Looking to renovate but have a strict budget? Don’t worry so much about money. These five tips will help you update your home on the cheap.
Hiring a professional to update the landscaping on your 1,200-square-foot yard can cost more than $13,000. But if you’re working on a budget, you can do a number of things yourself to make the refresh cheaper. Remove the weeds and dead grass yourself, then replace it with gravel. Add some colorful plants. Paint your front door a fun color. Mow the lawn, clean the doorknobs, and get a new welcome mat. Even just tiny adjustments like that can make a huge difference in a buyer’s perception of your home.
Painting your walls can make an old, tired room look brand new—and it’s not an expensive prospect, either. Gallons of paint generally cost between $25 and $30, so depending on the size of the room you wish to paint, it can be incredibly cost-effective. Make sure you pick the right style paint for each room, though. Matte paint is good for bedrooms because it hides imperfections but takes a bit of work to clean. In areas with high humidity, like bathrooms and kitchens, go for semi-gloss. Save high-gloss for accents, otherwise, you may blind potential buyers with the shininess.
Improvements to flooring in your home will net you a 91 to 100 percent return on your investment, says the National Association of Realtors. Currently, buyers are looking for hardwood floors—so if you’ve already got some, buff them up and make them shine. If you suspect there’s hardwood hiding under your carpet, pull up a corner and check; that way you don’t waste time and money ripping up everything just to find unusable base flooring. For the carpet that is there and can’t be removed, a carpet cleaner costs about $30 a day and will make a huge difference. If you want to go all out and replace all the floors, opt for a low-cost laminate. Lumber Liquidators sells great flooring for less than $1 per square foot. Just be sure to keep the floor consistent throughout the house.
According to Kenny Klaus, a top real estate agent from Mesa, Arizona, swapping hardware and light fixtures for something modern is the easiest—and cheapest—way to make a noticeable upgrade to your home. New lights are available for about $100 each, and it’s possible to replace every piece of hardware in your house for as low as five bucks. Simple round knobs or farm-style pulls are generally the most reliable options.
Another super cheap way to update your home is to bring in smartly placed accessories. Think mirrors in strategic spots that make a room look bigger, putting out colorful fruit, or swapping dark curtains for a lighter color.
Achieving a truly minimalist aesthetic requires a disciplined approach to clutter, but one essential element often refuses to blend in: your HVAC unit. These bulky, utilitarian appliances are vital for comfort, especially during sweltering summers, yet their industrial appearance can notoriously disrupt the serene, clean lines of a carefully curated room. While you cannot simply […]
This is a curated list of books on Indian Architecture, 15 Must Reads for architects and design thinkers by the editorial team of The Architects Diary. The selected books bring together seminal voices, regional narratives, and critical perspectives, offering a layered understanding of Indian architecture. This collection serves as an essential reference for architects, students, […]
If you purchased your home around 2019 to 2023 with a mortgage rate of around 5%, you’re likely holding your breath waiting for interest rates to drop. However, they’ve actually gone up to over 7% making refinancing very unrealistic for many homeowners. Interest rates have eased slightly so in the hopes that they’re continuing to […]
Timeless architectural features, such as courtyards, are always associated with bringing the naturally public forms to the world’s heart, building the most peaceful, secluded outdoor areas. These outdoor spaces maximize the living experience with their private space feature, which gives one the option for leisurely relaxation, recreation, or gardening. Furthermore, it has also been a […]
Looking to make a lasting first impression? Your main door design is more than a point of entry, it’s the gateway that reflects and enhances your home. In this blog, we dive into 50 stylish door design concepts that blend style with functionality, from innovative materials, classic styles, and intelligent lock systems that provide convenience, security, and refinement straight to your front door. 1. Fluted Wooden Doors A combination of smooth fluted surfaces and deep wood grain, this modern door brings subtle drama to the entrance. Upgraded with a clever lock, it combines modern security with classic style. 2. Geometric Patterns The geometric element of the safety grill and […]