Whether it’s a kitchen makeover or a bathroom redo, home renovations are a tremendous investment of time, effort, and money. But, the benefits tend to outweigh the costs, and the results can be lasting. With so much at stake, making wise decisions throughout the home improvement process is essential. Fortunately, many professional home decor experts can offer a wealth of advice to help you do that.
#1. Improve your home curb appeal
From more traditional to contemporary options, there is plenty of mileage to improve your house’s curb appeal, but they cost a lot. Here are some affordable remodelling options you can opt for:
Patch wear and tear with paint
Styling up outside your house can be easy yet affordable when you give a fresh lick of paint on certain parts of your facade where the wear is visible. For instance, repainting your front door in a little more exciting colour – like bright yellow, memorable red, or dove grey – will make a bold accent and improve your visitors’ first impression.
When you are on a shoestring budget, even re-painting the door trim or adding matching moulding can make a difference. For extra points, update your outdate-looking doorknob, doorbell, locks, kick-plate, and locks.
On uncertain days like these, a coat of antibacterial paint will equally spruce the door furniture and reduce the risk of contamination. So roll up your sleeves, dip your brush, and prepare for an exterior boost!
Replace concrete pavers with slate tiles
Even if concrete pavers are an affordable weather-resistant surface to add to your law, they tend to chip, crack, and erode as they age. Also, their colour fades over time. For most of you, these will make upgrading the concrete pavers an unjustified investment. There are a lot of alternatives to concrete pavers, but if you bet on slate tiles, you will likely be surprised at how many affordable options there are on the market. Not only do they stand for durability, but you can save time and money when you install them directly on the concrete.
Turn your boring backyard into a comfort zone with a zero-clearance fireplace
You can achieve the fun, modern, and intimate nook your background longs for with zero-clearance fireplaces. Surprisingly, it is affordable as you don’t need a foundation or an expensive masonry fireplace chimney. And suppose you want to invest in a zero-clearance fireplace rather than a conventional unit. In that case, you will save on installation costs and energy bills, and protect the environment, while enjoying the perfect backyard retreat during the breezy days or nights, no matter the time of the year.
#2. Redecorate your kitchen without spending a fortune
Reface your kitchen cabinets with a splash of paint
Never underestimate the beautifying effect of a fresh lick of paint on your outdated kitchen cupboards or shelves. Getting them repainted is one of the most affordable investments you can make on your own – hassle-free and without physical extortion. Not to mention that keeping your kitchen in tip-top shape will add a new instant flavour to the aesthetics of your space. Your home will get immediately more marketable, too. The only limit is your imagination. If you feel nervous about the colour choice, choose neutral colours inspired by nature. But if you are a hugely enthusiastic Chef in the kitchen, bright colours can further boost your kitchen energy.
Chalk paint over water
For those who love the ultra-matte vintage look, use chalk paint over water – or oil-based substances. The chalk paint is the perfect choice for those of you who are unsure about their decorating skills. The reason? It can be applied on every surface type with a few strokes only, even without sanding and other preparations for the job. It’s as easy as that!
Peel-and-stick wallpapers
Repainting a kitchen cabinet is cheaper than adding a new front. But the most affordable solution to conceal the age of your cabinets are peel-and-stick wallpapers. With them, your kitchen cabinet can look like artistry. The biggest advantage is that they are easily removable without stripping off the underneath surface, meaning that there’s no pressure to commit if you get sick of this look later on.
The decorative paper will also turn any of your furniture into appealing and one-of-a-kind pieces. Sticking temporary wallpaper to an outdated cupboard, wardrobe, shelf, table, or chair is children’s play and won’t take much time.
Create a “real-fit” kitchen with suspended shelves
Gaining more space in a kitchen might be a hard-to-try story entailing a significant investment. When you consider a kitchen renovation, your first step is to plan the layout with functionality in mind and brainstorm affordable kitchen upgrade ideas that give more bang for the buck. For instance, hanging an open suspended shelf from the ceiling or a cabinet to store your kitchenware is a clever storage solution in vogue. With this contemporary kitchen solution, you can also show everything from your coffee collection to cookbooks and decorative objects. Not to mention that the installation is as easy as children’s play and won’t cost you a fortune.
Upgrade your backsplash
It seems like a lot of effort and money to remove the old kitchen backsplash and create a new one from scratch. Instead of wasting money and time fitting mosaic or ceramic tiles, you can replenish your backsplash with peel-and-stick faux or vinyl designs. Plus, it’s a no-mess job, and you can install the backsplash yourself in a couple of hours.
#3. Repurpose, Reinvent, Reuse, and Recycle!
Any scrap around your house can turn into a decorative piece. All creative ideas can become a prominent statement that won’t cost you a penny when you use something you already have.
Reuse leftovers
If your last renovation project ended up with a new piece of cardboard, you could quickly turn it into a cutting board, a tray for your morning coffee, a floating shelf or an appetiser board. Finally, the new decorating idea can be even more appealing and funnier than you imagine. And everyone will admire the rejuvenating effect!
Don’t throw your leftover rolls of wallpaper to the curb
Instead, turn them into something creative. You can wrap and glue wallpaper to your old furniture to match your decor. It could be tables, chairs, cabinets and many more. You’ll make a colourful transformation with a custom design you’ll love. Also, instead of being thrown, the small leftover pieces can be precisely cut off and placed in a photo frame. This is a simple, cheap and fashionable way to create an effective decoration.
The easiest way to achieve a whole new perception of a room is through curtains
But what if you don’t have the budget to change your old ones? Here’s an affordable go-to: Adding a splash of paint to them will add more personality and a custom look at a low price. You can go for black and white dots, geometric patterns, stripes, curves and whatever you like. You just need a paintbrush and your favourite paint colour for the textile to start this creative challenge.
Don’t throw your old curtain rods to the curb
There are many practical ways to repurpose unnecessary window treatments for almost every room in your home. For instance, you can hang a pot rack to a kitchen backsplash from an old rod and brackets. This is also a practical way to store the kitchenware away from the countertop. Or, you can create a stylish vertical herb garden so any herb can be in hand reach precisely when you need it. With a new curtain rod, you can also invent a storage solution for your hats, shawls, bags, clothes and whatever you like.
#4. Revive your space with the handyman way for curtain fitting
You can make a little room with the curtains you already have installed rather than jumping into an expensive purchase. The professional handyman’s trick is to fit the curtain rod 4-6 inches above the window frame. And when you install a rod wider than your casement, you will get the illusion of bigger windows and allow more light to be filtered in. The lighter your interior, the bigger and more hospitable it will look.
#5. Affordable fixes on mirrors with high impact
To hang up a heavy mirror could be a decision that can cost you a lot. There are also many pitfalls ahead of you if you lack hanging experience.
But adding a frame to your mirror can conceal the wear, especially scratches, chips and flakes around the edges. Not only will this hide the defects, but with an elegant or ornate frame, you will improve the look of your space for less.
Yet, you can achieve a less expensive and easy installation when you fit a combination of a few smaller mirrors. Mount them before a window to help the light bounce and brighten your space. The reflected light will instantly make your room look more spacious. You can also create a new tone in the room if you hang the mirror composition before a picture or piece of art.
Final Thoughts
Everyone has that “favourite room” in their home, but it’s usually the one they visit least. Some rooms are just hard to love. But when deciding which home improvements to tackle yourself, you need to consider your tolerance for odours, messes, and noise. Fortunately, some easy fixes can help you save on home repairs.
