Is your home in desperate need of repair? As you probably know, renovations and repairs don’t come cheap. In fact, the national average for repairing water damage is nearly $3,000. That doesn't include replacing any lost personal items. With some careful planning, you can save thousands of dollars and come out of the other side of your repairs without being deep in debt. 

Focus your efforts

Instead of trying to do more than is necessary, focus your efforts to make sure your home is dry and livable. You might have to be patient to make complete repairs or cosmetic fixes because contractors are in such high demand. It is important to take things slow and move step-by-step so that you and your finances do not become overwhelmed.

Shop around for a contractor

Find someone professional and reputable who quotes you a decent price. Get quotes from 2-3 different contractors before making your decision. Ask for references, check licensing and insurance and meet with each contractor in person to get a feel for their professional conduct and character. Also, be sure to sign a detailed contract before making any payments. Use these websites to make sure your contractor is properly licensed and not a fly-by-night business:

• Business License Look-Up for Florida
• Home Builders Association of West Florida — Directory of credible services
• Business License Look-Up for Alabama

Consider long-term benefits

You want to get your damaged fixed and return to normal life. That's understandable! However, now is not the time to choose the cheapest option because you are in a bind. Getting ripped off with shoddy work, or outright fraud, will cost more money and heartache in the long-run. Take a deep breath and research all your options before settling. Keep in mind that this may mean putting in a little work yourself. Try to save on the cost of labor so you can put your money into building materials.

Watch some tutorials & do what you can

Some of your repair projects will require a professional with very specific skills. However, there are a lot of DIY tutorials on YouTube. Before you dish out money to a contractor, consider which projects you may be able to take on yourself. Watch some step-by-step videos and decide what you're comfortable trying your hand at. You can also save some money by preparing your house for contractors to get directly to the stuff you don't have the skills to do. Clear the workspace for them and make sure they have a clear path to get to their truck or tools. In some cases, you can do some demolition yourself, so they can get right to rebuilding. 

Maximize your resources

If you can, hire a single contractor that can help with all your repairs instead of farming out jobs to multiple individual workers. Oftentimes, contractors working on home repairs have connections and can take on your entire project for a lower cost.