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Because times are tough economically, many people have decided not to upgrade their home because they cannot afford to. If you’re in that same situation, you can take solace from the fact that that you can update your surroundings with upgraded features and not have to spend an arm and a leg in the process.

Making Your Remodeling Dollar Go Further

Start with the basics when contemplating a remodel. Start from the top of the room and work your way down. This is the basis for your remodel. If you have an acoustic ceiling, consider either repainting it a bright white or hiring someone to resurface and retexurize it with a flat pattern. Don’t forget to apply a thick primer before your paint coat! Next, look at the walls and consider a neutral color that will go with a brighter and more natural mood and will go with any designs and decorations. Make repairs to walls that have dents, nicks, or holes so they look like new again. Next, continue with the floors: are the baseboards and flooring in fair condition? If yes, repaint the baseboards a nice white color to make everything look brand-new again. If you plan to rip out and re-cover the floors, consider porcelain tiles, because they are affordable per square foot and last much longer than carpet does. If you will be installing carpet, choose a dense pile that is somewhere between brown and beige so that spills won’t show as much and the carpet will be resilient against crushing for a long time.

Save Money and Do It Yourself

Renewing your bathrooms and kitchen are the best investments you can put into your home. If the cabinetry is structurally sound, consider either repainting the existing cabinets or replacing them. If you will be refacing them, get a good cordless drill and remove the hardware from the cabinet doors to free them. If needed, you can purchase new cabinet facing from your local do-it-yourself store. For an even better money-saving renovation, choose to refinish the existing cabinets. Again, remove the doors from the cabinets and then apply a paint stripper to the existing finish and use a scraper made from hard plastic just for this purpose. Once everything has been removed, sand the cabinets the beginning time with a belt sander using medium-grade sandpaper. A last sanding should be completed with a fine-grade sandpaper after that. Rub the cabinets with a cloth to remove the dust and then spread a wood conditioner to the cabinets. Finally, stain or paint the wood and top it off with several clear coats to protect the wood from water exposure.

Upgrade to Get the Grade

Upgrading your decorative items is a simple, but dramatic way to make your surroundings looking sharp. There are great deals at estate sales, second-hand shops, or on the Web which will save money. For even bigger savings, create furniture by yourself. You can make a unique headboard, for example, with nothing more than two oversized wooden spindles, a lathe machine (you can rent this from someone), and a large rectangle of plywood. Cover the wood center portion with some batting, fabric, and unique upholstery tacks for a new headboard that is eye-catching!

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve recently moved into a home that needs TLC or if it’s your existing house. Either way, these great tips for getting the place you live to look its best will help your home look like new without spending a ton of dough in the process.

Filed under: Hobbies on August 14th, 2009