Whether you’re selling soon or just want a few updates, you don’t need to spend a fortune to give your home a fresh clean look. There are tons of simple and budget-friendly updates you can make that will make a significant impact on your home. Here are six cheap home improvements under $1,000 (or close to it) to consider:
1. Replace Your Front Door
Alright, you could definitely spend more than $1k on this one depending on the door you select. Front doors can get super fancy, with things like double sidelites, decorative glass, transom windows and more. But, you’ll be able to find steel entry doors starting between $200-$500. The cost is totally worth the money. It is, after all, one of the first things people will notice when they pull up to your home. A shiny new door can work wonders for your curb appeal and make a huge impact — especially if you’re looking to sell.
2. Update Light Fixtures
Replacing outdated light fixtures, both inside and out, can really give your home a fresh and modern look without a huge price tag (if you shop wisely, that is). Not only do you get the aesthetics of a new fixture, but it can transform the light in your space. For maximum impact and value, make sure you select designs and finishes that are more timeless and less trendy (you don’t want to have to replace them again too soon!). If you’re not comfortable swapping fixtures out yourself, a licensed electrician will be able to do the job in no time at all.
3. Replace Cabinet and Door Hardware
This is a project you can definitely tackle yourself (and on just about any weeknight!). Modernize your kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities, and doors by swapping out old cabinet and door hardware. Make sure you carefully measure the dimensions and drill patters from your existing hardware to make this an easy swap-out job. When shopping for new hardware, you may want to consider shopping online. Many big box hardware stores tend to only have a limited selection in their stores (although it’s still worth a look).
4. Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
A fresh coat of paint is where you build significant sweat equity – both inside and out. Plus, it’s super cost effective. A typical gallon of interior paint costs around $30 (and goes further than you think!). You’ll want to carefully plan out your color scheme before you start slapping paint on the walls. This will help you give your house a coordinated look. Some paint brands will come with complementary colors on their swatches to help make this process easier. If you plan on selling any time soon, opt for neutral colors (such as grays and tans) so as to appeal to the widest audiences of prospective buyers.
5. Refinish Your Bath Tub
There a few things you can do to freshen up your bathroom without having to do a complete tear-down remodel. For instance, if your bathtub is tired, dingy and outdated, spruce it up by having it refinished. You can give your bath tub a completely new look by having it refinished for a fraction of a remodel cost. Not only is it a fraction of the cost, but it’s a fraction of the time as well.
6. De-Clutter and Organize
Never underestimate the impact of a good cleaning, a de-cluttering effort, and some organization. Go wild. This is can be a great cleansing experience for your house and yourself. Make this process easy by taking it one room at a time – you’ll probably find that you have much more stuff than you realize! If you’re wary about getting rid of an item, start an “outbox” pile so you can think it over. If you haven’t given it a second thought after a week, bye-bye! If you have a large pitch pile, you can hire junk haulers for under $500 (which will buy you A LOT of junk removal).
One last important thing… if you are going to put money into your home, you’ll definitely want to make sure you have adequate limits on your home insurance.
