10 Best Ways to Upgrade Your Home on a Budget

10 Best Ways to Upgrade Your Home on a Budget

Johana Williams By Johana Williams · Reviewed by Peter Evering ·Oct 2020 ·5 min read

We all love the feeling of house renovations and upgrades, right? They make the house look young and refreshed, and they are also an essential way to improve the value of your home for renting or selling. However, many of us cannot afford major renovations every year. There are a variety of small-scale upgrades and design tricks you can utilize to update your home without breaking the bank. Whether it be to boost your rental price, prepare for showings, or simply for you to enjoy, your house will appreciate these simple changes:

1. Repaint the Front Door

Improve the curb appeal of your home easily and boost the selling value by repainting the front door. Regardless of the colors of the rest of the house, you can always opt for a simple white or muted color. However, choosing a bold accent color is a common professional design trick that will draw attention and make the front of the house more inviting.

2. Remove Popcorn Ceiling

Popcorn ceilings are an outdated look, but they can be easily removed. You can do it yourself or have a professional do it for a low price. Smooth ceilings will open up the rooms of the house and give it a modern look. If you opt to do it yourself, be sure to have it tested for asbestos.

3. Replace or Install Lighting Fixtures

Replacing outdated light fixtures will modernize your home instantly. Ceiling fixtures will have the biggest impact on the look of the home, but you will probably have to hire an electrician to have them installed. You can also opt to select attention grabbing table or floor lamps to modernize a room without making any physical renovations. Either way, providing ample lighting sources is essential to making a room feel welcoming, warm, and spacious.

4. Add or Update Molding

Updating the molding is a simple and small detail that can give your house the finishing touch it needs and can be a low-cost upgrade to any room. There are a variety of different molding styles and sizes depending on where they will be placed. Consider installing additional molding around kitchen or bathroom cabinets to add extra detail to the room.

5. Replace Kitchen Cabinet Handles

Major renovations are best spent in the kitchen, as that will have the biggest return on your investment in terms of home value. One of the cheapest kitchen renovations you can make that will drastically change its look is upgrading cabinet handles and drawer pulls. This is a simple DIY project and a cheap investment that will transform your kitchen. The most important aspect of choosing handles is ensuring that the finish matches the other accents in the kitchen.

6. Add Outdoor Seating

Create small seating or dining areas in outdoor spaces to make the property seem more spacious and liven up the front or back porch. To craft an outside space that appears well put together and inviting, lay down an outdoor rug and use a firepit as a centerpiece. You can also put up a pergola and hang curtains on the sides to add privacy, as well as string lights from the top for the

ultimate ambience. Even if you don’t have a large porch or deck, you can utilize make the most out of your outdoor space with this simple trick.

7. Landscape

Transforming your front or back yard can be one of the most striking and noticeable changes to your home and curb appeal. Depending on what changes you have done, this can be a pricey investment, but will make a world of difference. You can also keep it simple and just add some plants or sections of mulch or rocks. Emphasize creating focal points in the yard or line the front walkway with natural décor. You can also consult a professional landscaper to determine the most cost-effective layout for your yard.

8. Dress the Windows

Window blinds are an often-overlooked décor feature, as most people stick with standard white blinds throughout the whole house. However, dressing your windows is actually a super helpful technique for updating your home and giving each room a finished look. You can create endless combinations of window panels and curtains or shades to accent the rest of the furniture. And if you want to invest a bit more, have the window frames themselves redone.

9. Install a Stair Runner

If you house has a staircase, have a simple stair runner installed to draw attention and add some flare. If the area around the staircase doesn’t have a lot going on, you can opt for a more attention-grabbing design to make it the focal point of the room. However, if you already have a more finished looking room, don’t overdo it and opt for a muted solid color that compliments the rest of the décor.

10. Re-caulk the Bathroom

Old and dirty caulking is a small detail that gives the impression of an unkept and outdated bathroom. To make your bathroom look freshly updated, simply re-caulk around the tub and vanity. This is easy to do yourself and costs practically nothing.

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Johana Williams

Johana Williams

Regional Manager, Utopia Management

Johana Williams is a Regional Manager at Utopia Management with more than 20 years in property management and operational leadership. She writes about property management, landlord-tenant rules, and the rental market for Utopia Management.

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