If you plan to renovate your house, financial restrictions are always there to nag in between. A little planning in advance is sure to save some dollars for you and help ensure your design imagination and budget converge and align. You can search for tips and tricks online or ask friends and family for wallet-friendly tips, but here we present you with seven great economical tips to breathe some new life into your home.
1. Decide on a Budget
If you’re looking for an affordable home renovation, then you should set a spending limit. However, give yourself at least 20% contingency because renovations will always cost more than you think given the rising prices of material and labor. Also, there are usually always discoveries during the process like foundation issues, mold, or abatements. You may also choose to remove a wall that requires structural strengthening with new footings, shear walls, and beams. Carefully consider what’s on your wish list and whether they are must-haves or nice-to-haves. This can help to navigate your priorities.
2. Keep It Small Yet Impactful
Small design changes can drastically impact your home’s ambiance. Paintworks wonders! New light fixtures can fill dark spaces or even bring a touch of luxury to your entertaining areas. You can even use the Philips Hue light bulbs to define colors and scenes throughout the day. Updating your room’s focus point (e.g. TV, gas fireplace, or special artwork) and rearranging your furniture to direct the energy of the room there can also improve the room’s energy. You can also review your entryway or foyer to build in custom shelving for shoes, coats, keys, and hats to improve first impressions. Consider these smaller suggestions first before resorting to moving walls.
3. Declutter Your Living Space
Often times simply cleaning your living space does the trick! The transformation of your interior and exterior spaces can meet your expectations with the removal of clutter and visual distractions without spending a dollar on renovations. This can enable buyers to use a blank canvas to begin visualizing the space as their own. Simply eliminate the visual clutter and maintain a tidy home for photos and buyer walkthroughs. This can be one of the more valuable returns on investment.
4. Keep It Simple
Implement ordinary and minor updates periodically in order to maintain a fresh look. Use simple décors such as new candles or glassware, or even introduce fresh flowers or natural elements on entry tables, water closets, or in entertainment spaces. Updating how light enters your home via blinds and shades or sheer curtains can also soften or change the color temperature of natural light entering your home. Splash some new color into your living room with a new rug, pillows, and even a large wall canvas. Contractor renovations are not always required in order to change the ambiance of your living and entertaining spaces.
5. Clean Up Your Kitchen Cabinets
Your kitchen is the heart of the home, so it’s important to spend some time rethinking this area. Some simple yet impactful changes can be repainting the cabinets, changing out the handles and hinges, or even swapping out some solid cabinet doors with glass doors. If you do this, make sure to reduce your visible dishware to maintain a decluttered visual appearance. Nobody wants to see your 30+ coffee mugs stacked sloppily on top of each other. Freshen up your cabinets, which are one of the largest visual items in your kitchen entertainment space.
6. Paint Affects Your Light
Color temperatures drastically affect mood. When renovating your home, paint selection is critical. You want to think about the home’s vibe and how you want your family and friends to feel as they enter and enjoy your space. If your home brings in natural light, then this will accentuate your wall colors. Natural tones typically work best to provide a base canvas, leveraging off whites, coffee, and light brown tones. You can use these to help cast comfortable light while using pops of color in rugs, pillows, and wall coverings. Think about the energy you want your space to convey. Paint can work wonders and transform your living space more than you think.
7. Give Your Old Furniture a New Life
If you have old furniture you’re considering tossing, take an extra few minutes to reconsider. If it is well built, give it new life by repainting it or even adding some wood pieces for 3D texture. You can do this on your spare time, and find ideas on YouTube or Etsy. This is a simple and cost effective way to transform your furniture without having to scrap what you have or pay for brand new (and often times lower quality) large furniture.
Take note that many transformations require simple solutions. If you choose to do something that’s more intensive, then consider reaching out to home experts like the Property Twins and help to simplify your life and improve your home.
Contact us at hello@propertytwins.com or call us today at 408-800-2488.
