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Smart Home Renovation Guide: Budget Tips on Where to Save and Splurge for Quality, Safety, and Eco-Friendly Living in 2023

When renovating your home, it’s crucial to balance your budget wisely to avoid overspending while ensuring quality and safety. For example, you can save on tiles by choosing affordable options from Guangdong, as they are durable and eco-friendly, but never compromise on wood flooring—opt for big brands with ENF grade to prevent formaldehyde issues. Similarly, use budget-friendly latex paint from reputable brands, but invest in high-quality putty powder to avoid cracks and environmental hazards. With water filtration, a basic pre-filter with backwash function is sufficient for most homes, but splurge on an RO under-sink purifier for direct drinking water. TVs can be economical as technology is mature, but projectors require higher investment for clear visuals. Save on integrated ceilings with aluminum panels, but choose reliable bath heaters for safety and comfort. For custom cabinets, focus on design and materials rather than brands, but always use premium hardware to ensure longevity and avoid frequent repairs.

Smart Home Renovation Guide: Save Money on Tiles, Splurge on Flooring, Paint, Filters, TV, Ceiling, and Cabinets with Budget Tips

For ordinary home renovations, even if you have plenty of money, there are nine items you shouldn’t spend too much on; and of course, there are nine items you shouldn’t skimp on, even if you’re on a tight budget. Home renovation is all about balancing savings and splurges—don’t end up wasting your money unnecessarily.

1. Save on tiles, but don’t save on wood flooring. Tiles don’t need to be expensive; just choose ones from Guangdong origin, as the quality is generally similar. Focus on patterns, textures, and ensure they are flat—cheap tiles won’t wear out easily. However, wood flooring is where you shouldn’t cut costs, mainly due to environmental concerns like formaldehyde emissions. Always opt for reputable brands with ENF-grade certifications for safety.

2. Save on latex paint, but don’t save on primer. There’s no need to go for imported or children’s paint; apart from slightly lower VOC levels, the application effect is similar to domestic paints. Stick to basic versions from well-known brands, costing around 500 yuan per bucket. For primer, avoid unknown brands—poor quality often requires adding glue, leading to formaldehyde issues. Choose branded ready-mixed primers to prevent cracking and ensure eco-friendliness without glue.

3. Save on pre-filters, but don’t save on under-sink water purifiers. Pre-filters have minimal impact in new homes, acting as coarse sieves; they’re only somewhat useful in older homes or areas with poor water quality. A model with backflush function for 300-400 yuan is sufficient. For drinking water, invest in an RO reverse osmosis system paired with a pipeline machine to boost quality of life. Always select brands with genuine RO membranes and universal filters.

4. Save on TVs, but don’t save on projectors. LCD TV technology is mature, so high-end models aren’t necessary—they’re often just decorative in living rooms. A 65 or 75-inch brand TV for 3,000-4,000 yuan is enough. Projectors, however, aren’t as advanced; cheaper ones have poor image quality, blurring in daylight or dim light. Avoid models under 5,000 yuan to prevent frustration.

5. Save on integrated ceilings, but don’t save on bath heaters. For kitchen and bathroom ceilings, use aluminum panels in 300 specifications, costing over 100 yuan per square meter—they’re durable and won’t break easily. Choose thickness above 0.6 to avoid noise from wind. Bath heaters, being high-power appliances, affect comfort and safety; good ones offer better heat dissipation and longevity for a pleasant shower experience.

6. Save on custom cabinets, but don’t save on hardware. Custom cabinets don’t require brand names—quality depends on materials and design, not the brand. Buy panels locally, have them processed by factories, and assembled on-site. Hardware, like hinges and handles, must be high-quality to ensure cabinet longevity; cheap options lead to rust, breakage, and constant issues, causing annoyance.

Ultimate Guide to Choosing Home Renovation Materials: Expert Tips for Tiles, Paint, Doors, Flooring, and Lighting Selection

Young people today often have good economic conditions for home renovation and seek advice on selecting main materials. Actually, it’s not difficult; it depends on the consumer’s needs and budget.

For those with ample budget, choose plain matte tiles with matching grout for a seamless look. For limited budget, choose glossy tiles as they are affordable and easy to clean. Avoid matte tiles as they are too hard to clean.

In terms of size, 800×800 is standard. If funds are sufficient, 150×75 is better with fewer seams, making it more grand. But avoid 120×60 for floors as it looks ugly no matter how laid; it’s more suitable for kitchen and bathroom walls.

The quality and eco-friendliness of domestic latex paint already far meet the needs of home renovation, so there’s no need to choose so-called imported latex paint. If you don’t believe it, you can look into it and find that imported latex paint is also produced domestically, using domestic raw materials, and some are even less eco-friendly than domestic ones.

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Additionally, any claims such as children’s bamboo charcoal, odor-free anti-mold, Blue Angel certification, or A+ certification are marketing tactics for laypeople; more selling points mean more money spent.

When choosing latex paint, only focus on two points: for eco-friendliness, look for the Ten-ring certification; for quality grade, prefer premium grade, then first-grade.

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Lastly, the purchase channel should be online official flagship stores.

For those who prioritize appearance, choose painted doors; for practicality, lacquer-free doors are a good choice. Whether choosing painted or lacquer-free, solid wood composite doors are correct.

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Pure solid wood doors are more eco-friendly but expensive and have risks of cracking and deformation, not as stable as solid wood composite doors. Door core prefer wood block filling, then bridge structure; honeycomb paper filling should not be taken even if free.

For door hinges, choose flat-opening over mother-child as they have better load-bearing.

Ordinary families are not recommended to use pure solid wood flooring because it is not only expensive but also difficult to maintain and prone to problems later. If you are in a villa or large flat, pure solid wood flooring is the best choice.

For ordinary residences, multi-layer solid wood is recommended. If there is underfloor heating, choose 7 or 9 layers for high stability; the disadvantage is that the surface is thin and not very wear-resistant. If no underfloor heating, three-layer solid wood is better, more eco-friendly, and the surface is thick enough.

If using laminate flooring, eco-friendliness must be prioritized, and be sure to choose big brands.

Actually, for lighting, it can be completely purchased online. Choose shipment from Zhongshan, Guangdong for quality assurance, and the price will be much cheaper. Merchants will include delivery, installation, and after-sales, so no worries at all.

For size, don’t guess blindly. There’s a simple method: add the room length and width, divide by 12, and you can pick the most suitable size.

For living room, choose 4000 to 4500K color temperature; for dining room, choose 3000 to 3500K soft light; for bedroom, choose 3000K to help sleep well. As for brightness, it’s simpler: room area multiplied by 3 to 5 watts, e.g., for a 10 sqm bedroom, choose about 30 watts.

These 5 main materials are used in every home renovation, so do enough homework, understand clearly, to avoid being cheated.

Ultimate Guide to Top Home Renovation Products: Expert Recommendations for Tiles, Doors, Paints, Sockets, Toilets, and Lighting Brands in 2023

1. Tiles

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There are over 1500 tile brands in the market, with more than 150 major brands from Guangdong. The quality and control are generally good. Based on reputation and sales, the first choice is Marco Polo, known for its distinctive antique tiles and reliable service. Secondary options include Dongpeng and Guanzhu; Dongpeng offers balanced products with sales second only to Marco Polo, while Guanzhu is more affordable. Another alternative is Feilinge’er, a German joint venture with higher quality and standards, though it is slightly more expensive.

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2. Wooden Doors

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For high-end wooden doors, the top choice is Mengtian. For quiet and stylish options, TATA is recommended. For health and environmental concerns, 3D Paintless Wooden Door is the best pick.

3. Paints

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Brands in this category have large-scale operations, advanced equipment, and technology that rivals imported products. The first choice is Dulux, with Nippon Paint as a secondary option. Dulux focuses more on home decoration and offers higher environmental standards. Sankeshu and Carpoly are also good alternatives, though they are less well-known.

4. Switches and Sockets

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Siemens is a household name, but the market has many counterfeits. For domestic brands, Bull is the top choice as a leading brand with a strong reputation and high safety. Secondary options include Delixi and Chint, which offer good quality at more affordable prices.

5. Smart Toilets

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The first choice for smart toilets is TOTO, known for its advanced smart technology. For domestic brands, Hegii is recommended for sanitary ware, and Jomoo for hardware. For comprehensive products and cost-effectiveness, consider Huid and Arrow.

6. Lighting

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Secondary choices include NVC Lighting and Philips. NVC Lighting specializes in LED lights with years of commercial experience and is a strong player. Philips, as the earliest bulb manufacturer, remains a leader in the lighting industry with undeniable capabilities.

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