Renovation is the best way to turn your house into a dream home. However, home improvements can be expensive. According to Houzz, the median spending on remodeling projects is about $15,000, which continues to rise yearly. So, how can I makeover my home when I suck at saving money?
If saving is your Achilles heel, you will have difficulty funding your home improvement projects. On the other hand, you can’t just ignore home renovations, as they help to improve your house’s look, feel, and functionality. Additionally, they can be vital when you are looking to sell your home.
The trick, therefore, is to be resourceful by coming up with inexpensive and money-saving ways to improve your home. This article looks at various ways to renovate your house when on a tight budget.
Top 10 Tips for Renovating Your Home on a Tight Budget
The good news is many homeowners suffer from the ‘I suck at saving money’ problem. Fortunately, there are also several inexpensive ways you can renovate your home when you have little to no money saved. Below is a look at them.
Budget and Research Before a Project
How can I plan a successful home renovation project when I suck at saving money? The answer is simple; research and budget before every project. Proper planning – which you can achieve by budgeting and researching – is one of the top ways to keep your home remodeling expenses low. It is also a surefire way to guarantee the successful completion of your project.
Even if you don’t have much money saved up, there are several ways of financing your home remodeling project. For example, you can get a home equity loan, a line of credit on your home equity, a cash refinance, or a bank loan. You can also get a loan from a friend or a relative. Unfortunately, the problem is if you suck at saving, you are likely to overspend on your renovations.
Therefore, it is vital to budget and research your projects extensively before getting started on one. Doing this will help curtail overspending and get the most out of your remodeling project. For example, a budget enables you to come up with estimates for your renovation project. Therefore, you can adequately assign funds to your project(s) based on how much you have.
Research is another tip that can significantly help you to save money. After creating a budget, you can research the various contractors and materials suppliers. This way, you can find good deals that will help you save money while guaranteeing excellent remodeling results.
Focus on Affordable Cosmetic Changes
Are you worried about how to make your home renovations work because of an ‘I suck at saving money’ issue? How about focusing on cosmetic changes? While it is true that home renovations can be expensive, there are several affordable changes you can make. And while they will not completely overhaul your home, they can leave it looking and feeling like a new house.
One of the top cosmetic changes you can make has to do with your windows. You can refresh your home with a few simple and inexpensive changes to your windows. For example, by installing custom window blinds, you can control how much natural light enters your house, making it feel more homely. Window blinds can also act as décor, making your rooms more attractive.
You can also improve the appeal of your home with more simple changes, like new colorful curtains, potted plants, flower vases, and wall art. In addition, you can upgrade your lights and other fixtures, such as ceiling fans. These fixtures are affordable but can significantly improve the atmosphere in your home.
Give Your Home a Fresh Coat of Paint
Painting is an excellent project to consider if you are worried about the high costs of home renovations. It’s one of the most affordable home remodeling projects. It’s also one of the best ways to improve the appeal of your home.
Painting is also one of the most popular home improvement projects for homeowners looking to sell. By hiring interior painters, you can give your house a clean and fresh look, improve the home’s feel, and highlight the house’s specific features. And when it comes to exterior spaces, painting is one of the best ways to improve your home’s curb appeal.
Besides improving the look of your home, painting also offers several functional benefits. First, fresh paint will instantly restore any deteriorating interior and exterior walls. It will also hide various wall imperfections such as cracks, holes, scratches, stains, etc. Lastly, painting can protect your walls from moisture damage and other issues such as mold and mildew growth.
Refinish the Carpets and Floors
Floor renovations are one of the top home improvement projects you should embark on. However, the cost of a new floor can be high. So, how can I make my floors look good when I suck at saving money? Well, you can refinish your existing floors and carpets instead of going for an entire floor makeover – with demolitions and everything.
Refinishing is an excellent way to refresh your floors without spending too much. For example, if you have hardwood floors, you can give them a new look with a fresh coat of stain. This will leave them looking new and can significantly improve the atmosphere of your home. It will also hide signs of wear and tear, which can be a good thing when looking to sell.
For tiled floors, a simple technique such as grout cleaning or a new glaze coating can leave your home looking and feeling fresh. As for concrete floors, you can refinish them with fresh paint or hire a concrete floor polishing service to renew them.
Besides refinishing the floors, you can also improve your home by touching up the carpets. By hiring a carpet cleaning company, you can make your old carpet look new, which can work wonders for your home’s mood. You can also improve the interior look by installing new carpets on your floors.
Update the Kitchen Counters and Cabinets
Kitchen renovation is another one of the top home improvement projects for homeowners. Unfortunately, it’s also pretty expensive – the average kitchen remodel cost is $26,233. So, how can I come up with such money when I suck at saving money?
The good news is you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on improving your kitchen. If you are short of funds, you can go for affordable upgrades, which will enhance the look and functionality of your kitchen.
One of the top affordable kitchen renovations is countertop refinishing. With refinishing, you can improve your old and worn-out countertops without having to replace them. Some great refinishing options include painting (wood and laminate) and installing a peel-and-stick covering. Applying a glaze or epoxy coating can also give your kitchen countertops a new life.
With fresh paint, you can also give your kitchen cabinets a new look – while avoiding costly replacement. In addition, you can make simple upgrades, such as installing new cabinet handles. Lastly, you can install light fixtures underneath the cabinets, which can significantly improve the atmosphere in your kitchen.
Clean and Declutter Your Home
How can you improve your home when you are an ‘I suck at saving money’ homeowner? Cleaning and decluttering is a great place to start. This can help make your home look more spacious and attractive without making any significant changes.
Decluttering your home is as simple as putting away items in their proper places and throwing away junk. You can also declutter by installing new storage features such as cabinets, bookshelves, wall shelves, extra closets, etc.
Besides the small changes, you can also declutter your home by removing some of your furniture. For example, a sofa seat or a desk you are not using takes up much-needed space. You can also create more space by replacing some of your furniture. For example, replacing your TV unit with a hanging cabinet can free up some floor space.
While decluttering your home, you should also hire a home cleaning company. Professional home cleaning will leave your house looking and feeling fresh, making it homelier. It will also eliminate dust, mold, smoke, and odors, improving indoor air quality.
Spruce up the Doors
Doors are another affordable home improvement project if you are at the ‘I suck at saving money’ stage. Entryway doors are crucial for the curb appeal of your home. Therefore, you can use them to improve the look of your home, offering your visitors a lasting impression.
For your front and back doors, painting can give them a new look and hide signs of wear and tear. You can also change the look of your door with simple upgrades such as a new handle, a smart door lock, a doorbell, a camera, etc. However, if your door is too worn out, you can replace it, which will be slightly expensive but still relatively affordable.
The garage door is another home remodeling project you can do without spending much. Simple improvements, such as painting the exterior and updating the hardware (screws, bolts, and handles), can give the door a new look. You can also hire a garage door service to perform upgrades, such as adding panels to the exterior, installing an alarm, and a remote door locking system.
Touch up the Exterior Spaces
When renovating your home, your exterior space is just as important as the interior. And if you have “I suck at saving money” problems, the exterior is a great place to start where you can improve your home without spending too much.
You can find several affordable home improvement ideas for your exterior space. One of the top ones is clearing out your yard. By removing the junk, you can have your home looking neat and cleaner, thus, instantly improving its curb appeal.
When clearing your outdoors, consider hiring a land clearing business. Such professionals will remove all the junk in your yard and other unsightly features such as overgrown trees and stumps. You should also consider a dumpster rental service that will help you quickly dispose of the cleared debris.
Besides clearing the outdoors, planting a new lawn can give your home a fresh look. Adding flowers and ornamental shrubs is another inexpensive way to make your exterior more attractive. Other unique, affordable ideas include adding stepping stones (creating a walkway) and installing garden lights.
Perform Regular Maintenance
Routine home maintenance is another excellent home renovation tip if you have an ‘I suck at saving money’ problem. With regular maintenance, you can keep your home looking nice. For example, regular cleaning, lawn mowing, and trimming trees and hedges help maintain your house’s interior and exterior appeal.
Routine maintenance is also a great way to prevent expensive damage to your home. For example, you can protect your roofs from damage by regularly cleaning the gutters. In addition, hiring a roofer to inspect the condition of your roof can help spot issues such as leaks early on before they become serious.
Another benefit of routine maintenance is that it helps to extend the lifetime of your appliances. For example, regular inspection and maintenance of your heating and air conditioning system can have it running at maximum efficiency and significantly extend its life. Consequently, you won’t have to worry about expensive home improvement projects, such as replacing the HVAC system for a while.
Pay Attention to Critical Repairs
Trying to save money on home renovations is a good idea, especially if you suck at saving. However, there are critical projects that you can’t skip or skimp out on. And while these are likely to be expensive, the only way to avoid spending more – and, thus, saving money – is to handle them at the earliest possible opportunities.
An example of a home repair project you should pay attention to is an electrical problem. If you leave such an issue unfixed, you might have to redo the entire system, which can be expensive. In the worst-case scenario, electrical problems can lead to a fire or electrocution with deadly outcomes.
Plumbing and water issues are two other critical repairs you should not ignore. For example, a leaking faucet or pipe can easily lead to water damage and other issues, such as mold growth and foundation damage. Likewise, a faulty septic tank might lead to several health hazards, thus necessitating a new septic install.
How can I renovate my home when I suck at saving money? In addition to being tiring and time-consuming, home improvements can also get expensive. This can be a problem if you have an issue with saving money, as you can quickly end up overspending. However, the above are some tips you can use to improve your house on a budget. They range from advice on saving money to affordable home remodeling ideas that will give your home a new look without spending much.
