With a new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start. For homeowners, that can mean making home upgrades to create a unique look inside and outside. A complete home upgrade, with renewed outdoor painting, kitchens, and bathrooms, can be expensive, but there are other ways to make updates on a budget to make the most of your home. Whether you are upgrading to enjoy your home more or to sell, these changes are worth considering.
Focus on curb appeal
Part of selling a home is getting it ready to show off to potential buyers. Real estate agents talk about curb appeal as how the outside of your home looks from the street. Updated curb appeal doesn’t need to be a complete paint job or landscaping project. Instead of painting the entire outside of your home, you can paint your front door. Adding a pair of potted plants to frame the entrance and modern house numbers or a mailbox are other options for a new look outside. If you have landscaping that needs work, you can replace bare areas with mulch or rocks while adding native plants that may cost less and be low maintenance.
Kitchen cabinet refresh
While you might dream of that designer kitchen with updated countertops and cabinets, the cost of complete kitchen remodels, not to mention the time commitment, may make it unreachable if you are on a budget and want to make upgrades fast. Painting your kitchen cabinets can give them a new look without replacing them entirely. Other color updates are adding a backsplash, updating lighting with hanging pendants, and adding an accent wall with paint or wallpaper. If it’s time for an appliance upgrade, going for stainless steel and matching designs can streamline without an entire remodel.
Add accents
Accent walls can work well anywhere in your home, not just in the kitchen. Hallways and entryways can be one place to add bright colors that can make an impact. In the bathroom, consider accents first instead of a complete bathroom remodel. In the living room, adding colors with pillows, a patterned carpet, or a new work of art on the wall can change the whole look. Remember that you don’t want to create clutter when adding accents and may need to subtract some items while adding others to avoid making a room feel too busy.
Go green
Decluttering to make way for plants, extra lighting, and even letting more green in through your windows can be part of a minimalist effort to upgrade your home. Plants can be added on top of bookcases, hanging from the ceiling, and even turning on the wall if you opt for air plants with no roots. Plants are also better for the environment as they won’t create excess waste at the end of their lifespans, unlike furniture or other decorative items that might end up in landfills.
Following your creativity is the best strategy to upgrade your home on a budget. Look at second-hand stores and salvaged items instead of buying new ones. If you have sewing skills or a friend or family member who is a top sewer, recruit them to sew curtains, pillowcases, or slipcovers to give your furniture a new look. You can look to other homes for inspiration while truly creating your space.