We all look forward to the day we can do a renovation on our home but we don't look forward to the mess and the cost of getting new flooring. A new floor can be costly but there are ways to save some money on your project even if you are not the most handy person in the world.
1) Do your renovation in an empty home! If you are in the process of purchasing your home you should consider getting your flooring installed prior to moving in with all your new furniture. There are a lot of flooring stores that do not provide furniture moving and there are some that charge a lot more than you may want to pay. One of the best times to install flooring is when there are the least amount of obstacles in the way. Also, many flooring contractors and flooring stores do not move heavy furniture or specialty items such as pool tables and if you are going to have to move them you will want to do it the least amount of times possible. This is not always possible for every homeowner and should be used as a consideration if you are moving into a new home or considering selling and want to do some renovations.
2) Remove your old carpet! Grab your hammer, prybar, and cutting knife! Get down and get a little bit dirty by removing your old carpet. It's not always the most fun job in the world as you will get a few dings on the way but you will be able to save yourself some money. Just make sure when you remove the carpet that you remove the padding and tack strip that are below. If tack, padding, or glue residue are leftover you will be often charged prep fees so make sure when you are getting ready to put in your new floors that when you prep them they are ready to be installed. That means removing all debris that was below the carpet, pad, and tack. Also, you will want to consider your disposal cost and transportation to offload your old carpet. Your city may have a local dump site or a curbside pickup may be available. If you are extra handy feel free to rent out the tools and take a go at removing your old tile as well. Make sure that you go and remove your tile, grout, and tinset and the floor is ready or additional prep will be needed.
3) Don't be scared to ask for a discount! You often see coupons in your mail or many flooring store that are 50% off when you present this coupon but often it is no discount because you have to present it at the time of the estimate. Most reputable flooring contractors offer competitive pricing. There are very few flooring stores that can offer anything in that nature. You may not be able to get thousands of dollars off or even hundreds like some coupons would make you feel like you did but you maybe get 1-5% just because you asked. At the end of the day it doesn't hurt to ask for a flooring discount.
4) Get a few estimates to ease your mind! You might have only received a single flooring estimate and feel overwhelmed. A lot of people want to feel safe about their investment and want to know that their new flooring isn't going to cost them more in the future. You will likely come across a few flooring estimates and have a preferred flooring installer. The cheapest price may not be always the best price. Look at the flooring reviews and ask your flooring store or flooring contractor for references of previous customers who may have had the same flooring installed. Most reputable flooring contractors will not hesitate to share their previous work. At the end of the day you will want to find someone who fits your budget but also someone who you feel the safest with. Sometimes you don't want to pay a down payment for your flooring project if your project isn't even started. Each flooring store and flooring contractor have their own terms so find one that works best.
5) Be clear about your budget and your wants and needs! The one thing you may be asked to do is to choose a different product or to remove/add areas where your flooring will go and won't go. You might have a vision but you may not have the budget to do everything at once. If you are picking hardwood flooring and it's beyond your budget you can consider doing carpet in a room or two or even changing products to one that is more budget friendly. Outline what your desires are to your flooring contractor and see what the best and most viable options are to make your project and your budget meet expectations.