25 Cheap Ways To Upgrade Your Home

25 Cheap Ways To Upgrade Your Home

1. Add some character and add texture to your walls with peel-and-stick wall panels.

2. Create a charming accent wall with peel-and-stick paper.

3. Upgrade your countertops to faux granite with a DIY paint kit instead of spending a fortune to replace it.

4. Reseal all those cracks in your tub and tile with caulking and make your bathroom look new again.

5. Update recess lighting without doing any electrical work with magnetic shades.

6. Install crown molding to help make your home look historic and charming.

7. Adding a fresh coat of paint to get that pop of color (or get rid of it) will give your home a touch-up without costing you a fortune.

8. Get the stainless-steel appliances you've always wanted at a fraction of the price with paint.

9. Add privacy and a touch of elegance, and make your windows look super expensive, with with "leaded-glass" film.

10. Paint your cabinets to give your kitchen that just-remodeled feeling for pennies versus what it would cost to replace them.

11. Add a new tile backsplash to give your kitchen (or bathroom) that gorgeous custom look.

12. Add a medallion to your light fixtures to instantly elevate your ceiling game.

13. Paint your ugly vinyl floors to get rid of the eyesore without ripping up the floor.

14. Bulk up your baseboards with paint and extra trim instead of replacing them.

15. Install shelving systems in every room to add storage.

16. Upgrade the fixtures in your bathroom to give yourself a mini spa experience.

17. Swap the handles on your cabinets and drawers to update your kitchen.

18. Add a doorbell to your home if you don't already have one, or upgrade your current one.

19. Update light switches to give your home a fresh look and a tech upgrade.

20. Add some curb appeal and a pop of color by painting your front door.

21. Forget interior designers! Find matching fabrics, paints, and materials with a color match tool.

22. Get even more curb appeal by sanding down and painting rusted railings.

23. Consider these useful tips for upgrading your bathroom.

24. Cover door scuffs and prevent new damage with a metal kick plate.

25. Add adhesive mirrored tiles to the underside or top of your cabinets to subtly reflect light and make your space look brighter.

Home Bar Essentials

If you love to entertain when you have guests over, you may be working on building your home bar. While enjoying time inside doesn’t require a bar, sometimes a happy medium between a full-on wet bar and just a few beverages in the fridge can help elevate the hosting experience. Here are the essentials you need for a great home bar:

1. Bar Fridge

Having a separate bar fridge is a great addition for several reasons. First, you can keep your beverages at the temperature they are meant to be kept at. Beverage refrigerators are best kept 10 degrees warmer than the normal fridge temperature. Another great reason is that you will no longer waste fridge space for beverages. Now, you don’t have to worry about taking food out to put drinks in!

2. Bar Decor

Decide what style you want for your bar space. Whether you want an elegant or pub theme, choose pieces that will tell a story. 

3. Plenty of Glassware

When hosting guests at your home bar, it is helpful to have a variety of glassware to suit the types of drinks you may be making. Keep rocks glasses, highball tumblers, and stem glasses - with a few red and white wine glasses on hand. Pint and shot glasses are also great to keep in your bar.

4. Cocktail Shaker & Strainer

If you have a cobbler shaker, there is no need for a strainer, as they are usually built in. If you have a Boston shaker, which can be a little trickier to use, you will need to get a strainer for pouring your drinks.

5. Ice Trays

Unless you have an ice machine, you will need to have ice cube trays. Silicone trays are much easier to get cubes out of and tend to be much sleeker in appearance. Try to find trays with larger compartments so your ice will last longer. 

6. Bar Accessories & Tools

Some items you may want to have in your bar for some cocktails include:

• Mixing Spoon

• Muddler

• Jigger

• Measuring Shot Glass

5 Home Projects To Outsource

We live in a DIY world. If there is a video online for how to do something, there’s a good chance you can figure out how to do it. While saving money by doing certain projects yourself can be rewarding in many different ways, there are some projects that should be left to the professionals. Unless you have training in specific fields, these 5 things usually require a professional contractor:

Electrical Wiring

Without any electrical experience, you run the risk of causing damage to both yourself and your entire electrical system. Even if you do shut off the power before messing with any wiring, there can still be many issues that arise afterwards - including electrical fire. Avoid the danger and call an electrician!

Wall Removal

Knocking down a wall can sound like a fun idea. Even if you were getting excited to release any anger on that wall in your home, this is a time when it is best to call a professional. Walls are a key component in maintaining the integrity of your home and it’s structure. If you accidentally knock down a load-bearing wall, you could cause catastrophic damage.  

Foundation Alteration

The name of the structure itself should already make you proceed with caution. Your foundation is the most integral part of your home, and messing with it without experience could land you in a very tough spot.

Flooring

While some flooring can easily be done alone, some of the bigger projects should be left to the professionals. If leveling the floor is part of the project, it may be time to call someone in. Having a floor that isn’t level can cause you headaches for years to come.

Plumbing

Just like electrical projects, plumbing projects can be extremely complicated. When not done correctly, you can end up with burst pipes, flooding, and interior water damage. Save the stress and call a plumber!

Choosing The Best Bathroom Tile

If it is time for your bathroom to get a renovation, you are likely already thinking of what style you have in mind for the update. One of the major parts of that design is your tile. Here is a quick guide to choosing the best tile!

1. Pick Out Your Favorite First.

When looking at tile options, you will likely find one that you immediately fall in love with. If you find yourself picturing the rest of your bathroom based off a tile, choose that tile and use it as your starting point.

2. Keep It Simple.

Depending on your bathroom, you might have floor tile, wall/accent tile, and bath tile. Try to use no more than 3 different types of tile, and do your best to keep it to 2. You will have trouble matching tiles the more you choose and tiles that differ too much in a small space can make it feel cluttered. If you ever plan to resell your home, choosing too many tile options or choosing extremely decorative tile can date your bathroom quickly and might end up costing you during the selling process.

3. Consider Maintenance.

Have you ever had a bathroom where it felt impossible to clean certain parts? Keep that in mind when choosing your tile. Consider the amount of maintenance it will require. If you prefer little to no maintenance, choose either a porcelain or ceramic option. If upkeep isn’t a big deal to you, natural stone is an option for you as well.

4. Choose!

The hardest part is choosing. Instead of doubting yourself, take that tile you first fell in love with a see if you can imagine a bathroom styled around that tile. If you can, go for it!

Reducing Closet Clutter

The closet might just be the hardest place to reduce clutter in the home. So often, we find ourselves using closets as the one space in the home that we allow a little chaos. Whether we use it as the space to keep unfolded laundry or to tuck away things that we forgot to clean up before having guests over, closets don’t always get the de-cluttering treatment they deserve. Here are a few ways to reduce closet clutter and in turn, reduce the stress it might be causing.

GROUPING THINGS 

The easiest way to keep your closet organized is to have a grouping system. You may not be someone who color coordinates your closet, but you can group work shirts together, and casual pants, etc. in a way that will make it easier to find and easier to put away.

SHELVING THAT MAKES SENSE

Your current shelving set up might not be ideal for you. Take the time to group and sort your clothes an see what you may be missing. Maybe you need less shelving as a way to make space for more hanging clothes, or more shelving for folded pants.

ORGANIZATION BASED ON USE

If you have a walk in closet, you can make your life easier by storing what you use frequently closest to the entrance. If you don’t store seasonal clothing, this will help greatly in making sure the season in use is always the most accessible.

UNIFORMITY IS KEY

The satisfaction of an aesthetically pleasing closet can help you to keep things de-cluttered. Get matching hangers, and invest in matching organizing bins or shoe boxes if your closet needs those items.