—
Home is where the heart is — but it doesn’t have to be where all of your money goes. Plenty of DIYers have found ways to spruce up a house so it looks great without breaking the bank. Here are seven of them.
1. Deep-Clean It
We’re not talking about the usual vacuuming regimen you follow every couple of weeks. We’re talking a full-on deep-cleaning of everything from the baseboards, to the ceiling fan blades, to the upper corners of your molding where fuzzy dust dangles. Follow a detailed cleaning checklist to make sure you hit everything and, once you finish, you’ll be astonished at how different the place looks with just a little bit of elbow grease.
2. Repaint the Front Door
Shelling out hundreds or thousands to repaint the outside of your home might not be in the budget. But you can still refresh the facade by repainting the front door a striking new color. If you’re feeling extra creative, finish the job with a few more accents, such as freshly potted plants or sparkling new hardware.
3. Add Some Greenery
Plants breathe new life into a space — quite literally. They simultaneously filter and clean your air while adding texture and color. They feel fresh and inviting, and, with proper care, they can last for a while, so they’re cost-effective, too.
4. Cut Down on Clutter
Too much clutter can make a space look smaller, busier and less sophisticated. So, edit what you have in each room by hanging onto only pieces with sentimental value. By freeing up bookshelves and tables and perhaps removing some furniture, too, your home will instantly feel larger and more put-together.
5. Swap out Kitchen Hardware
A kitchen renovation is one of the best ways to add value to your home, and for a good reason — we spend many hours gathering in this room. Of course, overhauling the entire kitchen is a significant investment, so, if you want a quick fix to what feels like a dated space, try switching the hardware. Choose knobs or pulls that will fit the holes drilled for the original pieces and you can swap them in and out within hours.
6. Install Crown Molding
That little groove between your wall and your ceiling could use sprucing up. Crown molding makes a room look finished and polished by covering the gap with a bit of embellished wood. It draws the eye upward to make any room seem larger and airier, too. Oh, and if you already have DIY skills, it’s a relatively easy task to take on yourself.
7. Let the Light In
Finally, the right lighting setup can instantly make your house look better without investing much work or money. Start by throwing back blinds or curtains to let in natural light to brighten things up. At night, forego overhead lighting, which can be too bright and harsh, for a combination of table and floor lamps. All these options will flood your home in warmer light that makes it look more inviting — instant aesthetics for little money.
Make It Better for Less
You don’t have to spend a fortune to make your home look its best — the above seven projects prove that. All that’s left to do now is roll up your sleeves and get started.
—
Photo provided by the author.