5 Cost Effective Ways to Improve Your Home If You Can’t Do a Big Renovation

Here’s the deal with being a homeowner: you have to come to terms with the fact that a home is never finished.  There’s always a project, upgrade, or problem that needs to be tackled regardless of whether your home is a century home or freshly built (although older homes will naturally have just a few more projects than a brand new one).

New homeowners feel this frustration right out of the gate, having just put down a hefty investment into purchasing a home and realizing just how much they’d like to get done but are stuck waiting to save.  If that sounds like your situation and your chomping at the bit to make your house feel like yours, then consider these five ways you can transform your house without breaking the bank.  Yes, you can still save for a big renovation, but in the meantime, don’t be miserable in your home!

1. Refresh with a New Coat of Paint

If you’re itching to improve your space then look no further than your local paint store.  A fresh coat of paint immediately changes the interior design of a room without much effort.  The hardest part on your end will be choosing a paint scheme.

Factors that can affect the overall cost of a paint project include:

• The size of the room: perhaps the most determining factor to your paint project cost will be the size of the room or rooms you wish to paint.  The bigger the room, the more paint and supplies you’ll need.
• Type of paint: there are numerous paint types to choose from.  You will need to select the brand, makeup, and finish of the paint.  There are oil-based paints, latex-based paints, paints with varying finishes from matte to glossy, and different primers for different wall materials.  It can feel overwhelming if you’re not versed in the terminology, but that’s what your local paint or home improvement store is there for!  Don’t be afraid to ask for help in picking out your paint.
• Supplies: if you’re a conservative painter, you can get by with a roller, an edger, and perhaps a small hand brush.  You might need painter’s tape, drop cloths, and paint trays as well. Expect to pay more if you need to purchase things like a ladder.

2. Never Underestimate Caulking

Does a new layer of caulking really make a difference?  Absolutely!  You’d be surprised to see the transformation a fresh bead of caulking can do to windows, crevices, stair steps, around fixtures, the bathtub, and bead board or back splashes.  Caulking is inexpensive, costing under $5 per tube.  There’s an added bonus of caulking besides the obvious aesthetic upgrades.  Caulking creates a seal that helps conserve energy within your home, so while you’re enjoying the cosmetic appearance of a fresh new layer of caulk, look forward to a more regulated indoor temperature and a lower energy bill.

Channel Your Green Thumb

Maybe your list of home improvements you want to undertake isn’t just on the inside.  Landscaping is a great way to change the look (and feel) of a home.  The good news is that landscaping doesn’t have to cost much—or not at all.  Yes, you can completely change your landscaping without spending a dime, so channel your inner green thumb, grab a spade, and get to work.

Hostas, day lilies, and daises are just a few common plants that can be split come springtime.  In fact, gardening pros actually recommend that you split these plants as they can become too big for their own good.  All that’s required of you is planning out your landscaping before you begin, a little digging, and some strength to thrust a spade to split the plants.  You can completely renovate the exterior look of your home in a matter of a few days with the added benefit of keeping the plants that were already in your beds happy and healthy.

Upgrade to New Kitchen Countertops

Even if you’re not a cook, you probably spend a lot of time in your kitchen.  It’s a place to gather, to experience the joy of food (whether you cook or not), and for most homes, it’s the central space in the house.  Kitchen upgrades are expensive, but there’s a cost-effective way to renovate your kitchen without dropping the big bucks.

So, before you write off the idea of new countertops believing the project to be way too expensive, check out cheaper materials like laminate, a material that has come a long way in looks.  You can also stop by your local home improvement store to see if any remnant stone pieces are available. Budget stores like Ikea also have affordable stone countertops that won’t break the bank.

Transform a Room with New Windows

New windows may sound expensive, but in today’s modern age of creative designs and inventive manufacturing, it doesn’t have to be. Replacing your windows is an easy way to create a new look for your home. Deciding on the style of window you want can seem like an intimidating task, but it doesn’t have to be. Feldco is the most trusted company for window replacement with over 500,000 delighted customers across the Midwest.  Get a free quote now!