If you need to makeover your home in a major way, it may make sense to take out a major loan, find another place to live for a few months, and hire a reliable crew to get it all done in one fell swoop. But often, it makes more financial sense to remodel incrementally, usually working in one room at a time. Here are some of the most effective ways to make your home classier and more comfortable, all for less than $1,000 a pop.
1. Engineered Wood Flooring
Snap-together (or “click-lock”) engineered flooring has a hardwood veneer finish that is ready to walk on as soon as you install it. The flooring itself is easily cut with power saws. However, you will need to remove the base molding (or at least the base shoe) before starting work, and you’ll need to replace it after the floor is installed.
You can find a good selection of engineered flooring at any home improvement center. Plank-style flooring is the most popular, and is available in a wide range of colors and finishes. You may also choose cork flooring, which is a different finish material but installs in the same way.
2. Crown Molding or Coffered Ceilings
Nothing classes up a dining or living room like wide crown molding around the tops of the walls or coffers, which create a rich crisscross pattern in the ceiling itself. Traditional wood moldings of these sorts required skilled finish carpenters. Nowadays, there are companies that offer moldings made of materials like urethane or foam that are easy to cut and install yourself; they typically have all the difficult corners pre-cut, so you need make only straight cuts.
3. Replace the Kitchen Sink, Faucet and Filter
A new sink with a stylish and easy-to-use faucet brightens up your kitchen experience. If the sink is self-rimming—with a flange that rests on top of the countertop—then the installation is a homeowner-friendly project. If the sink mounts under the countertop, call in a pro for installation.
While you’re at it, install a new faucet. You can add a filter spout to supply safe, tasty drinking water. A hot water dispenser (which requires an under-sink electrical outlet) delivers scalding water in an instant. You can also install a built-in soap dispenser. All these products can be purchased in matching styles for a coordinated look.
4. Tile a Tub Surround
Installing new tiles around a bathtub calls for careful planning. Make sure the walls are straight and square before you start. In very old homes, the existing tiles may be set in a mortar bed, making them very difficult to remove. In that case, hire a pro.
The new tiles you choose may be large and stony-looking, small with flashy colors or any of thousands of options in between. With ceramic tiles, you will need to purchase special “bullnose” pieces for the exposed edges around the surround. Natural stone may not need these special pieces.
5. Replace Light Fixtures
If your lights do not enhance the look of your room or provide enough illumination, replacing them will brighten up your home in a hurry. WARNING: Be sure to shut off power, not just at the light switch but also at the service panel, before starting work.
Most new lights are easy to install and come with all the hardware you need. See that their canopy—the round flange that snugs up to the ceiling—will cover the opening left when you remove the old one. Otherwise, you may need to paint or even patch the ceiling. Installing a ceiling fan is a bit time consuming, but not difficult. Be sure that your ceiling electrical box is “fan rated,” or it may come loose.
6. Reface or Paint Kitchen Cabinets
If you just want to change the look of your cabinets install new doors, drawer faces, and veneers for the exposed edges of the frames. You can hire a company that specializes in refacing, or you can order new parts from a company and install them yourself.
To save even more money, consider just painting your cabinets. Remove doors and drawers to a dust-free area, and paint them with a brush or slim roller made for trim work. Paint any exposed frames as well. Allow to dry thoroughly before reinstalling the doors and drawers.
7. Update Window Treatments
Interior window coverings are another of those things you can easily get used to. Switch things up with new window treatments, from curtains to blinds to drapes and valences. Some designer treatments can run well over a thou, but there are plenty of inexpensive and attractive options in just about any color scheme and style that can be imagined.
8. Add a Fireplace Mantel
A fireplace mantel may be a simple shelf above the firebox, or, more commonly, a decorative structure that surrounds the firebox. If your fireplace does not have a mantle, or if its mantle is less than inspiring, replacing it may be easier than you think. While a custom-made mantel can run plenty of money, mantel kits can be reasonably priced. You can go modern and sleek, Victorian, or something in between. The mantel itself is usually a simple structure that attaches to the wall or bricks; you can add trim work to suit your taste.
9. Install Closet Organization
A closet with a single shelf above a hanging rod is not only dull to look at, it is a space waster. A good number of companies specialize in closet organization components that look great and make efficient use of every cubic inch. Customize your closet by choosing various types of shelves, hanging rods at different heights and small drawer units to suit your needs.
10. Reface a Kitchen Backsplash
The word “backsplash” may refer to a 3- or 4-inch-tall strip of wood or tile on the wall just above the countertop, but here we mean the entire wall between the countertop and the bottom of your upper kitchen cabinets. This area, usually 18 inches tall, may be the most visually important part of a kitchen. Many people are happy to simply paint it, but consider more decorative possibilities. Tile is the most common choice, but solid surfaces like stainless steel are also attractive options.
Whether you need work done in the kitchen or bathroom, pick one of these projects to save some cash and spice up your home.
For further reading:
A Step-by-Step Guide to Rehabbing Your First Rental Property
7 Ways to Save Big Money During a Home Rehab
About the Author:
Steve Cory has many years of hands-on experience working as a home remodeler and has also helped write and produce more than 60 how-to books. Steve writes his “how-to-get-things-done” tips for The Home Depot. To review flooring options mentioned by Steve in his article, you can visit the Home Depot website.
