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There are numerous examples of people adding to their home or changing rooms completely; it’s a great way to make your home better and saves the hassle of moving house just to get a new conservatory or a bigger kitchen.

The only problem with that is that it can be terribly expensive and rising costs can drain your bank account. Although there are no estate agent fees or solicitor intervention, you do have to worry about how it’s going to be built, the equipment that will be required and dealing with your local authority if you need planning permission.

There are ways, however, that would enable you to save money on such necessities.

Doing the work yourself (or as much as possible!)

Many people who plan to build on their own home are trained in the relative skills that will enable them to do most of the work. The costs of hiring labour can be vast and if they go over the proposed schedule, then you’ll have to pay out more money.

You might find that some businesses will purposely provide a longer schedule to make more money, so it can be worthwhile to shop around to see who can do the work in a decent amount of time and for a reasonable price if you can’t do the work yourself.

If you are able to do some work yourself, you may still need to outsource someone to do something like loler testing and inspection to make sure you can go ahead with your build and get your certification for safety.

Hire, don’t buy equipment

If you are able to take on the work yourself, you’ll obviously need to get the correct equipment, whether it be lifting equipment, handling equipment or drills and mortar. However, make sure that you hire and not buy, because you’ll only use this equipment once and so it’ll be fie to hire lifting equipment from someone like Lifting Gear UK.

The expense of owning such equipment is very high and remember you’ll have to keep in the best of shape so that means maintaining it and making sure it’s always working safely.

Complete the project all in one go

Cost often spiral when projects get dragged out further and further because your budget usually only applies to the planned schedule. The longer the project lasts, the more labour costs will be required and most likely equipment and material costs too.

The current economic climate means that even if you have a very secure job, you are bound to be looking at ways to save money and make extra money. Follow our 8 money-making tips for making money in your spare time and you will not regret it.

• Clearing out your clutter

Most people have a loft, garage or house that is full of things they no longer have use for. There is bound to be someone out there who can make use of your unwanted clutter and would even be willing to pay you for it. Internet auction sites are a great way of selling high price items, but car boot sales can be a good way of selling lots of smaller items in one go.

• Using the internet

Uploading videos onto sites such as You Tube may result in the website owners paying you a share of the advertising revenue they receive on the page where your video is viewed. If you have a small business, advertising on Facebook and other social networking sites is a cheap and easy way to generate extra revenue. In addition, if you are a good photographer, some websites will pay you to use your images and if you have a successful blog, advertisers may pay to place adverts on it.

• Generate your own energy

Everyone is aware that using price comparison sites can help you save money on your energy bills, but few people are aware that if you generate your own energy using solar panels or wind turbines, you can sell any excess energy back to the National Grid.

• Extra work

Doing extra work at evenings and weekends is not something most of us would relish, but if your salary from your regular job only really covers your essentials, a few shifts a week working in a restaurant or bar could provide you with that little bit extra.

• Make money from hobbies

If you are a keen crafter or baker, it is possible to make money from these hobbies. Making and baking for friends and family could lead to paying customers as word spreads. Attending craft fairs, bake sales and advertising your business on social networking sites such as Facebook will also help to generate income.

• Competitions and Market Research

Entering competitions may be worth doing. Depending on what you win, it may be possible to sell the prize and keep the proceeds. Market research is also a good way of making extra money and you can now do paid online surveys from home. Additionally, you could apply to be a product tester or a mystery shopper, which means you can eat for free in restaurants and stay for free in hotels or even have your shopping paid for.

• Writing

If you enjoy writing, why not try making money from it. Set up an online blog and make money from advertising or write for the local paper or newsletter.

• Using your home

Rent out your spare room to a lodger or if you don’t feel comfortable with that, rent out your garage as storage space. In areas where parking is at a premium, people with driveways can even rent these out as parking spaces.

There are many ways to make some extra money, some of which are easier than others and none of which are guaranteed to make you a millionaire. It is worth choosing the right one for you and then you will already be halfway to making that little bit extra you need.