Low-Budget Renovation Tips
by Anne Hayes
1. Clean Up and Declutter
Before you embark on a renovation, make sure you've really considered your space. One of the best ways to do this is to thoroughly clean your house. This way, the rooms will look their best in the end. Furthermore, focusing on your space will give you the opportunity to think about which items really fulfill their function and which do not. While you're cleaning and putting things away, you should try to declutter your space as much as you can. After, your house will be clean and present a blank canvas for your remodeling ideas.
2. Moving Furniture and Adding Color
While you're cleaning, you'll have to move furniture around anyway. Consider organizing your items in a different way. It's not exactly a renovation, but it will cost you nothing, and it will give you a different perspective on your space. Similarly, if you're dissatisfied with your belongings, or you would like to introduce some changes, you can refresh your space by adding a new rug or some throw pillows in colors that you want to see more of.
These will require a small investment - one that is much lower than remodeling your whole space and starting again from zero.
When it comes to color, a good trick to prioritize your budget (and save on paint) is to choose a color scheme for your whole home. Pick several main colors you'd like to see around you. If you can, include some of the colors that are already there. Once you've done this, start strategically adding items in your chosen shades throughout the house. You can do this on a pretty low budget - think lamps, some throw pillows, or wall art. Having similar hues across your whole space will really tie it in and make it feel like a home.
3. A New Coat of Paint
One of the most common low-budget renovation tips is getting a fresh coat of paint on your walls. You might think this would be the easiest way to bring some color into your space. However, experts suggest actually going for a shade of white for your walls. This is especially important if you're not working with a lot of space. You can inject a bit of color or different hues in your trim. But where it really pays off is your cabinets and doors. If your walls are white, you can truly go crazy with the colors in the rest of the room, if that's something that you like. And the best part about it is that you'll only need the money for the material. Painting is quite simple and easily done on your own.
4. A New Backsplash
Low-budget renovation tips often suggest focusing on your kitchen and bathroom for the remodeling. One of the easiest renovations you can do yourself is getting a new backsplash. It doesn't cost a lot, but will make a big difference in your space. Obviously, this is a step up from a simple paint job, but the work of tiling itself is not that complicated in this capacity. Some other tips for renovating on a small budget when it comes to your kitchen are painting the cabinets or changing up the countertops. These less expensive upgrades can make your kitchen feel new.
5. Replacing Small Hardware
Another low-budget renovation tip is to swap out hardware around the house for more modern pieces. This means door handles, cabinet and closet pulls, taps in your kitchen and bathroom, etc. Most things you can replace yourself with inexpensive parts can be useful; they're small things, but they will really make your home seem more updated.
6. Refurbishing Your Front Door
7. Project Management
If you decide to go for a bigger renovation, like finishing your basement, make sure you know exactly what you want - and write it down, with as many details as possible. Make sure to allow enough time for the renovation itself, as well as for things going wrong. Come up with a realistic budget with the help of your contractor and make sure you stick to it. Renovation takes a lot of time, but can be made less stressful with the right planning. And on the days when you are stressed or working hard, keep your eye on the prize your new home.
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