Since the home improvement boom in the 2000s, things have been quiet on the home renovation front. With people working from tighter budgets, extravagant refurbishments are few and far between and areas of your home that can’t just be spruced up with a coat of paint are starting to look tired and dated.
With one eye on finances though, it’s difficult to justify spending the money many want to and get the look we desire, so a compromise has to be made. Take a look at these suggestions for ways in which you can generate a new look and feel for some key areas of your home without ruining your bank balance.
1. Kitchen
If you take more than a minute to look at the prices of complete kitchen renovations, you’ll see that even the cheapest will cost you ten thousand or more. With all of the current uncertainty, that is a lot of money to invest, even if it will increase the value of your home.
There are, however, a few things you can do to make your kitchen area look much fresher and brighter. It should be pointed out that these are not all low-cost options, but are definitely lower-cost options than having a complete renovation.
Kitchen units
The first thing on the list is one you may have heard before, and that is to replace the doors of your kitchen units instead of the whole thing. The design and style of the carcasses themselves have remained unchanged for decades. So, it’s reasonable to assume that what you would be taking out will be the same as what you’d be putting in, so why bother?
Unit sizes have also remained unchanged for a long time so finding new doors for your existing units should be an easy task. There are many companies online who sell just the doors, or will even make the order. You will have to be confident in your measurements (so get somebody to check your numbers) but this is a great way to give a new look to your kitchen areas.
Worktops and tiling
You will also be able to order matching worktops and countertops the same way and paying a local tradesman to cut and fit these will be far cheaper than the alternative. If you have backing boards behind your countertops, you can simply stick new ones in front of the old ones as they are typically very thin. Tiles are usually cheap to replace, but if your budget doesn’t stretch to that, there is a trick you can use here that also works very well in your bathroom…
2. Bathroom
The problem in most bathrooms is that even with diligent cleaning, the area can start to look tired and a bit grubby. A lot of your bathroom is probably tiled, and it’s the grout in between these that is showing its age and not necessarily your tiles. The trick here then is to remove and replace that tired old greying grout with fresh, bright white grouting.
It should be mentioned that removing the old grout is not a quick or very pleasant task, but the difference it makes to a bathroom can look like you’ve had the tiling replaced completely.
Taps and toilet seats
The chances are though, that the bath, sink, and toilet are not the problem, but the taps, plugs, and the seat are looking kind of grim. Like kitchen units, the overall design of the sanitary ware in your bathroom will have changed very little for decades. So, instead of ripping the whole suite out, you can give it a new look by replacing the taps, the plughole, and the seat on your toilet.
Again, these can be cheaply sources online, and getting hold of the latest styles will make it look like you’ve had the whole area modernized instead of just a few key features.
3. Heating & AC
It’s no point having a great looking space to live in if you are too cold in the winter or too hot in the summer. We all love our HVAC systems, but if you don’t get them serviced regularly, after a few years they can lose power. Also, there is always that one room or area where the unit is just not right for that space, and it’s never warm or cool enough.
The alternative here is to turn the whole system up to compensate, but that just makes everywhere else uncomfortable and sends you utility bills through the roof. You could, of course, replace your entire HVAC but that might be beyond your current budget.
PTAC units
The third option is to give the HVAAC in the room in question a bit of a boost by adding a standalone PTAC. This makes the space more liveable and at the same time doesn’t put extra strain on your existing system or your utility bill. You can save money further by investing in a quality refurbished unit, many of which are available here in a wide range of sizes and specifications.
4. Lighting And Association Pieces
Repainting an area is a quick and easy fix, but another is to replace the lighting with something more illuminating than those early 2000’s up lighters. Without breaking the bank you could replace that single pendant with a bar of four spotlights in the kitchen which will quadruple the amount of light you are shedding on your new doors and worktops.
Add more lights
Also, under counter lighting can add so much to the look of a kitchen, bathroom, or bedroom. Stand-alone lights do not require wiring in as they are battery powered and are light enough to be fitted to the underside of most things without too much concern. These are often triggered by motion so you don’t always have to remember to switch them off either.
High-end appliances
The final touch is what is known among interior designers as an association piece. Working along the same lines as your fashionable taps in the bathroom, placing a high-end refrigerator or coffee maker in your new kitchen can have a positive effect on those entering your revamped space. Because that quality piece will catch their eye, they then assume that the things around it are of equal quality too.
