Whether you’re looking for a property or looking to sell your existing home… There are some easy DIY home improvement projects you can do that won’t break your budget.
When you’re shopping around for a new home, there may be some things that put you off. The 70s-tastic burnt orange tiling in the kitchen, the dated, stained wallpaper in the living room… It may deter you from a hot property contender regardless of its good bones and perfect location.
Or maybe it’s time for you to sell your home and you want to maximise your selling power. Some aesthetic touches can make a good first impression on potential buyers.
These are things that you can easily do with a little bit of DIY spirit and some home renovation ideas. And they don’t have to cost the Earth. Some affordable cosmetic fixes can turn your home into a thing of beauty.
Read on to discover 10 renovation ideas to spruce up your home on a shoestring budget.
What A DIY Cost-Effective Renovation Can Do For You?
You’ve saved your deposit, have your finances in order and your mortgage broker has worked out your borrowing power. Now for the fun part... Looking at homes within your budget.
But what you can afford may not be the pristine, fully renovated dream you had envisioned. You could find a budget-friendly, well-built home in a winning location. But the current owners may have wildly different tastes when it comes to interior design. Or, the last time they decorated was in the grunge era.
When your budget doesn’t allow for extensive renovations, the thought of making do with a dated interior can be depressing. A lacklustre interior can even put you off what could be a great investment.
But fear not. Because there are DIY projects can makeover your home into a fresh, modern and cosy abode.
But... “I don’t know if we can afford that!” We hear you. Decorating can cost you a lot of money. But it doesn’t have to.
Making the following affordable changes can make your house a home, and a pleasure to be in. You can always save for more involved renovations when your financial situation permits.
But in the interim, these changes can make a huge difference to the liveability of a home. And if you’re looking to sell, they can have a drastic effect on the value and appeal of your home to potential buyers.
So, let’s look into the 10 budget DIY renovations you can do to improve your home.
1. Add A White Fresh Coat Of Paint To Walls
On your house hunting journey, have you noticed some wild and crazy paint jobs? Don’t worry, because this is an easy home improvement job to undertake. Repainting your walls white is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to refresh a room and make it modern.
White paint is also a fantastic neutral. It will go with whatever colour palette you have for your furniture and home decor. That way, when you decide to change up your colour palette, the walls will always match.
It also reflects light, making a room feel more spacious and airy. In fact, white walls may increase your home’s value when renting and selling. It’s more inviting to people due to its light-reflective properties. And the fact that it matches any colour palette can increase the appeal of your property to potential renters and buyers.
White walls are the go-to for interior designers to freshen up a room. Also, if decorating and colour theory isn’t your strong suit, it makes things a whole lot easier.
2. Update Your Front Door and Entryway
Your front door and entryway create the first impression of your home. This is of particular importance when putting your home on the market. It is the first part of the house potential buyers are faced with.
It’s also the first part of your home that greets your guests and yourself as you arrive home. Facing a tired-looking entryway day-to-day can be a drain. But you can make it look better with little effort with these improvements:
- Replace any torn or shabby mesh on screen doors. Your local hardware store will have the materials. It won’t cost much and it makes a difference.
- Give your door a fresh coat of paint. If you’re feeling bold, you can try a bright colour. In Feng Shui a bold, red door is considered to be auspicious.
- Install shelving, shoe racks, and hooks. The entryway can be a dumping ground for shoes, coats, bags, and any other items we tend to shed when we come home. Creating a space for items to be neatly stowed will make your entryway neat and tidy.
3. Refresh And Cover Up Dated Tiles
Replacing the tile backsplash in the kitchen and completely redoing bathroom tiles can be an expensive and time-consuming job. But there is a cost-effective way to revamp those dated tiles. You can purchase a special kind of paint that can cover up any patterned or coloured tiles from yesteryear.
Tile paint (or epoxy paint) is thicker in consistency and designed to adhere to the smooth surface of tiles. If you choose a neutral colour it will match whatever colour palate you switch to over time (just like those white walls).
Many people make do with their lacklustre bathroom and kitchen because they’re unaware of this budget-friendly tile solution. Sure, you may eventually want to upgrade to those uber-fancy Italian marble tiles you’ve got your eye on. But while you save up for those bad boys, you don’t have to live with daggy tiles.
It’s a simple fix, but the results can be dramatic.
Another option which is particularly good for tiled floors is vinyl tile stickers. But more about those later.
4. Switch Up Kitchen and Bathroom Cabinet Doors
Bathroom renovations are super expensive. Only to be eclipsed by kitchen renovations when it comes to the price factor. But a low-cost way to improve those crucial rooms is to fix up your old cabinets.
Re-paint bathroom and kitchen cabinet doors. You can also update the door knobs and handles for a more modern look. Or, you can just replace the doors instead of replacing the entire cabinet unit.
5. Rejuvenate Counter Tops
Your countertops are a heavy-use area of your home. And thus, they tend to be an area prone to scuffs, marks, stains and other blights. You can refresh shabby laminate countertops without a costly replacement in the following ways:
- Repaint countertops with specially designed paint. Talk to your friendly local hardware paint specialist. They can point you in the direction of countertop coating. It is designed to adhere to countertop surfaces and won’t come off as normal paint will.
- If you had the skills when it came to covering your school books in contact, then this could be the job for you. You can cover up dingy countertops in contact paper. You can get different patterns and designs. Some even emulate wood grain, granite and marble.
6. Change Your Fixtures To Create A New Look
An easy way to modernise your house is to change the fixtures, such as the light fixtures, doorknobs, handles and hooks. You can find affordable options at places such as K-Mart, IKEA, and Bunnings. It’s a simple and quick change but it can have a dramatic effect on modernising and refreshing a space.
7. Refinish Your Floors
Scuffed-up floors and daggy carpet can seriously turn the dial down on style. But new flooring is often expensive. The price of replacing carpets and tiles throughout your home can leave you reaching for the brandy.
But there are more affordable options you may like to look into. You don’t have to live with unsightly floors until you can save up for a top-grade reno. You can quickly and affordably fix up your floors to showcase your home, boost its resale value, and the aesthetic appeal.
- Carpet
Replacing carpets throughout the house is an expensive job. If you like to have carpet in the house but don’t have the budget, try experimenting with rugs and stair runners. Places like IKEA, department stores, and outlet stores have more affordable options.
Rugs can also cover up any stained or thinning carpet in your home until you can replace it.
- Vinyl Flooring
Are you faced with bland or discoloured tile flooring in your home? Peel and stick vinyl tile is easy to apply and comes in an array of designs, colours and styles.
There is also high-end vinyl tiling that can be grouted onto the floor if you want a studier option. However, this type of vinyl tiling will cost you more.
Vinyl tiles are available in most hardware and DIY home improvement stores. You can also find them on Amazon.
- Sheet Vinyl
Sheet vinyl comes in many different patterns and can be cut to fit the dimensions of your floor. It is easy to install. Simply tuck the edges under the baseboard to secure it in place.
- Laminate Flooring
You can get laminate flooring that resembles hardwood floors. It is often simple to install yourself, durable, and easy to clean and care for.
8. Increase Your Storage
Nothing excites a potential homebuyer more than seeing endless storage space. Not having enough storage can make your living spaces look untidy and ramshackle.
And it’s often that cute, vintage, mid-century home that has zero storage space to speak of. That’s because back in the day, they didn’t have as much stuff as we do now.
With some well-placed shelving, hooks and racks, you can boost the storage possibilities in your home.
Are you considering purchasing a home with nonexistent storage? You can make additional storage gains by using inbuilt storage furniture, such as ottomans, beds and lounge chairs.
9. Replace Window Treatments
If you’re handy with the sewing machine, whipping up some new curtains is a simple job. And if you’re not and would like to be... Sewing curtains is a good project to start with.
There’ll be endless patterns, fabrics and styles to choose from at your local haberdashery store.
And if sewing isn’t one of your strengths, you can find affordable curtains ready-made. Places like Spotlight, IKEA and K-Mart have budget-friendly pre-made options available.
10. Get Rid of Mildew
Nothing will curb appeal to a potential buyer quite like visible mildew. Keeping on top of mildew growth is the bane of many homeowners. Particularly in high moisture areas like the kitchen sink and bathroom.
You can easily find mildew spray at your local shopping centre or hardware store. Treat surfaces to kill mildew first. Then re-paint ceilings, walls or other surfaces.
The sealant around sinks and the shower can also become mildew magnets. This is easy to remove and replace.
The Wrap Up
Some people are lucky to find that rare unicorn... The perfect dream home that needs no renovations and fits the budget. But for most of us, working within your property budget can sometimes mean you need to overlook some questionable design features.
But you don’t have to wait to save up for an in-depth renovation. Nor do you have to live with the aesthetic nastiness.
With some DIY spirit and some simple, cost-effective, home improvement ideas, your home can go from drab to fab.
And if you’re selling or renting your home, these cosmetic fixes can seriously boost the appeal to potential buyers and renters.
If you’re interested in more information on finance, lifestyle, and real estate, explore YouBroker’s articles here.
Looking For A Mortgage Broker?
Are you on the hunt for your dream home? There is a lot to organise when it comes to real estate buying and finance. It can get overwhelming.
But YouBroker can take the hassle out of finding the right home loan solution for you.
We have access to a vast network of banks and lenders in order to find the best deals, cashbacks, and interest rates. And, we can offer advice and assistance throughout the whole real estate buying process.
We’re fully accredited with ASIC and are a member of MFAA, the leading financial professional association in Australia.
Youbroker can assist you with:
- Insight into your borrowing power, including factors such as DTI and assessment rates.
- Your property scenario: what type of property you can afford, and what is the official value of your property.
- Support and expert advice on living expenses reporting and budgeting.
- Quick approvals.
Starting with YouBroker is easy! And convenient.
We offer a fully online service so you can start the process when it suits you. With YouBroker, you’ll get access to a 100% secure online portal so you can stay up to date every step of the way.
Interested in having the overwhelm taken out of your search for the right mortgage? We’d love to assist, so get started today!
