Here are ideas on how to save on a home remodeling project:
Do it off-season. Like accountants and farmers, home-improvement pros have a slow season when they may slash prices to get business. Redoing your bathroom in January, replacing a furnace in July, or installing a patio in November could save you 5-15%.
Buy online. You can buy anything online–materials, appliances, electronics–often for 10-25% less than at local stores. But since a delayed, damaged, or disappointing product can derail a project, go see the item at a store first to be sure you know what you’re getting. Order early enough so there is time for an exchange if there is a problem and buy only from authorized resellers.
Combine small tasks. Handymen and specialists typically have a minimum charge (often 2 hours at $50-$100) just to come to the house. Bundling small jobs could get you 2-3 times the results for roughly the same cost.
From Money magazine, May 2012, p. 67
