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8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas If you are someone who enjoys doing things on their own, you are already well on your way to saving money. However, with careful preparation, you may alter the atmosphere of a whole space by completing a single job that will set you back no more than a few hundred dollars.
Home Improvements That Are Simple and Affordable to Make
Choose from our compiled list of value-adding enhancements, each of which can be purchased for less than $500, with several falling far below that threshold. Not only will they be easy on your pocketbook right now, but some of them will really save you money in the long run as well. Check out some of our simple suggestions for home improvements below.
- Give Your Walls a New Coat of Paint 1.
Image courtesy of Kolin Smith
Simply taking up a paint can and getting to work on your walls is all it takes to transform dull, lifeless walls into ones that radiate dazzling depth (or to atone for past decorating transgressions with pure white). This is the power that a fresh coat of paint possesses: the ability to reorganise your world. Because of this, painting is the do-it-yourself home renovation project that is completed the most often.
In spite of the fact that you don’t have to be a trained artist to learn how to paint like a pro, there is more to a successful paint job than just slathering some colour on the wall. Check out our how to instructions to learn how to paint your walls like a pro in only one weekend, from the very first scratch made by the pole sander to the the last feather of the brush.
- Cost: around $150
- Find detailed instructions on how to paint a room in the article How to Paint a Room.
Install Crown Molding in an Uncomplicated Manner
Image courtesy of Misty Keasler
It is not because people like spending a Saturday trying to get the corners exactly so that crown moulding makes it to the top of most renovation lists. Crown moulding makes it to the top of most remodelling lists because it adds elegance and value to a property. The aggravation caused by using a mitre saw may, thankfully, be avoided in an easy method.
Canamould Extrusions’ Trimroc moulding is a lightweight polystyrene foam covered in durable plaster. It is available in a variety of shapes and sizes. When using a handsaw, it cuts cleanly, and when using joint compound, it goes up in a flash. There is no need for coping or complex angles, and rough joints may be covered up with only a little bit of mud. A simple room may be transformed into an exquisite place in as little as a weekend, leaving you with plenty of time to take care of the other items on your to-do list.
Cost is around $120.
Find detailed instructions on how to install foam crown moulding in the article How to Install Foam Crown Molding.
Put in a Stair Runner That Won’t Break the Bank
How would you want to improve your grip on those slick stairs? Try a DIY runner. Jaime Shackford, a reader of The Opinion Herald, decided to tackle the job on her own after receiving an estimate of $2,500 to carpet her treacherously slippery oak staircase. She gave her staircase a non-slip facelift with nothing more than two off-the-shelf woven runners that cost $125 apiece and some materials from a home improvement shop.
Cost is around $300.
For detailed, step-by-step directions, please see our article on How to Install a Low-Cost Stair Runner.
To help save water, install a dishwasher in your home.
Image courtesy of Kolin Smith
It’s possible that your outdated dishwasher is driving up your monthly water and electricity costs. It is time to upgrade to a new dishwasher that has earned the Energy Star certification, which will save you more than $30 per year on electricity costs and over 500 gallons of water. If you have to wash the dishes by hand instead of using a dishwasher, you will use up to 40 percent more water than you would if you had a dishwasher.
The greatest reduction in expenses of them all? A dishwasher may be installed by the homeowner in as little as one afternoon. No need to call the plumber or the electrician, and there’s no need to stress about blowing your retirement savings on another round of dirty dishes.
Approximately $450 and up.
Full instructions with step-by-step diagrams may be found in the articles “How to Add a New Dishwasher” and “How to Replace a Dishwasher.”
Rewire an Old-Fashioned Front Door Lantern
Image courtesy of Kristine Larsen
A great number of the hanging lanterns that were popular throughout the first half of the 20th century had an unassuming appearance, giving the impression that they had been forged by hand rather than manufactured by a machine.
Rustic lanterns like this exhibited a back-to-basics design ethos and were popularised at the period by designers like Gustav Stickley and the Roycroft artisans. You may tell your visitors to “come on in” by putting an antique lantern that you found at a yard sale or that you have stowed away in the attic back into use. Either way, you’ll be able to locate one of these types of items. Once you have the necessary components, the work is simple and inexpensive.
Cost is around $140.
For detailed directions on how to rewire a vintage entry lantern, please see the related article.
Renew outdated flooring by painting it.
Image courtesy of Kolin Smith
The young and vibrant personalities of the newlyweds did not mesh well with the earthy tones and deep burgundy hue of the floor in the master bedroom of Sara and Andrew’s home in Massachusetts. On the other hand, refinishing was not possible given the constraints of the budget. Because of this, they decided to modernise the room by painting the floor in a light checkered pattern, using beige and white to warm up the cold blue walls that they had.
In this article, we demonstrate how some basic measurement and the application of a couple of coats of long-lasting floor paint can impart a great deal of character to a space for a relatively little cost.
Cost: around $75
Instructions on how to paint a floor are detailed and can be found in the article How to Paint a Floor.
Interior shutters may provide shade and provide an additional layer of privacy.
The distracting presence of sunlight coming in via windows may be quite bothersome. Not to mention the fact that your neighbours have additional opportunities throughout the evening to peer into your well-lit living room. You could build blinds to prevent people from peering in, but swinging wood shutters would undoubtedly be more aesthetically pleasing. 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas
Interior shutters were the first “window coverings” and were extensively utilised in homes across the South as well as metropolitan areas. Even today, interior shutters are a fantastic way to add architectural and historical character to a home. In the winter, they help keep the bitter winds out, and in the summer, they help keep the stifling heat out. And since they connect to a small frame that either lies within the window opening or around the outside of the casing, they can be easily installed on any window. 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas
Price ranges from around $150 to $400.
For detailed step-by-step directions, please see our article on how to hang inside shutters.
Reface the cabinets in the kitchen with a flawless new finish 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas 8 Budget Home Improvement Ideas
