We had bedroom carpet changed to hardwood. To save money we removed the carpet and baseboards. Had the installer bring the new baseboards and 3/4 round trim ahead of the job so I could paint all of it beforehand. Much easier to do this way instead of crawling on the floor.

The first thing is to not change things that don't need changing. I tend to think that most floors are fine, unless they are worn or just awful, like pink shag carpet. If the color is neutral and the condition okay, skip the floors. If you need to change them, I found snap-together LVP every easy to DIY.

Many people DIY their painting. The trick is to do the insides of your closet first, then, if you make a few mistakes or do a beginner's job, you won't care that much.

Most of the cost of renovation is in the labor, so DIY is the easiest route to saving significant cost. Over the course of doing major renovations on five houses over the last 50 years I've discovered that one can DIY pretty much everything in residential construction. None of it is rocket surgery. There are exceptions, eg in MA a homeowner may not pull a plumbing permit, or it may not be cost effective if you need to bring in a crane to set a steel beam, or the sheer backbreaking work and skill level of hanging blueboard and plastering may not be an investment in skill building you want to make.

Education is expendive, as my dad liked to say, so be prepared, if you haven't learned to paint well to have have to re-do your first room or two once you pick up the knack. You can probably repaint a room three or four times before your DIY effort costs as much as hiring a painter, but once you know how to do it you can do it forever after.

Don't cheap out on materials. High quality paint, for example, will go on much more evenly and easily, often covering in one coat where the big box store cheapo paint might take three.

Invest in proper tools. They will last a lifetime and permit you to do better work more quickly. Expensive tools in no way substitute for building skill, but again, with paint is an example, there's a world of difference in the ease of getting a good result with a $2 vs a $20 brush; again that $20 brush will last decades and 10's of paint jobs while you'll just throw away the $2 brush. It may be a poor workman who blames his tools, but your skill level needs to be way better to accomplish good work with crappy tools.

Don't believe the naysayers who think there is something magical about being a "licensed contractor", but also know your limits and be willing to invest in education and practice. We've all seen "Harry Homeowner" botched or dangerous work. Don't be that person. Learn the right way to do things and practice until you get them right. The payback lasts a lifetime.

If nothing else building DIY skills will make you a better, more informed consumer of professional work.

The best way to save money is to focus on cosmetic changes and keep the existing layout wherever possible. A fresh coat of paint, affordable flooring, and updated cabinet handles can make a big difference without a huge investment.

DIY painting and simple installations can also help reduce labor costs. However, I wouldn’t cut corners on plumbing, electrical work, or flooring preparation, as fixing those issues later can be much more expensive. Get a few quotes and set aside some extra money for unexpected expenses.

As mentioned, you have a broad list/ Good to avoid duplications. The necessary step is to break it down into the seperate jobs. Then determine the materials needed. Look at each material to determine proper removal of the old and then the correct quality installation of the upgrade. When you are knowledgeable about the installation, you van evaluate after a little practice whether you need assistance for that one segment. This learning and tryout always pays you back if you decide on hiring someone. You can be much better at determining capabilities of workers.

One big area where people end up overspending during an apartment refresh is electrical work and wall patching.

If you want to add or relocate light switches (e.g. adding a bedside switch, kitchen accent lighting, or hallway controls), hiring an electrician to open up drywall, pull wires, and then patching/repainting the walls can easily eat up $300–$800 of your budget.

A super cost-effective workaround is using wireless kinetic (self-powered) switches:

1. They require zero new wiring inside the walls and zero batteries. The switch generates a micro-signal purely from the mechanical energy of your press.

2. The small receiver wires in at the light fixture, and you can just stick the wall switch anywhere (drywall, wood, tile, or glass) with double-sided tape.

3. It’s totally DIY-friendly, saving you a massive chunk of electrician labor fees while keeping your walls intact.

Focus your budget on good durable flooring and nice lighting fixtures, and use wireless tech to cut out unnecessary electrical labor!

This dilemma is 20 days old, and the OP hasn't yet responded to any comments. I guess it's not that important.