How to Upgrade Your Home for Less
You don’t have to spend a fortune on upgrading your home. Whether you are planning to sell it, rent it, or just want to make it cozier and more inviting, there are plenty of simple, budget-friendly ways to achieve your goals. Follow these tips and you are sure to upgrade your home for less!
Of course, you won’t be able to do any major structural alterations. But with a bit of creativity and planning, there’s quite a lot you can do.
Here are our top suggestions to upgrade your home for less:
Paint Your Front Door a Vibrant Color
In order to improve your home’s curb appeal and make your home stand out, consider painting your front door a new, vibrant color. You can do this yourself with a can of paint and a bit of online education, so it won’t cost a lot.
If you would prefer to stick to a neutral color palette, simply adding a fresh lick of paint can make the door seem new and fresh. It will make your home more inviting, and you’ll be proud of your hard work every time you walk through the door.
Decorate Your Mailbox
Another outdoor element you can easily upgrade is your mailbox. A new coat of paint can be the first step you take. You can make it match the door, or you can choose a complementary color for it.
You can then put your DIY hat on and think of a way to decorate the mailbox that will reflect your family’s spirit. You can let your kids draw and paint on it, or you can do something yourself.
Switching up the decorations each season will keep the mailbox interesting all year round. Just make sure that your name and address are still clearly visible. You don’t want to confuse your postman.
Install Wireless Lighting
A simple and affordable way to elevate any room is to install new lighting. You don’t have to spend a fortune on new fixtures. You can buy LED lights or strips and install them in the appropriate spots.
Consider adding a color-changing LED strip behind your TV or computer. You can use the remote control to set the mood for a movie night or an evening of gaming.
You can also install lights above your wall art or place some unobtrusive lights on your bookshelves or inside your wardrobe. This will give your home that upper-class feel reminiscent of Manhattan penthouses, without the high price tag.
Upgrade to a Smart Doorbell
A slightly costlier upgrade you can consider is purchasing a smart doorbell. Depending on the model you choose, you can connect it to your TV or phone, control it remotely, and even speak to your visitors from across town.
This is a great way to increase the security of your home. A motion-triggered doorbell can record footage every time someone approaches your front door, and it can even deter burglars. Plus, you’ll know whether or not the delivery person has treated your parcels with care.
Do your research and choose a model that best fits your needs. You can wait for a seasonal discount to make this purchase and save even more money.
Install Remote-Controlled Dimmers and Light Switches
While we are on the subject of smart controls, you can also consider smart light switches or dimmers. The basic models won’t be remote-controlled, so you’ll still have to get up and dim the lights. But they can be a great way to enhance the mood of the home and save on your electricity bill.
Slightly more expensive models can be controlled via an app, and you can set your lights to turn on and off at certain times. You can check that you’ve remembered to turn the lights off after leaving for work, too.
Stick on Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper
Painting a room can be a time-consuming and complex affair. Adding new wallpaper can be even more finicky, so you will most likely need to call in a professional to help you.
To save money, choose peel-and-stick wallpapers instead. You can liven up a smaller area in a room. Think kitchen backsplashes or the area above or around your vanity. You can add some above your bed, to the wall area behind bookshelves, or anywhere else you need a bit of vibrancy.
You can, of course, also do an entire room with peel-and-stick wallpaper. Covering larger areas will require precision, but you can order custom sizes that will be easier to place. To limit potential mistakes, you can choose a wallpaper without a complex pattern, where the seams won’t need to be fitted as perfectly.
Paint an Accent Wall
Creating an accent wall in a room is also a great budget-friendly upgrade. You can do it with the addition of wallpaper, including the peel-and-stick kind, or you can bust out your brushes and do it yourself.
Consider the effect you want to achieve and choose the color accordingly. Make sure to test several colors out on small areas of the wall to see what the final effect will be like. Higher-end paints dry true to color, but some cheaper ones might dry a bit darker than expected, so make sure to run this test.
Try not to choose a color that clashes with the rest of the interior too much. A red or black wall might seem like a good idea in theory, and it might look great on Pinterest, but it might not go well with your living space.
Or Choose Wall Stencils
If you are good at painting and have a bit of a DIY thumb, you can get some wall stencils and create something completely unique.
Use them on an accent wall or in a smaller area as a highlight. You can create great trims with them and a bit of careful brushwork.
They are also a great idea for kids’ rooms. Choose a wall they can go wild with and give them some stencils to work with. You can help them choose the colors and lend a helping hand, but let them have fun with it, whatever the final result may look like.
Upgrade the Kitchen Floors with Self-Adhesive Tiles
Similarly, if you would like to refresh your kitchen tiles but don’t want to pay a fortune for the job, you can get some self-adhesive tiles and do it yourself.
There are numerous patterns and finishes available, so you can easily find some that will complement your kitchen. Sticking them on won’t be difficult either; just make sure that you measure the size and amount of tile you’ll need and cut any large ones neatly.
These kinds of tiles will be easy to clean and maintain, so they can also save you lots of time on floor mopping and scrubbing.
You can use them in the bathroom too, not only on the floors but also on the walls. You can use them as splashbacks, too.
Buy Some Bamboo Window Shades
If you would like to give your windows a bit of a spruce-up, you can get some eco-friendly bamboo window shades. They will be much more affordable than those made from other materials, and they can liven up any room.
Note that they will not block out light completely, so they may not be a great choice in the bedroom. However, they work great in kitchens, bathrooms, and living rooms.
Sand and Paint Old Cabinets or Tables
Instead of investing in new furniture, the budget-friendly option is to refurbish and refresh the items you already have. Alternatively, you can also thrift some old items that may not be in the best condition but which you can easily liven up.
There are plenty of online video tutorials that will show you how it’s done. You will need to sand off the current layer of paint and varnish on the item, and then cover it in a new one. This is a great way to change the color of a cabinet or table if you’d like to change the color scheme of a room.
Take your time with the sanding and painting, and you can bring entirely new life into a unique or vintage piece.
Swap Out Your Cabinet Hardware
If you’re satisfied with the state and color of your cabinets but would still like to liven up your kitchen or bathroom, consider changing your kitchen hardware. This can change the appearance and style of a storage unit completely, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot either.
Look for good home deals to find the hardware you like. This is often the best way to find a higher-end item at a more affordable price. It will take a bit of browsing, but if you already know the brands you want to look at, it won’t take that long.
Aim for materials that will go well with the style of the room. Consider wear and tear and how easy cleaning will be.
Bring in More Greenery
A very effective way to elevate any space is to add a touch of greenery to it. Whether you choose
faux plants or real ones, the effect will be quite the same.
Do a bit of research and find plants that are the most likely to thrive in your space. There are plenty of species that require very little care and that won’t mind living in a space that doesn’t get too much sunlight.
You can also plant a mini herb garden in your kitchen windows. It will reward you with some great smells and even save you money in the long run.
Create a Gallery Wall
A gallery wall can be a great way to bring a bit of interest to your walls and fill up large, empty canvases.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on artwork, either. You can find paintings or prints from local artists and support someone’s talent.
Another great idea is to create a gallery wall from photos and your own art. Print out your favorite pics from holidays and other special events, do a bit of arts and crafts, and see what you can come up with.
Create a Focal Point in Shared Spaces
If you don’t want to do a gallery wall, consider creating another kind of focal point in the rooms where people congregate the most, like the living room.
You can build a bookshelf and house some of your travel memorabilia or any of your collections. Proudly display your mugs, beer caps, or records.
You can make this space as personal or impersonal as you’d like. You don’t have to flaunt your personality if you don’t want to. A gallery wall-style vision board composed of images that motivate and drive you can be a nice touch, for example.
Reupholster Old Sofas
Much like you can refresh old furniture, you can completely revamp sofas and armchairs by getting them reupholstered. This is not a task you should try to tackle on your own unless you’re very handy, as you don’t want to make a mess of your seating area.
Choose a lush fabric you will enjoy lounging on. You can choose a completely new color and material that will bring a new atmosphere into the space.
Aim for something that you can clean easily and that won’t stain. If you have pets, consider what color will show their shed fur the least.
Wrapping Up
Ready to start upgrading your home for less? Which one of these ideas did you like the most?
Take a look at your space with an objective eye and consider the projects and improvements you could start tackling with little to no investment. Start with the rooms you spend the most time in or the areas that you’re currently the least satisfied with.
Don’t take on dozens of home projects at once, though. Take your time with one and complete it before you start on the next one. This approach will disrupt your living space the least.
