The creature comforts of a cozy, well-designed home are what we all crave. While there are some homeowners out there who work diligently on their homes and seem to be constantly repairing or renovating, this is not feasible for those of us who have no clue about the difference between a table saw and a drill.
Obviously, the latter group of persons will possibly only hire someone to renovate their homes for them, but then that comes with a messy and costly renovation. The unforeseen costs and enormous mess it produces can be attested to by everyone who has done a major renovation and especially for someone who has multiple properties destined to be rented. How can we upgrade our homes when circumventing major renovations?
Here are 10 budget-friendly ways to add value to your home.
1- Create Open Space
Homeowners want an open floor plan where one huge open space is shared by the kitchen, family room and dining room. It also seems like formal dining rooms are going out of style. How do you do that, you wonder, without tearing out walls? It can be simpler than you expect to make your home look open and airy. Often it’s as easy as getting rid of larger, bulkier furnishings or shifting furniture around the room. Mirrors are another trick of the eye that gives the illusion of open space. When opposite windows are mounted, mirrors reflect light into the room and make space appear more spacious.
2- Add New lighting fixtures
Good lighting will give a room a new lease of life. A poorly lit space looks tiny, dark and crowded, while it appears spacious, airy and inviting in a brightly lit room. Some of the simplest approaches are as easy as purchasing table lamps and floor lamps for your home. Put a few tall floor lamps strategically in dark corners and watch your room come alive. Layer this lighting on side tables with lamps, making the area feel inviting and comfortable. Then you can replace all those old ceiling fixtures with the beautiful new contemporary units that are available on the market if you want to become adventurous.
3– Update Cabinetry Handles
There is no reason not to upgrade both your cabinet and door handles because there are so many options to update your cabinetry. There are various finishes to pick from, such as bronze, brushed nickel, aged copper, and shiny stainless steel. You will be spoiled for choice finding what suits your home best, with so many new options on the market.
4- Window Treatments Update
Windows beg to be dressed! You are losing out on a whole magnificent layer of decorating by keeping your windows bare. Windows can be dressed up to suit your style and taste perfectly.
5- Create an Outdoor Space
Even if there is no big front porch or spectacular backyard patio in the house, you just need to be creative. By starting with an outdoor rug to define a “room” outside you can create an awesome outdoor space. Then add a few cozy outdoor chairs, a tiny fire pit, some hanging string lights, and throw cushions.
If you are going to add a sail shade, make sure you respect all the safety measures:
– A lot of people ignore to wear safety gears before working on small projects like this,
– Only use quality and new tools and materials, especially if you are Doing it yourself, remember safety is everything.
– If you are sawing or cutting metals, make sure you have the right hardware and avoid using just ANY tool. Even if it’s a DYI project, you are still responsible for the quality and safety of the process. Companies like Harbor Freight can provide the right tools and share advice with you depending on the materials you are working with. Don’t forget that the properties you are upgrading are meant for new owners or tenants, and quality matters.
6- Landscape
Landscaping is so often ignored. However, the architecture of your landscaping significantly affects curb appeal. While not all of us are blessed with green fingers, making a few raised garden beds or planting more trees and flowering shrubs can be easy. Start with a visit to the local greenhouse. The workers at these stores are full of local plant life advice and information.
7- Add Easy to Install (And Remove) Wallpaper
This is not your Grandmother’s wallpaper. No, we are talking about all of the amazing new removable wallpapers that are currently hitting the market. The new line of changeable wallpaper comes in amazing patterns and graphics that will make your room look like you hired an interior designer (and spent a fortune).
8) The Bathroom Spruce-Up
Toilets get dirty and dingy pretty fast. Start a bathroom revision with a thorough cleaning. It may not be much fun, but the bright outcome will give you new inspiration to spruce up the rest of the bathroom. Pay close attention to the rusty knobs, light fixtures, mirror, faucets, and shower curtains until the space is clean. You can make your bathroom look fresh and new by simply switching out one or two of the most obsolete pieces.
9) Build a Man Cave
Men just want to have a man-cave to hide in a place to call their own, a room to drink with the guys and watch a game in peace. There lots of ideas for making the ultimate man-cave.
10) Just Clean and Paint
You might just want to start by simply cleaning-up your main living room. A deep-clean will boost your mood and make your home more livable (and more importantly, encourage you to do more). It seems simple, but it can take a space from drab to fab with a clean coat of paint.
As you can see, without the messy renovation or massive costs of remodeling, there are a lot of ways to upgrade your house. All these small changes go a long way towards renewing your properties while saving you money.
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