Big Changes for Little Budgets
It’s not an oxymoron. When you renovate or remodel, sometimes even the tiniest of changes can make a major impact, and you don’t have to break the bank either. With the right planning and a can-do attitude, you can pull off big changes on a small budget. Read on for some small renovation ideas!
Here at GreatBuildz, a free service that connects homeowners in Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura & San Diego with reliable general contractors, we work with all types of projects whether big or small – here are a few projects you can do to upgrade your home.
Here are some big changes you can make at a low cost:
Go For A New Paint Job
The quickest way to spruce up the interior or exterior of any building is with a new paint job. You don’t even have to go for anything fancy. Simply sticking to the same color and filling in the cracks before you paint is enough to make your home look and feel like new. If you really want to make a room feel new, then go for a bold color scheme and have some fun with the designs on the walls. You can opt for a feature wall, or pick up certain elements such as the skirting board, dado rail, or cornices in contrasting colors.
Painting the interior of a home is a surefire way to spruce it up and bring out the most modern look. Especially if your walls are an ‘older’ or outdated color like taupe, or if your walls are just dirty and scuffed, painting over with a fresh coat of white or complementary color will make a huge difference. Remember, everywhere you go in your home, you see the wall paint color. It’s probably the most obvious feature in your home, along with flooring. Painting isn’t terribly expensive, and although you can DIY it, an entire house paint project is best saved for pro painters.
You can also bring new life to your furniture, doors, and window fittings with a coat of paint. Just be sure to get the right kind of paint and any primers or sealants you might need.
Try Cork Flooring
Flooring is an area where you can spend a lot of money if you’re not careful. For a home, you want something with warmth and comfort underfoot and this often means carpets. The problem is, carpeting gets very expensive, quickly. Another traditional option that people love is real wood. Again, this is expensive to install and requires lots of maintenance.
A relatively new option that has become incredibly popular is cork flooring. It’s easier and cheaper to install than wood or carpet, as well as more eco-friendly. The cork is highly durable, and it provides a warm layer of insulation underfoot.
Bring Wooden Areas Back To Life
Wooden decks and exterior doors can take a serious beating out in the sun, wind, rain, and snow. It’s surprisingly easy to get to the stage where your deck looks like it needs to be completely replaced. However, with some proper elbow grease and the right care, you can bring any wooden areas that are looking a bit lackluster back to life. It’ll also be a lot cheaper to put that effort in rather than getting rid of the wooden area and starting over.
Install Skylights
A skylight might look like a major installation job, but it’s not really. Architecturally, it’s relatively simple and doesn’t cost a fortune. However, the value that you’ll add to your home, not to mention all the great new light you’ll be letting in, is huge.
Skylights are perfect for attic rooms or large, open-plan spaces where light can’t always get in from the side. Just be sure to consider blinds for the skylight because you may not want direct sunlight in the room at all times.
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Switch Cupboards Out For Shelves
Nothing says old and tired like cabinetry that’s stained, damaged, or outdated. If a kitchen remodel isn’t within reach or you don’t have the budget to redo your bedroom closets, there are cheaper options. The tried and tested method for giving old cupboards a facelift is usually to swap the handles and knobs for something new, or to replace the entire door but leave the carcass in place. If you really want to spice things up, then consider scrapping the entire cupboard setup and going for shelves. They’re much cheaper to install than all-new cupboards and much easier to maintain in the long term. But you’ll likely need some boxes to help hide untidy elements.
Create Space With A Garden Room
Most people long for more space in their homes but rarely have the budget for proper extensions. A quicker and cheaper way to add extra space to your home is with a garden room. You can use a shed or buy a purpose-made pod as your garden room—anything that’s freestanding and not attached to the main building will work. You could even convert your garage if space is more important to you than parking.
This is probably the most expensive of the budget-friendly renovation ideas on this list, but it can be done relatively cheaply compared to a building extension. Shop around for a shed that you can repurpose or some kind of room or pod. Then, you will need to ensure that you have a decent foundation. Additionally, you’ll need to get a qualified electrician in to run power from the house. Once this is done, you’ll have an extra room for entertaining, relaxing, crafting, or doing whatever else you needed extra space for.
Summary
Small renovation changes can make a huge difference and you don’t need to spend a fortune on renovating. With a little bit of creative thinking, you can refresh your living space and make your home even more enticing, relaxing, and enjoyable to spend time in.
When it comes to finding the best remodeling contractor in Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura or San Diego – GreatBuildz is simplifying the contractor search. GreatBuildz is a free service that connects homeowners with reliable, thoroughly screened general contractors and provides project support from start to finish.
Call now (818.317.3567) to chat with a real person about your next renovation project or visit our website for more information: www.greatbuildz.com
