8 Affordable Home Improvement Hacks

When undertaking home improvements, the costs involved can quickly add up. But, whether it’s for your own comfort and convenience or because you are planning to sell, you can achieve a lot of amazing changes for very little financial outlay.

Here are 8 home improvement ideas that can upgrade your home without downgrading your bank account.

Interior Ideas

Start by identifying the areas you want to spruce up. A good way to approach home improvement is to divide the areas you want to improve into interior and exterior. Here are some inexpensive ways to make your interior stand out.

• A fresh coat of paint – This is the most cost effective way to make noticeable changes to your interior. Lighter colours can make a room look larger which can be contrasted with colourful accessories. While painting is the most common type of improvement on a budget, it’s important that you learn how to do it correctly.
• Repurpose furniture – rather than going to the expense of buying new furniture, one way to save money is to upcycle existing furniture pieces to fit in with your new design ideas. Even one feature piece can give an interior space a lift and all it will cost you is paint or stain and a little elbow grease.
• Give tiles a face-lift – old grouting eventually collects dirt and mould which become ingrained. This can make a perfectly good tiled area look old and dirty. Simply by re-caulking the grout between your tiles, you can give these areas a fresh new look.
• Add some bling – rather than going to the expense of upgrading an entire area, you can suggest a theme or tone simply by upgrading the hardware alone. This includes door handles, light switches, ceiling lights, window catches, shower heads and taps. All are relatively inexpensive, and yet combine to give a room a much classier look.

Exterior Ideas

Curb appeal is particularly important if you are planning to put your home on the market. There are several great ways to spruce up the exterior to make a great first impression.

• Add some paint – As with interiors, painting is a cost effective way to make dramatic improvements. Even if you don’t paint the entire exterior, adding small ‘pops’ of colour in strategic places (i.e. front door, window trims, letterbox and guttering) can all make a tired exterior look a million dollars.
• Restore your deck – Whether it’s a porch out front or a sundeck out back, restoring it to its original condition can give your exterior a dramatic makeover for very little cost. Wooden decks that have been exposed to the elements for a period of time can become discoloured and unsightly, so sanding them back and applying a fresh coat of stain can do wonders. Rotten boards may also need to be replaced unless your deck is built from a composite material.
• DIY landscaping – There are lots of little tricks to spruce up your yard. If you have flowers, consider dividing them so they are distributed in the most appealing locations. Old paths can also be revitalised with new flagstones or gravel and a coat of paint on a tired old fence can greatly improve curb appeal.
• Let there be light – Adding a few simple lighting touches can beautify your outdoor areas and allow you to enjoy them safely at night. Lighting ideas include path lights, garden lights, mood lighting, and motion-sensor security lights. These days, most are available with energy-saving solar options.

Other Money-Saving Tips

There are several simple rules to bear in mind with regard to keeping expenses to a minimum. One of these is making sure you stick to your budget. There are a lot of considerations that will effect the final cost of your home improvement such as price of materials, any expert input required, any hire equipment and any permits that may need to be issued. Make sure you include these costs in your budget to prevent overspending and possibly running out of money before the job’s completed.

Having a spreadsheet is also a good idea, as it allows you to see all of the steps and costs involved in your project. There are plenty of free online tools to assist with this task. A spreadsheet can also serve as a checklist to keep on time as well as on budget.

Another basic rule is don’t pay others to do what you can do yourself. Any labouring tasks such as painting, cleaning and debris removal can be just as easily done by you as by someone charging by the hour. The only exception to this is where expert assistance is required such as electricians or plumbers.

When it comes to home improvements, it’s amazing what can be achieved with very little money provided you have a plan, stick to your budget and do as much of the work yourself as possible. And even if you only use one or two of the suggestions made here, you can bring new life to certain areas of your home without breaking the bank.