Budget-Friendly Changes That Upgrade Your Home

A big renovation or gut remodel can make a huge impact on a home’s look but your home does not have to undergo a massive renovation to make a change.

A big renovation or gut remodel can make a huge impact on a home’s look but your home does not have to undergo a massive renovation to make a change. If you are working with a smaller budget but you want to update the look of your home In fact, there are many small cosmetic updates that are not only budget-friendly but will make a big impact!

1. Very Budget Friendly:

• Update Light Switches & Outlets – Those outdated light switches or outlet plates stick out like a sore thumb in a relatively updated home.  Whether they are an old color or just offer old features, consider replacing with more current options like a newer color-palette, dimmer switches and more.  While there may be a lot of those light switches and outlets, they are incredibly inexpensive and a capable handyman, contractor or electrician can quickly and efficiently make the updates for you.
• Update Fans – Outdated fans are an eyesore in an otherwise beautiful room.  New fans can be purchased as inexpensively as about $50 for an average-sized fan and with the assistance of a handyman can be installed and cooling your room in a day.
• Refinish or Paint Your Doors – Whether you want to make a big impact by refinishing or repainting your front door, creating the ultimate curb appeal and entryway through which your guests will enter, or you want to repaint or refinish your interior doors, it is a fairly inexpensive update that will have a major impact on the look and feel of your home.

2. Moderately Budget-Friendly:

• Replace Baseboards – Baseboards are probably the last thing on your mind but they should not be.  Baseboards help define a space and can really change the look and feel in any room.  While replacing baseboards is more costly than a few cans of paint, they are worth the investment.  Taller baseboards are in right now, but the trend is not something that will look tacky in a few years.  Taller baseboards provide a timeless and elegant look to a room.  Hire a contractor to appropriately measure, remove and replace baseboards to give your home the modern look you want.

3. Update Light Fixtures

• Light fixtures function a lot like jewelry does for a woman’s outfit.  It adorns and enhances the overall look.  If your light fixtures look outdated, now is the time to replace them.  There are many beautiful, unique, and on-trend designs available in every budget.  Additionally, when updating lighting, consider adding recessed or can lighting to your rooms.  Recessed lighting makes a great addition to any room, even in rooms with other existing light fixtures.  Recessed lighting provides discreet but effective lighting that is flexible and versatile, capable of adapting to your specific lighting needs at any moment.

4. Give Your Cabinetry a Facelift

• We put this in the “moderate” range because there is a large range of options when updating your cabinetry.  For the lowest budget-range, consider simply replacing hardware.  It is amazing what changing hardware can do for the appearance of cabinetry – it can take an outdated look and make it new again.  For a slightly more expensive update, consider refinishing or painting your cabinetry for a completely new look.  While this is more expensive than some of the other updates, it is far less expensive than replacing cabinetry and it will give you a lot of bang for your buck.  You can give your cabinetry a completely new look by refinishing or painting it and extend the life of your existing cabinetry.