Creating a Budget for your DIY Room Makeover

Whether it’s a dining room, guest room, or powder room makeover you’ve got your eye on, before you jump into the world of DIY projects it is essential to create a budget that will keep your decision-making on track.

If you’re ready to start a room makeover… or a whole home makeover, it’s easy to get SO excited and jump right in. Doing things yourself allows you to put your own personal style into your home in a way that hiring out the work never does, plus it can save you a ton of money thanks to that elbow grease!

But have you heard of project creep?

A plan for just a fresh coat of paint or new layout can turn into significant changes in a hurry if you don’t keep yourself grounded and focused! I’m a squeaky wheel when it comes to planning room makeovers.

I am always reminding readers and anyone who asks for my advice to plan first. You can see all my reasons why planning a DIY room makeover is SO important here.

In this blog post, I will guide you through the process of creating a realistic DIY room makeover budget. This is a really important step in the planning process and one you don’t want to skip.

Plus- I want to make this SO easy for you. I’ve created a spreadsheet for you to pop your numbers into that will do all the hard math for you. Get ready to transform your space without breaking the bank!

Here’s my step by step process for creating a budget for a DIY room makeover. It’s such an important part of the design process and you will be so happy you did this once you get started. You might even pick up some room makeover ideas as we go along!

Step 1: Assess Your Finances 

Before really diving into the budgeting process, take an honest look at what you can commit to financially. Consider your income, expenses, and financial obligations for the time period that will cover your room renovation/refresh project.

This step will help you determine a realistic budget that won’t cause any unnecessary financial stress. It’s not fun buying new things that you aren’t sure you can afford, and no one wants to be sitting in a beautiful room wondering if it was a terrible decision. So be honest with yourself before you get started. 

You can still make a really big impact with a small budget thanks to DIY, so don’t worry about that! I’ll write a whole other post about ways to save money on a DIY room makeover soon, so keep an eye out for that!

Step 2: Define Your Priorities

What matters most to you?

After you’ve picked which room you want to focus on upgrading first, you need to get specific.

Does the floor plan and furniture of your living room bother you daily- you want to do a complete living room makeover? Do you want a small bedroom makeover to give your 5 year old a big kid room? Or does your play room just need a good clean and refresh with an updated style and few new storage pieces?

Choose the space that matters most to you, for whatever reason. Doing one space at a time allows you to figure out a clear budget and end goal. It’s also going to give you a completed space that you’re happy with.

Once you’ve picked the space you are focusing on, think about the key elements and areas of your room makeover that you’re most excited about! Whether it’s revamping furniture, playing with wall treatments, creating an accent wall, or upgrading light fixtures, knowing your priorities will help you budget effectively and put the money where it will bring you the most satisfaction.

It will not make you happy in the end if on day one you spent more than half your entire budget on frames for a gallery wall if what you really wanted was more comfortable seating for guests or a plush rug for your babies to play on!

Creating a simple mood board is a great way to visualize the end result and pull in those key features you’re set on. See how I make a mood board here. Make sure you know what you really want before you move forward from here.

Step 3: Research the Costs

Knowledge really is power! It’s time to become a budget-savvy explorer, and because you already know how much money you have to spend and what you want to spend it on, this part of the project can be a lot of fun.

Research the costs of all the materials you might need if construction is involved, any tools you might have to invest in, and of course the fun finishing touches like accent pieces and wall art.

What costs should you be including? Here’s a list of what I include in a room makeover budget!

Visit home improvement stores for inspiration and also look for sales, browse Facebook Marketplace and other sites where you can find great deals on used items, and seek advice from fellow DIY blogs about the best places to score deals on what you’re looking for. 

Here is a list of where I shop for home decor and furniture.

Step 4: Get It Done

Since you know what you really want and you have a good idea about the price for all your desired items, it will be easy for you to push the button on actual purchases.

Now when you see those fantastic bedside tables and table lamp on Marketplace that would be perfect for your guest bedroom makeover, you can buy them stress-free! Sometimes big box stores have great sales on large-ticket items, and you will know if those lower cabinets you have your heart set on for your kitchen reno are in your budget so you can commit quicker. Making purchases confidently with your budget always in mind is way less stressful than guessing.

Consider ordering things sooner rather than later to avoid shipping delays setting back your whole makeover. 

Things to Consider for your Room Makeover DIY Budget

There are certain things that are very easy to forget when you’re planning your next room makeover. It’s easy to remember all the fun costs and additions, but some of the nuts and bolts of the operation can get overlooked.

Here are some reminders to make sure your budget is complete. Budgeting will allow you to see where money can be saved.

Now that you have a good idea of how to set a budget for your room makeover… what exactly should you be including in there? Give me the line items, Colleen!

I got you- check my guide: what to include in a room makeover budget!

It’s my (fairly detailed!) list of things you want to make sure you remember when creating your budget. I have been there done that, forgotten to include these in my budget planning, and then had to scramble to find the money for them at the end of the project. It’s just way less fun that way!

I break my budgets into four categories. If you download my free room makeover budget spreadsheet, it is broken down this way so that guide will help you fill it in quickly, then you can get to adding your budget estimates!

A note on Incidentals + Contingency

Every single budget in the world needs a line item like this. Unexpected costs and surprises are sure to come up no matter how well you have planned your makeover, so just accept it and plan for an extra 10% or so.

If you don’t need it, great! If you do, you won’t panic. 

In the free DIY room makeover spreadsheet, this section will automatically calculate to 10% of your budgeted costs.

And that’s it! Your guide to making a DIY room makeover budget that will give you purpose and direction and take away the worry of over spending.

Want to make sure your room makeover hits the mark? This post goes through the things I always consider to get a cozy modern style in any room makeover.

Wondering what else you should be planning beyond the budget? I have an overview of planning a room makeover right here!

I would love to see how the budget you create becomes the room of your dreams. Tag me @colleenpastoor with your before and after pictures, or leave your story in the comments.

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