(*With apologies to any chickens or eggs)
This blog shares invaluable Leeds home improvements budget advice - and is a must read for anyone wanting a better home to ensure:
You stay in control when you’re dealing with tradespeople
You have more awareness of the (often hidden) costs associated with home improvements, renovation and refurbishments
And most importantly you get the best value for your project and greatest results within your budget
So how much do home improvements in Leeds cost?
Ring ring
Ring ring
Sorry let me get this first:
“Hello, home improvements Leeds, how may I help?”
“Hi, prospective customer here: I was wondering how much it would cost to improve my home?”
“Do you have a budget in mind?”
“No, I was hoping you could give me a price first?”
“Well, how long is a piece of string?”
“I thought tradespeople would carry a tape measure!”
[Tumbleweed sound]
To reveal, or not to reveal - your Leeds home improvement budget
I get it. In life I have worn my buyers hat as much as my sellers. And understand why people would be concerned about disclosing their budget.
You fear in the electrical store if you say you have a £2,000 budget, they will march you straight to the TV that’s conveniently ‘on sale’ for £1,999. (When one for half that price may have been more than adequate for your 4K viewing pleasure).
And that £1 change is not going to go far towards the state-of-the-art surround sound system they’re now trying to upsell you to.
HOOOW MUCH?
Or perhaps you’ve seen the highly entertaining TV property programmes - where the couple have been eating beans on toast in the dark for the past ten years to save £100k. Only to be told by the shows architect they can only get ‘basic’ alterations for that...
But if they want their ‘dream’ two storey wrap around extension, they’re going to have to double their budget.
[Dramatic music playing. Tension building between the couple] Partner one: “Maybe we need to cut back and just stick to toast”. Partner two: “No! I like beans, AND I like to see the food I’m eating - so maybe we need to scale back the build”. Cuts to adverts…
Being transparent helps the Leeds home improvement company, which ultimately best helps you
I understand why someone looking to improve their house may be hesitant about revealing their budget.
However, the flipside is the professional (painters decorators, builders, landscape gardeners, interior designers etc.) may be hesitant too.
They could invest days discussing, meeting, measuring, researching, costing and putting a detailed quote together, only to be told “that’s not what we’re looking to spend”.
Instead, the professional home improvements service needs to know how realistic it is that they can deliver everything that the client would like. And to do that they need to know what the client is willing to spend. (Yes, the egg, string, chicken thingy again).
“It’s not about spending up to a clients budget for the sake of it. But instead about getting the best value and best results that a client can afford”.
The factors that affect the price of any Leeds home improvements service
No two home improvement jobs are ever the same…
It’s not always that tradespeople don’t want to give an immediate price, to an enquiry of, for example, “how much to paint a room in Leeds?” or “how much for a Leeds landscape garden design?”
It’s more that each house is different. Combine that with each homeowner having their own unique set of standards for the look and finish of their house. Plus have individual lifestyle requirements. Plus considerations for any family, friends, pets, guests using the space. And we’re already into zillions (ok a lot!) of possible combinations for the design, hence price of any work.
So it is near impossible for any trade painters decorators, interior designers, landscape gardeners etc. to accurately price over the phone without assessing the site and finding out factors such as:
The existing condition of the home or garden (e.g. do the walls just need a quick emulsion, or will all the blown plaster fall off when the old wallpaper is removed)
The size of the space (are we talking box room or huge vaulted kitchen diner)
The scope of the work (is it simply refreshing or completely redesigning)
Items for the project such as furniture, furnishings, plants etc. (are you reusing, upcycling or buying new)
The finish of the home improvements (are you using any branded, high-end, or designer materials and items)
Who is doing what (is there anything the homeowner wants to do to save money, or is it a fully project managed service where everything is taken care of from start to finish)
Complexities of work and site (is planning or building regulations required, is the building listed, is there limited or restricted access, is there water and electricity etc.)
Any removal of waste (skips etc.)
Your shortlisted or preferred Leeds home improvement company ‘should’ (Love Your Home Leeds ‘would’) offer free Leeds home improvements ideas and advice and walk you through the above. And then be in a position to give a more accurate estimate or quotation for your work.
Well it was ‘light and airy’… though just sometimes it’s more economical to start again…
However… We still need a budget. A budget would help. Pleeease can you give a budget
(I hoped saying it three times may help with the point**)
(**yes, the budget)
Budgets give you clarity… (and, yes, bigger budgets give you more options)
If a home improvement company knows your budget, they can be more upfront about what they can or cannot achieve within that.
Let’s revisit the initial illustrative phone call, above, with three different examples from the prospective customer.
This time it’s more a discovery exercise about what each amount will afford the customer. Helping them to gather information, before making a decision:
Example one) up to a £100 budget
“… could you give me advice and ideas for painting and decorating my Leeds living room and what could I achieve within £100 budget?”
I would imagine most trade [would probably hang up!] (though polite considerate ones) would likely advise the caller to pop to Wilkos, Wickes etc. (other good retailers are available) and invest the £100 on some paints, brushes, roller sets and dust sheets and go the DIY route. Friends may even roll up their sleeves and lend a hand if you cook them a meal. (Well, that’s what happens on the TV property programmes).
Disclaimer: do your own research. (Do watch online trade videos/read DIY books on how to do this properly and safely. Do wear dust masks if sanding. And isolate at consumer unit when decorating around electrical fittings and sockets etc.)
Example two) up to a £1,000 budget
“… could you give me advice and ideas to decorate my living room and what could I achieve, this time within £1,000 budget?”
I would imagine you’ve now got the trades attention as they know the caller has probably thought about this more realistically. And is more serious about getting a professional Leeds painter and decorator to do the work. Plus holds value in getting the highest standard and neatest finish.
[Notwithstanding the above other factors that could affect the price.] If the room was in reasonable condition then a £1,000 budget (plus or minus) could probably get you:
Preparation work, filling, sanding
Painting of ceiling, walls
Undercoat, glossing of woodwork
Materials and good quality branded paints, such as Dulux (other good brands also available)
Plus, (depending on the room size/complexities etc.) there may even be some remaining budget to go towards some high-end or designer wallpaper for a feature wall etc.
So a budget of up to £1,000 could definitely go towards lifting and transforming a room.
Example three) up to £10,000 budget
Clearly client wanted a little more than just a lick of paint
“… could you give me advice and ideas to decorate my living room and what could I achieve, this time within £10,000 budget?”
I would imagine not only have you got the trades attention, within the first 30 seconds they’ve taken three alternative ways of recontacting you in case the call gets cut off!
At this budget level - unless the client wanted hand painted gold leaf wallpaper – they could probably transform the entire room. (Again above other factors that could affect the price aside).
Ideal for those who’ve just moved or want to start from scratch. And have a very bare (empty echoey), blank canvass to fill and put their stamp on the room.
So an up to a £10,000 budget (plus or minus) could get probable you some or all of:
All the above painting and decorating
This time the entire room wallpapered with high-end or designer wallpaper, should you choose as part of your scheme
Plus should you need new coving, ceiling rose etc.
Project management to take care of things and to save your time
Plus budget could include provision for:
Carpentry and joinery for example bespoke alcove cupboards and shelving
New flooring, such as reclaimed floorboards or new carpet
New window treatments
New sofa/seating
Maybe a footstool (or pouffe or ottoman) to relax and stretch out
New lighting/table or floor lamps
New fire, or feature fireplace
New coffee tables
Any accessories such as rugs, scatter cushions, throws etc.
Some ornaments, plants
Maybe some mirrors or art for the newly decorated walls***
(Depending on the state, especially if you’ve just moved in), maybe a new designer radiator or upgrade to nicer plated switches and sockets
So a £10,000 budget, well managed, could transform the entire look and feel of the room.
***Oh and just to manage expectations, within this kind of budget, think more John Lewis for any wall art - rather than Sotheby’s! (Other good retailers and auction houses are available).
Bonus fourth example) £100k budget
Speak to the property TV shows architect, switch off the lights and start eating toast!
A budget allows you to know sooner what level of home improvements are achievable
[It has focussed my mind in writing this] and the biggest takeaway I hope you can share is:
For prospective customers:
Having a budget allows you to know what is achievable, much sooner
You can control the budget: by understanding that the costs for a large part of most projects is down to your decisions on amount of items and finish of the work
A budget puts you in control: you can ask the Leeds home improvement company to detail in writing exactly what you’re getting within the budget you set
And for tradespeople:
To appreciate that prospective customers sometimes have no idea what something may cost
And it is our responsibility to try explain all the variables that make up any given project to best help
New approach to get best value option for your Leeds home improvements
Before ringing and ‘asking for a price’ it would be helpful to have an idea of:
The type of improvements you’d like
One method is going room by room and start listing:
What you’ve got now (e.g. sofa, fireplace, the colour and finish of the walls, floor etc.)
Highlight what’s working and the bits you like
And what’s not working and elements you’d like to change
Please please please: Have a figure in mind for your budget (either for each room or your entire project).
And do let us know the minimum you’d be prepared to spend, and the absolute maximum
Doing their part, the home improvement company should:
Listen and take careful notes of your requirements
Meet with you to assess the site
Offer free advice and ideas
Provide a choice of options, all in writing, that are achievable within your budget range
Then you can make an informed decision about what will be the best value option for any improvements.
Further help with your Leeds home improvement projects
We’re based in Moortown LS17 and mostly help homeowners and landlords in and around North Leeds area. For any home improvements, painting and decorating, creative and bespoke interior design service Leeds, or landscape garden design advice, ideas and to give you available options for your budget (or range) then please get in touch.
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