In the realm of home improvement projects, not every job requires a large budget to be effective. Low-cost projects can have a big impact, changing the appearance and function of your home without breaking the bank.
These projects can not only revitalize your home, but they can also provide you with a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment. By focusing on innovative and cost-effective projects, you can achieve this satisfaction for a fraction of the price of other, more expensive projects.
Low Cost Home Improvement Projects
These low-cost home improvement projects allow you to improve the appearance and feel of your home without exceeding your budget.
Power Wash Your Home’s Exterior
Over time, dirt and grime accumulate on your home, detracting from its appearance. Power washing can effectively remove these exterior stains and freshen the look of your home. Power washing can also help to reduce the buildup of contaminants such as mold and algae, which can damage your home’s surface material and result in costly repairs.
If you do not have a power washer, you can rent one from most home improvement stores. Read up on the best cleaners for your home’s exterior materials and use a power washer of the appropriate strength. When washing your house, proceed carefully and orderly to avoid missing important areas or causing damage to the exterior. Once you have finished cleaning the exterior of your home, think about other areas you could power wash to improve the look and feel of your home, such as the driveway, deck, or patio.
Enhance Your Entrance
Compared to the rest of your home’s exterior, the entrance makes the strongest impression on visitors and passersby. After you have improved the appearance of your front door, give it some vitality by adding elements to the surrounding area.
One of the best ways to accomplish this is to place pots and greenery beside the door. Choose two large pots to flank the door’s sides, or a collection of pots of various sizes arranged around the entrance.
Fill them with seasonal plants and flowers, and switch them out as the seasons change. Other budget-friendly improvements to your entrance include adding a rug or a colorful entry mat, as well as incorporating seating near your front door to make it feel more welcoming.
Add Color and Trim to Bifold Closet Doors
Bifold doors are standard elements for home’s of a certain age. While there are multiple benefits of folding doors, the style of your specific folding door may not work with your current style. There are multiple ways to elevate the visual appeal of bifold doors. Painting is one simple trick that freshens the look of these doors. Another is to add simple molding, remove the slats and add a flat panel or caning, or attach new hardware.
Spruce Up Your Front Door
Your front door has a significant impact on the appearance of your home, so keep it looking fresh and clean at all times. Examine the condition of your door. If you like the way the door looks, give it a good cleaning to bring out its best.
A fresh coat of paint could help to improve the appearance of the door. Select a front door color that complements the appearance of your home. Traditional door colors such as black, red, blue, green, and white complement classic home styles beautifully. If you have a modern or eclectic home, you might want to paint your front door something more vibrant, such as yellow or orange.
If your front door does not complement the appearance of your home, you may want to consider replacing it with a new style. Shop store sales for a low-cost option, or visit architectural salvage centers to find one secondhand.
Install Modular Built-In Storage
Built-in cabinets are always a beautiful addition to a room, but it can be expensive to find a carpenter to build and install them. Instead, opt for modular cabinet systems that you can add to your space and trim them to give them a custom look.
Look for modular cabinet options, like the Billy from IKEA, that you can stack, join, and trim to get the look and functionality you want. Include areas for open and closed storage for the most versatile storage, but this will depend on the look you want and the needs you have for a specific space.
Just Add Paint
Painting is a simple way to transform many different types of spaces and elements, including walls, ceilings, and kitchen cabinets. Paint is one of the most basic materials for transforming a space and giving it a more modern appearance. Reflect on how paint can change the feel and mood of a room. Dark colors create a moody and cozy atmosphere, whereas lighter colors make a room feel more spacious and airy.
Consider trending colors such as rich, organic tones, or stick with a tried-and-true favorite. Colors like blue, green, and brown are particularly popular right now, and there are shades to suit every taste. Changing wall colors is an easy way to update your space, but you can also improve the appearance of your home by painting furniture, ceilings, and built-in cabinets.
Elevate or Replace Builder’s Grade Mirrors
We are all familiar with builder’s grade mirrors—the frameless, expansive mirrors that take up all the area above the bathroom vanities. Upgrading the look of these mirrors is easy by adding a frame around the edges. You can customize your look by adding frames of different sizes, colors, and styles.
You can also remove the mirror altogether and replace it with a more stylish and well-considered mirror. This is a job that can be complicated depending on the size of the mirror, so research steps on how to do this safely and effectively before you begin.
Likely, you will need to clean the walls to remove old glue and repair any damage to the drywall after removing the mirror. Have cleaning and wall patching materials handy so that you can complete these jobs before hanging your new mirror.
Upgrade Your Hardware
For some people, replacing kitchen or bathroom cabinets or doors is not within their budget of time or money. Instead, you can update the look of your cabinets by just installing new hardware.
Think about hardware options in brass, nickel, gold, copper, chrome, matte black, or even something more colorful to find something that works with the style of your home. You can also add a fresh coat of paint to freshen your cabinets, but decide on this before you choose your cabinets, as the new color should impact your final hardware choice.
Brighten Up a Small Area With Wallpaper
We won’t pretend that wallpaper is always a budget option, but even just a small section of wallpaper can brighten a hallway, focal wall, bathroom, or cabinet. Find a small area where you can add wallpaper to give it a new look.
Look for less expensive peel and stick patterns that you can install yourself, as well as discounted wallpaper rolls. Choose an area that will have a strong visual impact, such as public-facing powder rooms or the back of living room cabinets.
Install Wall Molding
Wall molding is a low-cost home improvement project that can improve your home’s aesthetic and architectural appeal. You can also use wood molding to conceal surface imperfections and give your walls a more polished appearance.
Certain types of wall molding can be expensive to install, but with a little DIY know-how, you can add some styles for a reasonable price. Try picture frame molding, which uses a small amount of wood, or inexpensive varieties like plywood shiplap. Personalize your molding by painting it to match the color scheme of your home.
Clean and Declutter Every Room
Cleaning and decluttering are not exciting home improvement projects, but they have a significant impact on how your home looks and functions and cost very little. Decluttering your space may allow you to discover lost treasures that you can repurpose or use more effectively in another room. Living in a clean and clutter-free environment has also been linked to improved health outcomes by creating a stress-free and harmonious environment that encourages relaxation and serenity.
Take a systematic approach to this project. Work room by room and complete each one before you begin another, rather than trying to complete this job all at once. This will allow you to spread this task over several weekends or months. Begin by decluttering and separating your items into keep, donate/sell, and discard. Once you have gotten rid of the excess, clean the room thoroughly.
Add Light Dimmers
Installing light dimmers is an underappreciated home improvement that will give you greater control over the ambience of the room. Whether you want to adjust the lighting for cozy dinners or energetic family game nights, dimmers allow you to easily tailor the lighting for your needs.
Adding dimmers to certain light switches is a relatively simple and straightforward DIY task. Most modern switches are designed for easy installation and can be retrofitted for many light fixtures without the need for professional assistance or rewiring. With a few tools and a little skill, you can install light dimmers in just a matter of a few minutes.
