Home improvements can be a very quick way to spend ten thousand dollars. Anyone that has even started a renovation plan can tell you that. But what do you get for all that money?

Well, in some cases not much if your planning to hire out the labour and installation. On the other hand of you are doing the labour your self then that ten thousand can go a long way. When you only count the cost of materials you can more than double the size of the project.

Getting professionals to help with different aspects will cost more than doing it your self but when managed carefully you can still come in close to your target. Home improvement and home repairs are a great place for do-it-your-selfers to shine. It’s your house so if you mess it up there isn’t an angry home owner breathing down your neck.

When I was visiting my sister over the Christmas holidays she said that she wanted to do a bunch of improvements around her place. She proceeded to walk me through her house and pointed out all that she thought needed attention. She did have the want list prioritized so she did know where to start.

As we walked and talked I was adding it up in my head. New kitchen cabinets ($11,000), new bathtub with surround tile and faucet ($3,500), new tile floor in main bathroom ($1,200), new laminate floor in the basement ($3,500). It all added up to more than $18,000, with small extras and so on added in, what she wanted would cost more than $20,000.

Near the end of our tour she mentioned that she wanted to spend about $10,000. The next words that came out of her mouth were, “So when are you guys coming back this way”? I could smell that one coming a mile away. She knows I would help so it’s up to me to walk her through the budget and the basic cost outline of what she wants to do.

I told her that to stay within the budget she has we would need to shave off bit and pieces to get it all in. I told her that we could do most everything but the approach would be a little different. I suggested we go together to the building supply store and get her some home improvement education.

Basic education on just what things cost. I could have told her the cost of most everything but showing is much easier that telling. I know what tubs and toilets cost. I also have a good idea what tile and laminate costs. But there is nothing like looking right at it, touching it and looking at the price tag.

It all becomes very real and relative at that point and easy to add up as we progressed through the building supply store. Yes you can buy a toilet that costs $400 or you can live with this one that comes in at $180 with the seat. No the peanut shaped soaker tub can’t go on the list this one for $250 is what we need to look at.

The kitchen was the biggest challenge in her mind but I had a suggestion to just re-face the kitchen with new doors and forget re-doing the entire cabinet. The boxes as they are called were in fine shape it was only the doors and drawer fronts that needed updating. New pulls and knobs could also be added in if you shopped for them in the discount bin.

After we looked at several door options that would look good in her kitchen we checked the price. The store we were in priced the door and drawer fronts by the square foot so when we added it all up it came in under $3,000, just where I wanted it to be. That gives you a brand new kitchen for about a third of the cost of replacing the entire cabinet.

After we added it all up the total came in under her $10,000 limit. I think there will be just enough to buy pizza and beer for about three days. How I will pay for my gas getting there? Well it’s family and by the way here are your Christmas and birthday gifts for the next five years.