Ten Inexpensive Updates That Will Make Your Home Cozier
Buying a home (any home) increasingly requires little wealth and tolerance for high interest rates, and renting is no less bleak as prices across the country go through the roof. So if you already have a roof over your head, congratulations! It’s something of an achievement, even if it’s not a remarkable one.
But what if you want to get fancy? Perhaps you’re tired of the whole “construction level” thing (although not all “construction” things are worth changing ). Maybe you just want to feel a rush of pride when people come to your home. If you want a home that looks fancy and doesn’t have to take a second job to pay for luxury materials, you have many options. Here are 11 ways to make your home look expensive without spending a lot of money.
But first, get organized and organized.
The first step to making your home feel more expensive and luxurious is to declutter and organize everything in it . A tidy home has been proven to be a more valuable property overall (homes that are kept clean are worth about $3,700 more on average), and rooms with clean lines and a lack of clutter can give even the most modest space a more minimalist and purposeful look that feels more graceful.
Add magnets for garage hinges.
Do you have a fairly standard garage door with low rent? You can make them much more expensive and luxurious for around $20-30 with a simple handle and hinged magnets . They will simply snap into place and your cheap garage door will instantly look like a much more expensive carriage house. You can see the effect in this video and it’s quite impressive.
Lay terrace tiles
Open spaces increase our enjoyment of a property and its value . But if your outdoor space is a broken concrete patio, a wood deck, or a bare patch of land, it’s not exactly inspiring (or comfortable) to use. The good news is that this area is easy to upgrade quickly and cheaply, as long as it’s structurally sound (if your deck threatens to collapse in the next strong wind, no cheap fix will save you).
Luckily, all you need are a few interlocking outdoor wood tiles to instantly transform that patio, deck, or plot of land into a luxurious outdoor space that looks much more expensive than it actually is. You can get enough tiles to cover a 12×12 space for less than $100 , and it’s a simple job that can usually be completed in just one day.
Cover your appliances with stainless steel contact paper.
One of the clearest proofs that your home is not a luxury model is the broken old appliances in your kitchen. Buying all new stainless steel appliances may be out of your budget, but you can get the same look for just a fraction of the cost by using stainless steel tear-off contact paper . This material is waterproof and, if applied with care, will fool anyone into instantly transforming your old gear into shiny new(ish) ones. You can see the process of applying it here (using these kits , which are designed for a specific technique).
Use peel and stick tiles throughout.
Peel and stick technology is the cheapskate’s secret friend. They make a surprisingly wide range of peel-and-stick products, from “tile” backsplashes to faux wood planks that can be used for accent walls or even to make a faux shiplap ceiling, or contact paper that can be applied to kitchen counters. turn cheap countertops into expensive stone.
Install new flooring over rough carpet.
If you’ve got old carpet stuck in your home that you can’t remove or replace, whether because you’re renting or because you can’t afford a full renovation, installing laminate flooring is a relatively inexpensive solution. over your carpet. Yes, it’s possible – you shouldn’t consider it a permanent solution, but it does provide an immediate improvement to the pink fur that your homeowner claims is “fine.”
If you have fairly low-pile carpet, you can lay the new flooring directly on top of it ; If your carpet is a little heavier, you may need to put down a thin plywood underlay. Either way, it’s an affordable project that can make a significant impact on any room.
Install molding
One of the reasons why your home looks rustic? Your bare walls. Of course, you can solve this problem with a well-chosen pattern , but you can also do amazing things using a molded wood photo frame . With the right tools and a little time, you can create eye-catching patterns on your walls that combine sophistication and elegance, giving them a personal touch for little money. (For little money, you can even use a mold like this . You can get about 10 feet for less than $20.)
Upgrade your handles and pulls
Whether your kitchen cabinets (or really any cabinet in the house) use knobs or knobs (and yes, there is a difference ), you can change their appearance for less than a few hundred dollars, depending on what you want you are taking. Combined with a fresh coat of paint on your cabinets (or even vinyl wrap ), fancy new knobs or knobs will make it feel like a renovation when all you did was tighten a few screws.
Add floor-to-ceiling window treatments
Hanging curtains as close to the ceiling as possible and reaching to the floor will make your rooms appear larger and draw attention, making the space appear larger, brighter and more precious. People like higher ceilings, associate them with a sense of freedom , and are often willing to pay more for homes that they perceive to have higher ceilings. And all you need for this is curtain rods and some fabric.
Buy new lampshades
If your home uses a lot of lamps that you bought in bulk from a big box store because you needed to light up your rooms without hiring an electrician or spending too much, they may contribute to the feeling that your home is not very luxurious. The lampshades that come with a typical mass-produced lamp aren’t exactly stylish or durable.
Luckily, the solution isn’t expensive: you just need cooler lampshades. This could include a few art projects to spruce up the ones you already have, or a few new lampshades (like this one or this one ) to give your sad lamps a nice luxury feel.
Install DIY built-ins
Built-in storage, such as bookshelves, enhances the feeling that a home is expensive and is generally thought to add value . But adding built -ins to your home can be expensive, as it may require a carpenter to design and install custom shelving or cabinets. Or you can get a similar effect for much less money by purchasing an Ikea storage unit, combining the units and painting it.
For example, this homeowner used Ikea BILLY shelving to create a pretty cool built-in effect. In fact, any space in your home that can accommodate a finished cabinet or bookshelf can be made to look like super expensive built-in furniture, even on a shoestring budget.