How to do a home makeover on a budget?

It’s a new decade, and many homeowners who have been holding off on making changes are starting to reimagine what their home can be. Yet, the vast majority of us do not have tens of thousands of dollars just lying around, waiting to be spent on a luxurious new kitchen, bathroom, or backyard. However, you shouldn’t let that stop you: by focusing on the essentials, working with a professional, and finding inexpensive upgrades, you can complete your home makeover on a budget. Let’s take a closer look.

 

Focus on what matters most

Whether you’re primarily interested in adding value to your home or just want to modernize it, there are two areas where you should focus first: your kitchen and your master bathroom. There’s a reason that kitchen and bathroom remodels have high ROIs: prospective homebuyers value upgrades to these two spaces. 

 

Remodeling your kitchen on a budget

Remodeling your kitchen just makes sense. It’s the center of life in the modern American home: families cook, entertain and hang out in the kitchen. If you’re considering a kitchen remodel, start by thinking about the countertops and cabinets, and then building everything else around those two elements. The counters and cabinets are the most visible, eye-catching parts of the kitchen, and also an area where styles have dramatically changed over the past few years. In other words, you could make sweeping changes — new floors, appliances, and even a layout shift — to the rest of the kitchen, but people won’t see the “upgrade” if you retain the plastic pastel countertops and worn wood cabinetry.

Of course, new countertops and cabinets can be expensive. So, how do you make these changes on a budget? First, we recommend working with a remodeling professional. Not only can a pro help you put together a game plan for your kitchen makeover, but they’ll also have connections to less expensive — yet still high-quality — materials. Second, there are less costly ways to finish off the kitchen project once the “big ticket” items are out of the way. New lights, paint, and a tile backsplash are relatively inexpensive items, but can significantly transform the space. Finally, consider putting off some elements of the project for a few months. For example, many homeowners can wait to replace their appliances until a few months after completing the rest of the remodel. This gives their budget time to recharge while also allowing them to get a feel for the new space and what style of stove, fridge, and dishwasher might work best in it.

 

Remodeling your master bathroom on a budget

Just like kitchen remodels, master bathroom renovations have a relatively high ROI. By finding ways to keep your costs low, you can stretch your remodeling dollar even further. One of the most expensive aspects of any bathroom remodel is moving existing pipes or electrical to accommodate a layout change. If you can, keep your bathroom in the same configuration. If you have to choose, remodel the shower before the bathtub. That’s because, for most homeowners, the bathtub is a rarely used luxury, while the shower is an everyday necessity. In doing so, you’ll want to replace the shower glass, add wall tile, and install new faucets and fixtures.

For bathroom vanities and sinks, add new stone countertops and high-quality cabinets. Quartz and granite are generally the best, most durable options here. Again, this is where it makes sense to work with a remodeling professional: they can help you find the right sinks to fit in your new bathroom vanity setup. A remodeling contractor can also help you avoid costly mistakes and rework. Generally speaking, if it feels like you’re in over your head when attempting a DIY remodel, you probably are.

 

Find the easy (and inexpensive) wins

We’ve already mentioned replacing lightning and repainting your kitchen, but those same tips also extend throughout the entire home. The cumulative cost of both projects should be less than a few hundred dollars, but can completely change how your home looks. 

 

If your home could benefit from new flooring, but you want to limit your material costs, look into vinyl or laminate. These flooring types have come a long way in both appearance and durability over the past decade, and are much less expensive options than hardwood flooring or tile. Vinyl and laminate also come in a wide variety of styles to fit all kinds of homes.

 

Our final piece of advice: talk to local pros about other projects you can complete within your budget. They might point you in an unexpected direction. For example, adding more attic insulation may not be as exciting as a kitchen remodel, but it could lower your summer cooling bills by hundreds of dollars every year. And planting a couple of trees to block the hot afternoon sun can help, too. These are incredibly high-ROI project for any homeowner who plans to stay in their home for many years to come.

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