You can blame it on HGTV, or Pinterest, but the truth is, we are society of needers and wanters, but not always “do-ers.” This couldn’t ring more true than with the purchase of a new home. Once that closing is done, the first thing most new homeowners want to do is start making their footprint on the house itself; make it more of their own than anything else. And why shouldn’t it? It’s now your home, your domain. Even if you are planning on flipping it or only staying for a short while, you still want to put your own personal stamp on it.
The problem is, this can get VERY expensive depending on the scope of work. Especially if the house is dated or historic, the amount of work and the bill at the end can very quickly add up. But, there are ways to avoid the stress and cost of doing home upgrades with these quick tricks.
- Paint goes a long way. You’d be surprised how much change can come from one can of paint. It’s incredible what a difference to a space when you just get creative with some paint. You can do accent walls in bedrooms, clean white in small spaces to make it look bigger, and even have some fun with funky wallpaper! The sky’s the limit when it comes to empty walls so have some fun.
- Salvage what you can. Go through your things and see what can be saved before you decide to toss anything. Just like our previous tip, paint can go a very long way. If you have an old dresser, lamp, chair, desk… just about anything can be brought back to life with some simple paint! Chalkboard paint can make an empty wall into an artist studio and image what you can do with an old dresser.
- Garbage pick! Seriously, do it. Keep an eye out for what people are tossing and do some digging. Many people don’t do step 2 and throw away some really nice items that can be transformed into a coffee table, end table, wall art or just about anything else.
- Look online for deals. This is HUGE when it comes to home remodeling. Keep an eye out for online deals on some of your favorite sites, like Amazon! You’d be surprised by how much money you can save!