7 Home Updates That Won’t Break the Bank

If you’d love to make some improvements to your home, but are holding back because of time or money, we want you to know that not all changes have to be expensive or overwhelming.

Instead, there are many changes you can make to your home that can improve the quality of your life, and work within a range of budgets.

However, it’s still a good idea to have a masterplan for your home so that any changes you plan to make work with any bigger future plans you might have for your home. 

To get you inspired, we are sharing some updates we’ve made to our homes over the years that have improved the functionality of our home, without breaking the bank.

1. Install floating shelves

Replacing tired wall kitchen cabinets with floating shelves is an easy and relatively inexpensive way to update your kitchen. It helps create a greater sense of space, and provides you with an opportunity to display more decorative objects, which can help make your kitchen feel more like a room for living.

2. Update lighting fixtures

This update is something you can do if you rent or plan to renovate one day. Or if you’re just trying to stretch your budget, it’s how you can still create an impact without going to the expense of engaging an electrician to move wiring.  

3. Paint, paint, paint

We know you’ve heard this one before, but it really does make such a huge difference. Natalie completely transformed the look and feel of her living room, which had been dark because of unpainted hardwood timber boards, when she covered them with white paint.

4. Refinish floorboards

If you’ve got timber floorboards that are super shiny, and got a 1990s vibe, sand them back and finish them with a matte-based sealer. Again, Natalie did this throughout her home and it transformed the space. We have a friend who had white painted boards in her living room and she had them sanded back to reveal beautiful Tasmanian oak timber.

5. Replace hardware

The simple act of replacing hardware can make your space look and feel new again, even if you plan to renovate down the track. Or if you need to make the most of your budget, keeping existing cabinetry but updating the hardware can make a huge difference. Alternatively, you can remove the hardware and if you have timber doors create circular door finger pulls.

6. Re-face the cupboards

Did you know that if you have an Ikea kitchen you can upgrade your cabinet doors with custom made designs? Take a look at companies such as Semihandmade that specialise in creating new fronts for your old kitchen cupboards. You can also keep the existing carcass of your cupboards – no matter what the brand – and get a cabinet maker to create new fronts. Or if it’s for a smaller space such as a laundry, get a curtain created for this spot if you want to stretch your budget further.

7. Remove the ceiling

If you have a home with a low ceiling and want to create a greater sense of space, consider removing the plasterboard. You want to check what’s inside your roof cavity first. Hopefully you have some beautiful timber beams. However, if they are steel, you can paint them the same colour as your walls and they will blend into the background.