on renovations (1 Viewer)

[Eightballer]

Hey fellas,
I’m starting renovations on my house in the coming weeks. If anyone has any tips on the cheapest places to buy quality tiles, vanities, stone benchtops and tapware, post them up. Likewise I’ll be posting some of the money saving tips I come across along the way.
I’m a builder myself so I’ll be doing all the work. Although I mainly work in the high end industry so doing things cheaply is really out of my area of expertise 😂

I’ve managed to find small suppliers with reasonable rates for joinery, flooring and timber which all discounted for paying cash. Knowing what we wanted and shopping specials on kitchen appliances has already saved us thousands.

 

[Eightballer]

Costing (will keep updated throughout)

Kitchen joinery supply- all poly shark nosed with soft closers- $9500 cash, found a small joiner who makes and sprays all of his own joinery. To negotiate the price down I offered cash and got him to put the job on the back burner for when he’s quiet and needs a fill in job. Original quotes for supply were 15k

Kitchen appliances- $1500 on sale, Harvey Norman sales were our friend here

Engineered hardwood floorboards- these can get expensive for what we were after. Up over the $110m2. We had to go shop to shop and compare. Found yet again another small supplier willing to take cash. Scoring exactly what we wanted for $70m2

Demolition- called in some favours on this one, all the boys and coming to lend a hand. Borrowing the work tipper truck and tipping for free as a mate runs a yard.

 

[Markus]

Not reading that essay

 

[Eightballer]

Not reading that essay

This is what I get for doing a serious thread? Back to shithousery I go 😂

 

[Taka1]

Hey fellas,
I’m starting renovations on my house in the coming weeks. If anyone has any tips on the cheapest places to buy quality tiles, vanities, stone benchtops and tapware, post them up. Likewise I’ll be posting some of the money saving tips I come across along the way.
I’m a builder myself so I’ll be doing all the work. Although I mainly work in the high end industry so doing things cheaply is really out of my area of expertise 😂

I’ve managed to find small suppliers with reasonable rates for joinery, flooring and timber which all discounted for paying cash. Knowing what we wanted and shopping specials on kitchen appliances has already saved us thousands.

Don’t remember asking

 

[Jacobbson]

Helllllooooooowwwwww, Frank from national tiles.

 

[Eightballer]

Helllllooooooowwwwww, Frank from national tiles.

I read that in the exact voice 😂

 

[AshT90]

Can’t hear you, speak up bro 😎

 

[Leeroy j]

Also doing Reno’s at mine. Best to call around get a few prices from your smaller mobs that specialise in what you’re after.
Needed vj sheets. First price I got $120 a sheet the next mob did them $80 a sheet.

 

[Eightballer]

Also doing Reno’s at mine. Best to call around get a few prices from your smaller mobs that specialise in what you’re after.
Needed vj sheets. First price I got $120 a sheet the next mob did them $80 a sheet.

Agreed man. Timber suppliers take the piss with their markup to non trade accounts. Definitely worth ringing around and potentially even opening a cash account with a timber rep.

 

[Shankle]

So handy your a builder. Will you have all the trade work sorted by you and your mates?

Like tiling, plumbing etc?

 

[Eightballer]

So handy your a builder. Will you have all the trade work sorted by you and your mates?

Like tiling, plumbing etc?

Yeah for sure man, my only constraint is time, I’m already working big hours so this is really going to push me trying to get all this done. Lucky the place isn’t actually that big and I’m staging the works to before and after baby number 2 is born.

Yeah so plumbing and electrical will all be free, just the cost of materials and a bbq for the boys afterwards, another mate is a cabinet maker so he will help me with the install of joinery. Carpentry wise one of my chippy mates will probably help me with the floors. I could do it by myself but it’s way more efficient with 2.
Waterproofing I’ll do myself, Tiling I’ll do some myself eg splashbacks. I’ll leave the bathrooms and laundry to the tiler. I anticipate they will be about 3-4k in labour.

 

[CCGrinder]

Deceased estate auctions and local shop business have reduced fittings and shop items discontinued styling usually hiding out the back warehouse..

 

[ironaddict]

Over order material on your bosses jobs then take them home to use on your place.

 

[Heavygripper]

Yeah for sure man, my only constraint is time, I’m already working big hours so this is really going to push me trying to get all this done. Lucky the place isn’t actually that big and I’m staging the works to before and after baby number 2 is born.

Yeah so plumbing and electrical will all be free, just the cost of materials and a bbq for the boys afterwards, another mate is a cabinet maker so he will help me with the install of joinery. Carpentry wise one of my chippy mates will probably help me with the floors. I could do it by myself but it’s way more efficient with 2.
Waterproofing I’ll do myself, Tiling I’ll do some myself eg splashbacks. I’ll leave the bathrooms and laundry to the tiler. I anticipate they will be about 3-4k in labour.

Tiling is ridiculously expensive , I did our splashbacks, bathroom is small but out of my skill set. The quotes were crazy, starting at $2000 for a half days work……ended up with this Asian bloke and his Mrs, $1200 cash and it’s fucking shmick.

Shop around is my advice.

 

[Maverick]

Costing (will keep updated throughout)

Kitchen joinery supply- all poly shark nosed with soft closers- $9500 cash, found a small joiner who makes and sprays all of his own joinery. To negotiate the price down I offered cash and got him to put the job on the back burner for when he’s quiet and needs a fill in job. Original quotes for supply were 15k

Kitchen appliances- $1500 on sale, Harvey Norman sales were our friend here

Engineered hardwood floorboards- these can get expensive for what we were after. Up over the $110m2. We had to go shop to shop and compare. Found yet again another small supplier willing to take cash. Scoring exactly what we wanted for $70m2

Demolition- called in some favours on this one, all the boys and coming to lend a hand. Borrowing the work tipper truck and tipping for free as a mate runs a yard.

Poly whaty? And soft closets. You’ll have to dumb this down a bit mate. 🤣

Great thread though. Following. Exactly what we made this section for 👏

 

[Eightballer]

Poly whaty? And soft closets. You’ll have to dumb this down a bit mate. 🤣

Great thread though. Following. Exactly what we made this section for 👏

😂😂😂

Poly is the more expensive option for coatings to kitchen doors but they look way nicer and cleaner. It’s sprayed with a poly paint whatever colour you choose giving it a consistent finish all the way. The other main option is veneer where they pretty much glue it on but you see joins around the edges if you look closely. Poly will normally cost an extra few k compared to veneer.

Soft closers do exactly that, make the doors and drawer close softly 😂

 

[Goosejooce]

I’m currently in the middle of Reno’s.

Obviously shopping around and getting quotes price matched is saving us a few dollars.

A mate recommended just getting tiles from bunnings and saved himself a shit tonne when doing his bathroom and laundry.

Being a builder yourself, I don’t think too many other people can do it cheaper with the resources and connections you have.

 

[Finale]

G’day,
I’m also a builder.
Whenever I have an unrealistic client or someone with no money ( single mum etc) I ask them to go to renovation auctions in Liverpool.
They have a once a week auction of left over stuff from the big builders. Of course it doesn’t all get sold so you can buy it at the auction price all week until the next auction.
Heaps of floor boards, decking , tiles, doors, windows, appliances, bathroom ware and they can deliver too.
It’s super cheap but you don’t get the selection as at Harvey Norman. If you are fine to choose what’s available or wait until you find something you like, you will save a bundle.
I built my granny flat for $60k most of the stuff came from them…. Even the kitchen.

 

[hem-roid-rage]

🤷 not sure how it will go for you but I heard a mate of mate buying stuff from one bunning trade entrance then drive to the next after emptying the load same day next bunnings loading up the exact same load from the first bunnings receipt he then drop out the door smiling 😄 legend