Low-Cost DIY Home Improvement Ideas
Lack of funds for any worthwhile home improvement projects but need to do some updates? Home repair and renovations can be expensive, but here are some ideas you can do on a small budget to give your home a new look. Update and improve your home, but on a budget. Cheap home renovation projects and home improvement ideas that are sure to fit your budget, now there’s no excuse for not having the home of your dreams.
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Consider curb appeal. Although it sounds obvious, a nicely mowed lawn, a few well-placed shrubs, and a swept walkway make a great first impression. If you don’t have a green thumb, consider hiring a landscaper to install some new sod, plant a few evergreen shrubs and give your front yard a good cleanup. A variety of flowers will also give your home.
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Reframe your entry. If you have a flimsy little knob on your main entry door replace it with a substantial-looking handle-and-lock set. Also, if you’re stuck with a basic steel front door, you can paint it or faux-finish it for a brand new look.
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Let there be light. If you have boring recessed lights in your dining and living rooms, consider replacing one of the room’s lights with an eye-catching chandelier. Home stores offer a wide range of inexpensive, but nice-looking, ceiling fixtures. If you have a ceiling fan and light, you can also buy replacement fan blades (leaving the fan body in place) to update the fixture’s look.
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Look Down. Carpeting is another detail that can quickly update a home and make it look cleaner. A professional carpet cleaning is an inexpensive investment, especially if your rugs are in good shape and are neutral colors. If your carpet is showing serious wear, cover it with inexpensive, strategically placed area rugs.
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Mind the mechanics. Hire an electrician and plumber for a couple of hours to look over your electrical services, wrap or fix loose wires, fix any faulty outlets, and check and fix any water leaks. This can save you some money on your utility bills.
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Add a room in a week or less. If you have a three-bedroom house with a den, add a closet to that room to look four-bedroom house. The only reason the den can’t be considered a bedroom maybe because it doesn’t have a closet.
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Step up your storage. Old houses, particularly, are notorious for their lack of closet space. If you have cramped storage areas, you can add do-it-yourself wire and laminate closet systems to bedrooms, pantries and entry closets.
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Buff up the bath. Next to the kitchen, bathrooms are often the most important rooms to update. Replacing an old, discolored bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles or a small piece of sheet vinyl. If your tub and shower are looking dingy, consider re-grouting the tile and replacing any chipped tiles. A more complete cover-up is a prefabricated tub and shower surround. These one-piece units may require professional installation but can still be cheaper than paying to re-tile walls and refinish a worn tub.
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Give appliances a facelift. If your kitchen appliances don’t match, order new doors or face panels for them.
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Make your kitchen really cook. The kitchen is still considered the heart of the home. Potential homebuyers make a beeline for this room when they first view a home for sale, so make sure your kitchen looks clean and reasonably updated. For a few hundred dollars, you can replace the kitchen faucet set, add new cabinet door handles and update old lighting fixtures with brighter, more energy-efficient ones. If you’ve got a slightly larger budget, you can give the cabinets themselves a makeover. If you’re handy, you can order your own replacement cabinet doors and door fronts from local home improvement retailers and install them yourself.
