7 Home Renovations You Can DIY on a Budget, Dated decor and worn-out elements in a home take a toll over time. Yet, most homeowners hesitate to take on major renovation projects due to intimidating costs or disruption. 7 Home Renovations You Can DIY on a Budget.
In 2023, creating an updated living environment doesn’t require breaking budgets through DIY upgrades suited to novice skills.
With strategic planning around cheaper designs paired with smart installations, homeowners gain stylish renovations and added equity for thousands less by going the DIY route. While some home remodeling ventures require hiring out to contractors, many offer room for savings through personal elbow grease. Preparing through research, having realistic expectations around skills, starting small, and calling in favors from handy family and friends makes once unapproachable renovations completely within reach.
7 Home Renovations You Can DIY on a Budget
The top home renovation projects delivering stunning transformations without professional price tags include kitchen, bath, flooring, lighting and outdoor living area upgrades along with general facelifts through paint, trim and fixture upgrades. Thanks to big box stores stocking quality materials paired with YouTube and blogs sharing step-by-step advice, DIYers in 2023 have every opportunity to skill up. Here are seven renovations you truly can DIY even on strict budgets.
Kitchen Cabinets Get Cost-Effective Makeovers
The kitchen stands at the heart of every home, meaning upgrades here deliver daily enjoyment and add value. Yet most assume cabinet overhauls require custom builds at five-figure price points, failing to account for the power of imagination. With existing cabinet boxes likely still structurally sound, they present perfect foundations for facelifts.
Through creative paint, hardware, or counter swapouts, existing ho-hum kitchen components transform into custom-looking suites on the cheap. Sanding cabinets manually or renting an orbital floor sander speeds surface prep for long-lasting paint adhesion even on lower-budget milk paints and chalk finishes from specialty stores. Spray painting builds smoothness for imperceptible results compared to new cabinets. Or opt for faux finishes like aged glazes, detailed graining, or marbleizing paint techniques when lacking painterly confidence; faux finishes hide flaws.
Once painted, replace dated round knobs and pulls with on-trend hardware from matte black to brass for under $150 total spend. For a bolder change, swap laminate countertops for butcher block poured concrete paint kits or DIY tile arrangements. Similar to clothing fashion, kitchen trends fade so cheaper material updates save over full gut renovations down the road.
Update Light Fixtures and Recessed Cans Yourself
Outdated lighting screams dated more loudly than nearly any other home element thanks to striking contrasts between modern LED functionality versus yellowed fixtures with visible wiring shouting their age. Overhead lights lacking any style and energy inefficient recessed cans also ring in renovations through electrical upgrades DIYers can tackle themselves with basic skills.
Attaching new light fixtures becomes elementary following included instructions with universal mounting braces and electrical boxes transferring over on most models. Updated brushed nickel and oil-rubbed bronze finishes quickly modernize. For bathrooms and kitchens, waterproof LED wafer lights add a high-tech edge through quick plug-and-play connections while leaving installation boxes intact.
Replacing old recessed lighting means swapping entire can lighting cans to integrate LED into new fixtures. But first, check local regulations as some municipalities prohibit homeowners from purchasing electrical. Assuming codes allow, updating recessed lighting operates through straightforward steps on par with attaching light fixtures. Simply ensure power is fully disconnected at the breaker before starting work. Manageable electrical connections paired with fixture and finish upgrades modern style through lighting reimaginations feasible over a weekend.
Wall Updates Break Beyond Painting Alone
Painting walls or ceilings fosters an irresistible allure through seemingly minimal efforts granting transformative effects. A color swap alone remakes tired rooms giving them renewed life at the stroke of a brush for under $100 by following basic techniques. Rich deeper tones like navy, emerald, and charcoal saturate spaces with drama; avoid DO-IT-YOURSELF snafus by purchasing quality primer and paints.
Updating wall textures also breaks rooms out of boredom easily through DIY additions. Removable wallpaper establishes as much style and personality as pricey custom builds for fractions of the cost at $50 or less per roll. Budget lines like Tempaper sell chic prints – from Moroccan tiles to art deco patterns to reclaimed wood looks – through adhesive backings applied as simply as giant stickers. Prices sink even lower through removable wall decals building colorful feature walls.
For permanent changes with more precision, shiplap builds visual interest through contrasting board lines. After measuring the area and cutting boards, secure boards to the wall studs with finishing nails, caulk cracks, and then paint or stain for under $500 in materials. Similarly, beadboard ceilings build cottage character through thin wood planks adding clean texture. Updating walls with various materials adds depth beyond paint alone for instant transformation payoff even on budgets.
Floors Become Fabulous for Less
Flooring wears hard over decades of footsteps and could use refreshes more frequently than the pace many homeowners replace them. Yet fears of dust and demolition postpone flooring projects. In 2023 the rise of DIY-friendly vinyl planks changes the game allowing homeowners to install stylish, moreaffordable solutions themselves sans Contractors.
Luxury vinyl flooring surges in popularity thanks to durability and realistic visuals mimicking pricier counterparts. Budget vinyls like LifeProof and SmartCore prove perfect for first-time DIYers through interlocking “click” installation floating over existing floors. No glue or nails means avoiding sticky messes or banging loud pneumatic guns. Products from big box stores under $2/square foot keep material spend reasonable to take on larger living zones over a weekend.
Adding warmth through refinishing hardwood beams becomes realistic too with patience. Sanding manually and applying polyurethanes adds shine. For outdated carpeting, peel away tack strips and padding to uncover potential hardwoods worth refurbishing rather than burying back under replacement carpet. Carefully executed sanding prevents the need to fully replace floors saving thousands.
Affordable Window Treatment Makeovers
Windows ushering in sunlight and views tie spaces together, yet boosting curb appeal through framing falls by the wayside for many homeowners until selling nears. Affordable DIY window treatment projects prove attainable even for total design novices by sticking to simpler solutions with common tools delivering custom-looking results.
First address functional needs by hanging rod pocket curtains on budget lines from big box stores for each dimension. Curtain panels soften hard edges and become easy beginner sewing projects for DIYers to create fuller looks. Faux wood blinds from composite materials are installed through simple bracket mounts matching traditional aesthetics a fraction of the cost. Or install interior shutters building dimension through contrasting vertical lines flanking windows for around $120.
Crown molding trim elegantly frames windows higher up on walls. Purchase primed foam molding by the foot then use mitered joints to seamlessly tie separate pieces together at corners for polished detail. Cut precisely to avoid sloppy corners, fill gaps appropriately with putty, then paint sheen to match other room trim. The molding builds upscale detail thankfully devoid of advanced carpentry skill.
Build a Budget Backyard Oasis
Outdoor living projects feature on many homeowner’s wish lists to extend living spaces through lush landscaping, dining patios, and backyard escapes. However complex projects requiring grading land, pouring concrete pads, and building structures from framing to finishes rightfully cause sticker shock and installation apprehension. Simpler solutions exist to build backyard oases perfect for kicking back after work.
Installing stone, paver or poured walkways becomes achievable thanks to interlocking systems laying down atop leveled soil, sand, or gravel versus dug trenches. Curving borders adds polished design for just $3 to $8 per square foot. Prefab pergola kits also build shaded, styled spaces minus carpentry precision for less than $2,000 with friends. Painting the weather-resistant cedar posts and beams makes these structures your own.
For patios, choose composite deck board kits on raised frames over poured concrete. Hidden fasteners create seamless floor appearances while blocking weed development compared to basic gravel and pavers. Raise the deck at least 8 inches to allow grass to grow underneath rather than requiring extensive grading. Great backyard additions become buildable thanks to the availability of budget materials combined with online tutorials walking through achievable DIY installations.
Conclusion
Beyond boosting budgets, taking improvement projects into your own hands powers pride and creative fulfillment realizing once latent interior design visions. The options for building bespoke and beautiful living environments through smarter material choices and simplified installations keep growing across categories so DIYers no longer need lto imit ambitions. Dare your skills while defining a home’s style on your own terms in 2023. The potential for both upgrades and savings now depends upon the depth of your vision more than hiring out.
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