It’s the same old story: you’d love to make some upgrades to your home, but right now the money just doesn’t seem to be there. What can you do? While you don’t want to make subpar improvements that will fall apart quickly, there are plenty of budget friendly touches that can make your home shine. Here are 4 simple projects you can take on without breaking the bank.

Add Fresh Paint

It’s amazing how many things a fresh coat of paint can accomplish, and with a gallon of paint coming in between $15 and $30 you can take on this improvement for less than the cost of movie tickets for the family. Choose a bright and inviting color to paint your front door or if you can splurge for two to three gallons you can upgrade your bedroom.

Store More

Is your kitchen lacking in storage? Almost all of them are and adding new cabinets may be financially out of reach. However, kitchen storage doesn’t need to be fully enclosed – plenty of things can be stored on open shelves. Pick up some plain shelves at the craft store and paint them whatever color you’d like. Then you’ve got a place to stack dishes, pots, spices, or anything else that needs a place to sit. The whole thing should run you less than $100 for shelves, paint, and hardware.

One warning about shelves: this may not be the project for you if you don’t feel confident that you can install the shelves yourself without them landing on your head when you least expect it. Always consider whether a particular home improvement is right for your skill set – just like an invasive internet pop-up suggesting an update, you don’t have to say yes to every possibility you come across to have a home you love.

Plant A (Money) Tree

Homes with good tree cover typically sell for more money than homes lacking such foliage and it doesn’t take much money or know-how to plant a tree. And while they won’t shade your home immediately, once that tree grows up it will save you anywhere from $100 to $250 a year in energy bills by keeping your home cool during the summer months. The cost to water it won’t run nearly that much so in the long run planting a tree equals net financial gain.

Call For Clean Carpets

Installing new carpet is a big expense, but it’s actually quite affordable to get your carpets professionally cleaned. The professional treatment will lift stains and eliminate dust and mold, alleviating allergy symptoms. And while some stains may be irremediable, especially if you have children, for the most part even old and grody carpets will look like new. The whole treatment will run you under $150 for a small home.

Sticking To The Budget

Whether you’re saving for a new roof or some big appliance upgrades, the great thing about small, budget-friendly upgrades is that they make that longer wait seem more manageable. Depending on your income, it might take you years to pile up the $18,000 a new roof costs or the $9,000 for a new deck. Many homeowners ultimately put these big remodels off too long because they grow tired of budgeting only for the big improvements.

Stop waiting for a more beautiful home and embrace small changes now. There’s enough buffer in your budget for the occasional home improvement, even when you keep the big goals in sight.

Categories: Real Estate