DIY Home Improvements On A Budget
As the saying goes don’t move, improve! We’re all for making affordable improvements and updates to your home to maximise your living space and to give your home an instant refresh. It needn’t be expensive, you just require some creativity, imagination and a little DIY know-how. Here’s how you can make stylish and savvy updates for less to make a big impact.
Paint The Front Door: Give your front door an upgrade with a fresh coat of paint, rather than replacing it. An inexpensive change that will give your old home a hint of something new on the exterior.
Renew Old Tiles With Paint: Retiling floors or laying down new carpets can be an expensive endeavour. Instead of replacing tiles, paint over existing ones. A couple of coats of durable floor paint can add a lot of personality to a room for a small price. Effective on wall tiles too, as well as floor boards.
Stencilling tiles is another budget friendly alternative to make a big statement. Take a look at our How To: Paint & Stencil Tiles guide.
Lay A Stylish Floor Runner: Stairs are often the first thing visitors see when they come to your house, so why not replace out-dated and tired carpet with a stylish stair runner. An great place to indulge in some colour and a statement.
Give Kitchen Cabinets A New Flawless Finish: The kitchen is the heart of most homes, and outdated cabinets can make the whole room look tired and old. So why not spruce up your cabinets by painting them in a new colour to give you a more pleasing aesthetic. Start by cleaning all cabinets and doors with a degreaser. Remove doors and handles. If unable to remove, then be sure to cover handles and hinges with tape and protect the walls. Prime with a good quality primer, and then paint. Be sure to use the correct paint and primer depending on the surface of your existing cabinets.
Top Tip: Lightly sand the existing surface using sandpaper to help the paint grip.
Update Cabinet Handles & Doorknobs: Replace any outdated handles and doorknobs to instantly make any room look more stylish and on trend. You can find a variety of handles in a decent hardware and DIY store. This is a nifty little trick to use, especially if you’ve recently painted doors and cabinets, as this final inexpensive touch will give them a new lease of life.
Replace Dated Light Fixtures: Light fixtures in and around your home are important accents that add a lot of character to your property. Upgrading them to something more modern or in-line with your current décor will make a big difference. Use a variety of table lamps too, placed at different heights to add interest and texture.
Hang Striking New Curtains: New curtains is one of the best ways to bring a room to life inexpensively, whether it be the living room or bedroom, they add luxury and add warmth. Replacing the curtain rods and rails is another way to update and add some personality.
Top Tip: Buy longer curtains than you need and hang them higher, nearer the ceiling to give the illusion of higher ceilings. An easy trick many interior designers use to drastically change the way a space feels.
Refresh Hardwood Floors: If your flooring has had its fair share of wear and tear, you can refresh your tired looking floor by topping up the finish. There are two main types lacquer and wax depending on the finish your prefer. Alternatively give an old wooden floor a new lease of life with a fresh new stain, a great way to work with what your home already has. If you’re looking to sell your property it can be a good way to help increase the value of your home.
Introduce Wall Panelling, Cladding or Moulding: Wall panelling is all the rage right now, and hugely popular for transforming homes in both modern spaces, and more traditional settings whilst hiding a multitude of sins. It can be used in almost any space, no matter how big or small. Panelling will immediately add interest and texture. Cladding and moulding will give you a similar effect. Use it to cover an entire wall, frame artwork or key features like radiators and use as a cheaper alternative to tiling. Even adding a simple modern dado rail around the room will give it new visual impact.
Stencil Drawer Fronts & Decoupage Furniture: Upcycling is on the rise, it's a cheap way to breathe new life into a chest of drawers and convert it into a new statement piece of furniture. Experiment with different designs and finishes to really make it pop. All you need is some paint, a stencil and off you go. Alternatively grab a roll of decorative wallpaper and varnish to transform worn furniture into a fun focal point using the decoupage method. All it really involves is cutting out pictures, gluing them to an object and then coating with layers of varnish.
Take a look at our How To: Beginners Guide to Decoupage to get your started.
More helpful and handy home update guides you may find of interest:
Update Your Home For Under £30
Furnishing Your Home On A Budget