If you want to have your house renovated but are concerned about how expensive it could end up being, don't worry; there are a number of ways to keep the cost of this type of project down. Read on to find out more.

Ask your contractor to seek out budget-friendly building supplies

Building supplies can vary in price considerably. If you're keen to keep the cost of your renovation project low, it's a good idea to ask your contractor to use affordable building supplies.

For example, rather than opting for high-end hardwood mahogany flooring which is likely to cost several thousand dollars, you could instruct your contractor to fit laminate flooring that has a mahogany stain, which will cost a fraction of the price of its hardwood counterpart. Similarly, you could use ceramic floor tiles in your bathroom, rather than marble or granite, both of which are a lot more expensive than ceramic.

It is important to note, however, that cheap-and-cheerful building supplies should only be used in low-traffic areas of your home.

For example, if you and your family are constantly traipsing in and out of the kitchen, it would be wiser to use high-quality flooring in this particular room, as cheaper flooring will probably deteriorate quite quickly in this type of busy environment.

Lend a helping hand

There are certain jobs that should only be carried out by a professional; plastering, for example, requires a lot of skill to do properly and the end results will look awful if an inexperienced person attempts to perform this type of work. Similarly, it can be dangerous (and in some cases, illegal) for unqualified people to perform electrical jobs.

However, there are plenty of simpler renovation-related tasks which almost anyone can carry out safely and effectively. As such, if you have some time to spare, it might be worth lending your contractor a helping hand with the renovation process, as this could significantly reduce the amount of money you end up spending on labour.

Some of the jobs that you should be able to handle include fitting kitchen cabinets, painting walls, laying click-together laminate flooring or hanging doors. Additionally, you should be able to carry out some of the prep work that will need to be done at the beginning of the project, as things like tearing out old kitchen cabinets or bathroom suites do not require a lot of skill.