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What Can You Renovate With Your Budget

With a $20,000 budget and a 1,500 sq ft home at standard quality, you can typically afford about five projects such as interior paint, landscaping, a bathroom remodel, window replacement, and a roof. A recommended combo that fits the budget might spend roughly $18,900 and leave about $1,100. At basic quality the same budget stretches to more, smaller projects; at premium quality fewer large ones fit. The estimates are illustrative per-project assumptions, so treat them as a planning scaffold and confirm with contractors. Start with the highest-impact, lowest-risk work.

Results

Visualization

RenoFig provides illustrative estimates only. Actual renovation costs vary widely by region, materials, labor rates, and contractor. The figures and recoup percentages here are planning assumptions, not quotes or guaranteed returns. Verify all costs and ROI with licensed contractors and local real-estate professionals before making decisions.

How It Works

The tool holds an illustrative catalog of common renovation projects, each with either a fixed cost or a per-square-foot cost multiplied by your home area. A quality multiplier (0.7x basic, 1.0x standard, 1.4x premium) scales every estimate. It first keeps only projects whose cost is at or below your budget, then greedily packs the most expensive affordable projects into the budget until no more fit, reporting the count, the combo cost, and the leftover. The chart shows every project's estimated cost so you can see where your budget ceiling sits. All figures are planning assumptions, not quotes.

What Should You Do?

Use the combo as a starting wish list, then get three written contractor quotes before committing, since real prices swing with location and material choices. Sequence work logically: structural and mechanical fixes (roof, HVAC) before cosmetic ones (paint, landscaping). Leave a 10-15% contingency in the budget for surprises behind walls. If the fit is tight, drop the lowest-impact item rather than cutting quality on a structural project. Re-run at basic quality to see how much more you could do by choosing simpler finishes.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these project costs real quotes?

No. They are illustrative planning assumptions based on typical ranges. Real costs depend on your region, materials, and contractor, so always get written quotes.

Why does quality change the total so much?

Finish level drives material and labor cost. Premium finishes can be 40% above standard, which is why fewer large projects fit a fixed budget at that tier.

Should I trust the greedy combo?

It maximizes how many expensive items fit the budget, not necessarily your priorities. Swap in projects you care about most if they fit.

How do I handle the leftover budget?

Keep it as contingency for overruns, which are common once walls are opened, or apply it to the next phase of work.

Does flooring scale with area?

Yes, the flooring estimate is per square foot times your home area, so larger homes show a much higher flooring cost in the chart.