Christina Hall Was Actually UNDER Budget on Her Latest Reno—Here's How
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Christina Hall’s latest project is a rare one for the designer. While many of her projects have fallen victim to common renovation woes with unexpected delays and nightmares that push over the budget, her recent transformation went on without a hitch—and actually came in under budget.
During a new episode of Christina on the Coast, Hall revamped a home in Costa Mesa, California. When she discovered her client’s budget was $125,000, she recognized that was a lot of money but said it was “a really great budget three to five years ago.” For what they wanted to do—from knocking down walls in the kitchen to adding an addition off the primary bedroom for an en suite and walk-in closet—she said her best guess would be “closer to upwards of $200,000.”
It turns out that Hall proved herself wrong. “The fact that this project is moving so quickly is great news for Sarah and Andreas’s budget,” she said in the episode. “Since we haven't encountered any unexpected problems, we’re actually a little bit under budget and we may be able to go above and beyond in a few of the spaces.”
For the renovation, Hall and her design project manager, James Bender, spent $33,000 to open up the kitchen, add an island, and install tricolor cabinetry. They also turned an underutilized living space at the front of the home into a dining area off the kitchen for $11,000. To elevate the small primary bedroom, they swapped out furniture and had an addition built for a total of $34,000. In the addition, they created an en suite for $18,000 and a walk-in closet for $8,000.
When Hall and Bender told the clients there was remaining budget, Bender noted, "This rarely happens, so we're going to take advantage of it."
The clients were on board with their suggestion: to put an entertainment center in the living room along with fresh furniture for $18,000. They also had a $3,000 “surf shack” built in the backyard for surfboard storage.
With an efficient construction team, money saved on materials, and no unexpected hiccups, this project proves it is possible for a renovation to be fairly painless and on budget!
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