You may think you lack the skill, knowledge, or budget for any DIY projects, but there are lots of easy, low cost ways to update your house! Several of these things not only make your home more aesthetically pleasing for you while you’re living there, but will up the resale value without a huge investment if you plan to sell in the near future.
#1 – Paint
It’s mind-blowing the difference paint can make for a space! If your room is dark, a lighter neutral color can brighten it significantly and make the space appear cleaner. A bold color (even just on cabinets or one wall) can make a huge statement and set the tone for the entire room. If you’re not quite sure and are worried about too crazy of a change, start with painting built-ins or a piece of furniture. There are all kinds of tutorials out there for furniture refinishing or you can use something like chalk or milk paint that is really user friendly and doesn’t require much prep. If you’re indecisive about the color, there are programs out there (Sherwin Williams has an app!) where you can upload a photo of your room and try different colors. Budget friendly tip: You can have any brand’s color mixed at Lowe’s or Home Depot in a more reasonably priced – but still perfectly good quality – paint!
#2 – Fixtures, Faucets & Hardware
If you’re nervous about changing light fixtures, you can watch a tutorial on YouTube – As long as you know how to shut off the breaker that supplies power to the fixture, can match colored wires, and have a screwdriver to screw in the bracket to the junction box, you can handle this! An extra set of hands is helpful to take down the old fixture and hold up the new one as you connect wires. A new faucet and cabinet hardware instantly updates a bathroom or kitchen! You can find these things lots of different places (and at lots of different price points) – Hardware stores, boutique lighting and decor stores, home decor stores, and online at places like Wayfair, Overstock, and Amazon.
Budget friendly tip: Sometimes you can find great deals on Facebook Marketplace on light fixtures (since they’re not the easiest to return if they were purchased online and don’t work out for someone) and hardware (especially if they had leftovers from them coming in a set!).
#3 – An Accent Wall
Peel and stick wallpaper and removable decals are huge right now. They’re easy to apply and can be taken down without doing damage if you decide down the road that you want something different. Paint techniques like color blocking, stenciling, or sponge painting (no, not the 80s sponge painting that may come to mind!) are fun budget friendly options. Board and batten, wainscoting, shiplap, or more modern geometric wood design accent walls are a bit more permanent, but not difficult if you have access to a table saw.
Budget friendly tip: A sample size container of paint is usually enough for a fun paint technique on one wall and they’re less than $5!
Hopefully you’re now looking around your house with fresh eyes and the confidence that you can do some of these small projects on your own! If you’re still gathering inspiration, I’d encourage you to determine what home and decor styles you’re drawn to (there are quizzes out there to do this if you’re not sure where to start!) and search that hashtag on Instagram.
There are so many incredible home accounts out there and many of them have tutorials saved in their highlights of the projects they’ve done. Pinterest is, of course, always a helpful tool for compiling your ideas all in one place and lots of those images are linked to tutorials and posts with links of where products were purchased, too!
You never know – you may become a “weekend warrior” (as Home Depot likes to call DIYers) after you realize what you’re capable of!
