Do you have little aspects of your home that you’d love to change? Most of us do. In fact, plenty of homeowners have a running to-do list when it comes to home improvement and upgrade dreams. But they often resist making updates because they worry it will cost too much because they don’t know the realities of how to transform your home on a budget.
Although you can’t completely transform your residence without spending a little, you certainly don’t need to blow through your savings to have an amazing looking property inside and outside. In fact, you can make some incredible inroads toward modernizing and retrofitting any piece of real estate affordably by learning how to transform your home on a budget.
Interested in learning more and finally joining the 53% of couples who never argue about doing household chores, possibly because they absolutely adore their homes? Read on to become an expert in how to transform your home on a budget — even a tight one.
Add New Doors — Or Make Old Ones Seem New Again
Let’s face facts: Old doors make any place look shabby. If your doors are worn out, faded, rusted, cracked, creaking, or just plain ugly, you need to consider ways to make them shine again. One solution could be to just order and install new ones, such as spectacular birch wood doors for your front entrance or gorgeous French doors between your living and dining room areas.
Not sure you want to completely scrap the interior or exterior doors that you have while you explore how to transform your home on a budget? Think about painting doors that have nothing wrong with them but look like they belong in a tacky museum. Consider painting your front door a strong, contrasting color that will go nicely along with the color of the rest of the house. Or paint your inside doors the same neutral shade of eggshell or off-white to give your place a uniformed, clean look.
Even if you’re not convinced that you have the money to spend on buying new doors for every entryway in your house, take a trip to a home improvement retailer. You might be surprised to find last year’s models on sale, which could allow you to upgrade at least one door with a much newer one made from a contemporary, long-lasting material.
Keep the Temperature Comfortable
Is one of your biggest problems with your home that it’s never cool enough in the summer or hot enough in the winter? The answer to that dilemma can be a new air conditioning or furnace unit. Most air conditioners and furnaces only last about 10 or, at the max, 15 years. Even if yours is working after 20 years, it’s probably not very energy efficient. Therefore, it’s costing you money every time you pay your utility bill.
Though it might seem counterintuitive to consider buying new HVAC equipment if your main goal is to figure out how to transform your home on a budget, listen up. Many air conditioning and heating specialists run regular price specials. These specials are offered by the manufacturers of the HVAC units. As long as you have decent credit, you might be able to get zero-percent financing for a year, two years, or even longer. That allows you to pay for your heating and cooling items over time. And that’s a good bargain.
Are you saying, “But wait! Our air conditioner isn’t old, and the furnace still works well!” In that case, your temperature issue could be resolved by finally addressing all those cracks and leaky areas that are plaguing your house. Do you have older windows that need to be repaired or replaced? Is the insulation between your walls and in your attic incredibly thin or very old? Taking care of those repair and maintenance issues can rapidly change the inside temperature of your home and make sure that your heating and cooling equipment doesn’t have to work too hard to do its job. You’ll stay comfy while you find out how to transform your home on a budget.
Change Up Your Gardens
Pretend you only have a hundred dollars. You know that you can learn how to transform your home on a budget, but is that too little to do anything major? Not necessarily, especially if we’re talking about upgrades focused on curb appeal.
What’s curb appeal? It’s the way your home looks from the street. Just a bit of home-grown landscaping in your garden areas and beds can revive the most tired looking lawn. Spend your hundred dollars, or whatever you have, on paying for gravel delivery to add character to your garden areas instead of relying on mulch. Gravel works well, can add color and texture, and will last season after season. Plus, you won’t have to mow wherever you lay your gravel, which is a huge bonus if part of your reason for wanting to know how to transform your home on a budget is that you would like to mow less and kick back more in your front and back yards.
In addition to focusing on gravel, buy some blooming plants or, if you’re patient, plant some flower and tree seeds. Look for ones that will come back year after year, as they’ll give you the most boost for your dollar. Even if a flowering bush costs $40 or $50, it could last for years and years. That’s a terrific investment and makes sure that what you do right now will serve you as long as you live in your house.
Invest in Regular Maintenance
Roof repair. Plumbing fixes. Pool maintenance. None of it is very glamorous, but keeping up with repair work is part and parcel of understanding how to transform your home on a budget.
The good news is that most home repairs won’t require you to spend too much money. Replacing a leaky hose bib on your outside faucet is fairly simple, and you may be able to do it on your own after watching a YouTube video or two. On the other hand, some maintenance on your property needs an expert’s touch, such as fixing broken roof shingles or replacing a leaning brick chimney.
Again, you’ll want to weigh your options to make certain that whatever you do gives you the most value for your dollar. Whenever possible, ask for unadvertised specials and deals. You should also investigate ways to finance larger projects without taking too much of a credit hit. Some people like to temporarily put some home repairs on a credit card with a low-interest introductory rate. As long as you pay off the repairs before the low interest rate expires, you’ll save money. And that’s a great method of learning how to transform your home on a budget.
Consider Concrete Pavement
Is your driveway made of dirt or even stones? Though it may seem like a no-brainer to keep it, consider how difficult it can be to look nice. Dirt driveways tend to get muddy and filled with holes. Driveways and walkways covered in stone might form fewer puddles when it rains, but they tend to look outdated and tired.
A great way to spruce up your patios, driveways, and walking paths is by laying concrete pavement with residential concrete. Instead of thinking that you can just go to your nearest DIY store and mix up a bucket of concrete on your own, do yourself a big favor and hire a residential concrete specialist. Find someone who can show you examples of past work, and get bids from at least two or three different outfits. That way, you can make your choice with confidence.
After your concrete pavement is laid and cured, be certain to take good care of it. Watch for telltale signs of seasonal temperature fluctuations, such as cracks. Get them fixed immediately. Otherwise, they’ll just continue to mar the look and functionality of your concrete spaces.
As a side note, you’ll be pleased that you chose concrete if you live in an area with harsh winters. It’s much easier to shovel snow off concrete than other types of driveway and walkway materials.
Give Your Fencing a Facelift
If you’re lucky enough to have a fenced-in yard, you might still not feel so fortunate if it’s falling apart. Over time, most types of fencing can suffer from the ravages of time. Metal fencing becomes rusty and starts to come apart at the joints. Wooden fencing develops rot, and pieces of the boards may simply fall off the main fence and onto the grass. Plastic fencing warps and discolors from years in sunlight, rain, and sleet.
You may not have to buy a new fence to address fencing problems, although definitely keep fence installation on the table. For instance, you might not be able to simply repair your fence or add a coat of paint. Under that circumstance, your best solution could be to install something newer and fresher. Look online to see what other homeowners who live in your area of the country tend to choose for their fences. Don’t be afraid to ask neighbors about their fences, either. Many people love to give advice on how to transform your home on a budget based on their own experiences. Learn from their wisdom — and mistakes — so you can turn up the good looks of your own fencing.
Refinish Your Cabinets
It probably wouldn’t surprise you to hear that tons of homeowners have a love-hate relationship with their kitchens. On the one hand, they appreciate having a place to safely prepare, serve, and eat food. On the other hand, they wish their kitchen spaces were a little more trendy or modernized.
If you’re not sure how to transform your home on a budget while concentrating on the kitchen, take heart. You don’t have to embark on a full-scale renovation project complete with torn down walls or ripped out floors. You may be able to complete a kitchen remodel in a weekend simply by addressing your kitchen cabinets.
How can you freshen up your cabinets so you feel like you walked into a showroom every time you make a cup of tea or grab some snacks? First, see if you can add a few coats of paint. You’d be amazed at how often paint can come to the rescue and make decades-old cabinets seem like they were just purchased yesterday.
Painting the cabinets not a feasible option on your journey to figure out how to transform your home on a budget? Could you maybe buy new cabinet doors and hardware as replacements? That would allow you to avoid ripping out the cabinets altogether while still getting the best of all worlds. Still not a solution? Check out used cabinetry stores. Someone else’s leftover cabinets might be exactly what you need to stay within budget and still get a kitchen facelift.
Wash Your Windows
Here’s a suggestion that will appeal to your frugal nature: Wash your windows inside and out for a completely beautiful appearance to your home. You might be shocked at how much filth can collect on window panes. Removing it will allow more natural light to come into your house, lifting your spirit and beautifying the rooms. From the exterior, washing your windows will give your residence a gleam that you probably haven’t seen since you moved in.
As you’re washing your windows, you may notice that one or two of them has seen better days. Lots of window installation companies offer their services for less than you might assume. Call around and see if you can get a good deal to replace windows that just can’t be repaired.
Keep Countertops Cleared Off
As a final tip on how to transform your home on a budget, remember that the little things can add up. Just clearing off your bathroom countertops and keeping that way day after day will make even a cozy bath seem more spacious. While you’re at it, be sure to add some organization units to your bathroom so you can store more things out of sight.
Like what you hear? It’s time to get out there and use what you’ve learned about how to transform your home on a budget. You don’t have to have a million bucks to feel like you’re living in a (mostly modest) palace.
