Making home improvements doesn’t have to break the bank! Here’s some easy ways to upgrade your home and how to save money while doing it!
This post contains affiliate links, which means should you click the links and/or purchase something I will receive a commission. This helps to support my blog and provide you with fun, free material. Please read my full disclaimer here.
Lately, I have been dreaming in home improvements and home renovations. It is so fun to watch a before and after of a large renovation, but we don’t always have the budget to make these dreams comes true.
I consider myself a little bit of a home improvement Macgyver. Spending a ton of money on home improvements makes me cringe. I will sale hunt, DIY, reuse and refinish my way to updates any day of the week. Of course, there are those times that you want the job done right and it is worth the money, but there are so many inexpensive options to update your home.
Since we have moved into our homestead, we have updated our guest room and currently updating our hallway. Before this house, we made inexpensive changes to our small farmhouse. I have picked up a few tricks along the way and wanted to share with you some of the things I do to update my home on a dime.
Updating your home doesn’t have to involve big changes and expensive home renovations. Instead you can make small changes that will last and update what you already have. Here are a few easy projects that will drastically change the look of your home some money saving ideas.
Lighting
Light fixtures are such an easy way to update a space without spending a whole lot. Not only can lighting add a new decor feel, but it can literally lighten up a room and make it seem bigger. Be sure to think about the space when purchasing your light. How big is the room? How dark is the room?
Maybe you need a smaller light to open up the room, or maybe you want a statement piece. Or maybe the room is dark so you need a light that has a 100 watt bulb, like this one that I ordered for my dark hallway.
My favorite sites for finding affordable lighting are Target, West Elm, All Modern and Home Depot.
Paint
Okay, this may be an obvious one, one that you have probably seen on so many other “home improvements on a budget” articles. But paint is amazing! It is probably one of the best investments you can make to update your home. Painting is the first thing we started doing when we moved into our new home. It can brighten up a space and make it look fresh.
Choosing muted colors, pastels, neutrals will most likely give you the longest life. Sure a pop of color is always fun, but the color can become dated and you may find yourself re-painting. Instead stick to the neutrals and add decor for color.
Also, paint isn’t just for wall! Do you have an old refrigerator or oven? Paint it with liquid stainless steel to give it a serious inexpensive update.
Trim and doors
Another quick and easy improvement is updating your door/window trim and doors. Updating trim is so simple and will spruce up any space. When I discovered how easy updating trim was, I got so excited!
I haven’t updated any trim in my house yet, but when I do I’ll share the tips for sure! In the meantime, here is a great tutorial of how to update your trim to a farmhouse style.
Another great way to improve a space is to update your doors. Whether that is by DIYing a new style like a shaker door or buying brand new, doors can bring such a subtle style. Try Home Depot, Wayfair and JEN-Weld for affordable doors.
Recycled items
As you have probably picked up by now, I love a good deal and creating something out of nothing. My money is very important to me, as I imagine your is to you so why not go with used if it is cheaper? If you are working on a home improvement project, look at your local lumber yard, salvage stores or search for reclaimed wood in your area. We just talking about redoing door trim, why not pick up some reclaimed wood and make the project even cheaper!?
Same can be done for used hardware, like door knobs and faucets, furniture and home decor items. Search thrift stores, flea markets and if you haven’t been to Habitat for Humanity Restore, go now!
Also, hand me downs! Keep an open mind when that hand-me-down text comes from a family member. Your initial reaction could be no! but could you refinish it? Can you up-cycle it into something else?
Refinish
Refinishing is one of my favorite projects to do. It is hard work but is so worth it in the end. It can bring life to an old piece of furniture or create a refined rustic look to some beaten up stairs.
Take a look around your house, is there any furniture that could use a face lift? Painted stairs or doors? You can strip off the current paint or stain by using stripping gel, sand it down to the wood and stain for a natural look.
I refinished the side table in my guest room. It was originally painted black and a couple other colors before that. After many sheets of sandpaper, I stained it a light natural color and absolutely loved the outcome.
Do it yourself
It can be very tempting to hire a professional, and sometimes it is necessary, but you would be surprised by the amount of things you can do yourself. Even refinishing or installing new floors can be done by yourself, installing a shiplap wall or building a new fire pit. All things I plan to do myself.
I agree, it can be intimidating. Messing up a home improvement project can be so discouraging, but with the amount of resources out there that is a slim chance. Do you research, read multiple articles, watch multiple videos before starting your DIY home improvements.
Sales and Promo codes
It may feel great to DIY a home improvement project or refinish an old piece of furniture, but nothing feels as good as a sale. Every week, on Saturdays, I send out the weekly sales I have found because I love looking for sales that much. Sign up for my newsletter to get them straight to your inbox!
When purchasing online search for promo codes to use at checkout or get that coupon for signing up for emails. If you know something specific that you want, don’t buy it right away and check to see if it will go on sale. This just happened to me! The light I ordered for the hallway went on sale 3 days after I found it.
Take advantage of sales when they happen. Of course don’t buy just because there is a sale, but if you see something on sale that you have been needing, maybe it’s a good time to buy.
Save for the big projects
There are so many small updates you can make to your home that can freshen it up, but most likely there is one or two big projects you want to do. Identify these projects, rank them by importance and decide on which one will come first. Then start saving! I know, this is always easier said than done, but you do not need to save a lot.
You may only be able to save $10 a paycheck, but that is better than nothing! If you can, set up that amount to go straight to your savings every payday. Or get a “project fund” and stuff it full of cash. Whatever works for you so you can get those new floors, or that dream kitchen.
I hope this post was helpful and you save some money next time you take on any home improvements. Follow along with me on Instagram to see the rest of my hallway redo and share your home improvement projects!
