Check over in the Kitchens forum and the Bathrooms forum.

You can buy $10,000 in very good cabinets or you can spend $40,000 for the same configuration.

Appliances? Are you talking about a $5000 Wolf range and a $4000 SubZero fridge? Do you need a built-in fridge? All new appliances can be had for under $5000 total or $20K total.

I wouldn't do ceramic tile floors in your kitchen, tho. I'd prefer to see hardwood throughout the lower level, but that's my persona; preference.

Are you doing all the work yourslef? I'd figure labor to be roughly half the job. Otherwise, smart shopping on most goods will save you a lot. The same faucet can cost $400 at one plumbing supply store, and maybe $250 from an online dealer.

For hardwood flooring, look for sale or clearance prices and species that are out of fashion. Also, look to online sources and not just HD or Lowes. They tend to sell builder's grade stuff. There are lots of good suppliers out there in the hardwood flooring segment.

Here is one example from Vermont. The price on R&Q ash is very good. Ash (and red oak) are out of favor in fashion/design circles right now and hence the low prices.

Here is a link that might be useful: Vermont Plank Floors

It's never a good idea to cut costs on the exterior components that defend the home against weather and increase your home's energy efficiency.

Quality windows and a secure, durable entry door will last as long as you live there.

Michael

I would not not not powerwash the exterior brick. Old mortar could very easily blow right out of the joints and you'll be stuck with the new expense of remortaring.

Restore your windows - don't buy new. Properly restored old windows are probably going to be as good if not better than new. Get Terence Meany's book on windows.

Are your doors painted and are you going to leave them that way? If so, Bondo from a car parts supply store is a great patching material. Yes, Bondo.

Check around and see if there are companies that run house auctions for houses scheduled to be demo'ed. We have purchasing lighting fixtures and landscape materials for our 1920 bungalow at ridiculously low prices.

We bought our Kohler kitchen sink at a salvage store - cost $21.30. Become a regular at salvage places - good stuff goes fast. Habitat for Humanity has this type of store - check for one near you.

I'd skip carpet in the bedrooms if the hardwood that's there is in good shape and can be refinished. Get rugs (craigslist.com for used that are in good shape).

What material is on your kitchen floor now? If it's vinyl or something similar, pull it up - you might find original wood flooring underneat. Cost for restoring = cost of refinishing.

Join the forum at oldhouseweb . com. Ohio homeowners frequent that site and would most likely be able to recommend salvage places.

I'm glad you didn't mention that you were looking to cut costs on electrical!

There are lots of ways to cut costs without sacrificing quality!!

Restore old windows? Really? It's the (lack of) energy efficiency and the fact that they literally DRIP condensation and melted frost all winter-molding and ruining the sills that I worry about.

OK, I see your point on powerwashing. What do you suggest then to clean up the dull brick?

No, the electrical is in good shape-that's the one thing that was done to the house. The previous owner (who died in '01) was an electrician by trade. He totally rewired and upgraded the electrical service in 1990. Just never did anything ELSE to the house!

For the windows and making them more weather tight - use spring bronze. Check this site: http://www.kilianhardware.com/sprinbronwea.html. It's great weather stripping and easy to install. Can be used on doors, too. Absolutely, Meany's book is the best old window resource.

I'd use a regular hose with a sprayer attachment with strong soap to clean up the brick. Just avoid really strong water pressure.

Check out the forums on oldhouseweb and oldhousejournal, too.

Personally, I would spend the money on any structural and integrity related things, then budget on the stuff you can see...appliances, cab's, etc. One of the hard things when you redo an old home is not knowing what to expect until the interior walls are removed.

We found that out even on our 30 year old home.

You're a huge chunk of money ahead of the game by having the previous owner redo the electrical systems. Expect that much of the plumbing will have to be redone, as well.

You should be able to salvage, reuse, or save much of the stuff already. Try to rescue as much of the baseboards and trim as possible. You can sand it, repaint it, or have it stripped and stained.

Windows in an old home are quite controversial. It's up to you, but check with your local ordinances to see if in the process of renovating you have to bring the windows up to code in terms of efficiency. You may be able to save all the old sashes and frames, and have all the glass replaced with double pane low E with argon. I've seen that done in old turn of the century condo loft conversions in midwestern cities. It seems like it would be quite a bit more expensive than replacing the windows.

There are cheap sources for flooring, but be very careful with them...many use a sub grade of wood, or the wood comes from questionable forestry practices around the world. Cheap bamboo from China is particularly bad.

Check with Habitat for Humanity for second hand building materials stores. Here in Seattle we have one called Second Use, which is basically a consignment store where the proceeds can be directed to Habitat. Some incredibly great stuff from old houses are there, and they even accepted my 30 year old solid fir front doors. Many cities, big and small, have second hand material stores. Plus there are old building supplies available online...I've seen old turn of the century mantels and doors sold on the internet.

Kitchen and bath cabinets can eat up the biggest part of your budget. Do what you can live with, but remember that structurally a 5K IKEA kitchen will be just as sound than a 40K custom kitchen. You're just more limited in cabinet sizes and door finishes. Do your hardest shopping for cabinets, both in retail and online. And don't overlook all the small custom cabinet makers in your community. Many times they are the same price or cheaper than the big name brands.

Plumbing and lighting fixtures can be purchased online with huge savings. Your plumber or electrician can also let you buy direct from their wholesale supplier at cost...you have to do the legwork, pay the tax, and pay the company directly. You just have to ask...some want to make their 20% markup, some don't mind passing the savings onto you.

And check to see if there is a building materials supply house near you where all the contractors shop. Many times you can start an account yourself...some outfits require you to have a license, some don't. You'll get about 40-50% savings on building materials, carpet, tile, flooring, etc. THey usually go by names such as Builder's Supply Co.

If you are doing an extensive renovation, spend the money on a good set of architect plans, even if you're not moving walls. You'll probably need it for the city/state permits, and your GC or subs will need it for construction.

Sit down and be very realistic with yourself about what you can do personally to save money. Demolition sounds like an easy job on paper (just swing your sledge hammer, have fun...), but it's a dirty and very dangerous proposition. Painting can be fun, but exterior painting requires a skill level and knowledge, and an abilility to climb scaffolding or ladders. Framing new walls or windows is a lot more technical than it seems. And tiling a bath has to be done correctly or you'll suffer the consequences down the road. In other words, hire good people to take care of the structural parts of the renovation.

You can general contract this yourself if you have the time. We just did a total house remodel, GC'd it ourselves, and it took way more time than we expected, but it wasn't as hard as I expected it to be.

A huge amount of the 'efficiency' of new windows comes from the reduction in infiltration.
Spring bronze will be an improvement over nothing, but metal conducts heat like crazy.
Resource Conservation Technology, Baltimore, MD has a large line of weather seals for sliding (the sides of the sashes) and butt type joints (the meeting rail in the middle).
Adding storm windows can easily bring an older installation on par with new windows while preserving the appearance of the house.