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6 ideas for improving your home on a shoestring budget

Perhaps you’re looking to improve the value of your property but are short on cash, or maybe you’re just really passionate about home improvement and love getting your hands dirty. Either way, improving your home doesn’t mean you have to break the bank. There are plenty of ways to improve the aesthetics of your home that you can do yourself, quickly and inexpensively.

Although it can certainly help with curb appeal, you don’t need to buy a new conservatory to improve your home (note, DIY conservatories are not a good idea) – smaller steps can also make an impact. Here are some great ideas you can get started with.

1 – Give your appliances a makeover

If you’re concerned that the aesthetics of your appliances are really ruining the ambiance of a room, you don’t need to buy the latest devices straight from the store. Instead, head to your local DIY store and buy some paint. Stainless steel paint is ideal for when your appliances look a bit worse for wear but you don’t want to replace them.

2 – Install vinyl tiling on your bathroom floor

Your bathroom floor can quickly become decrepit, particularly if it is of a low quality material or if the bathroom sees an extensive amount of traffic. Vinyl tiling is relatively inexpensive and can completely rejuvenate the aesthetic of your bathroom. You won’t even need to replace the old floor, you can simply install the new tiling on top of it and you won’t need an expert to do the job – simply follow this advice.

3 – Improve your lighting

A dimly lit room will always appear gloomy and underwhelming. One of the easiest ways to fix this is to remove any dim or faulty light bulbs with fresh bright bulbs that radiate light. You will be amazed how this simple fix can improve the atmosphere of a room.

4 – Give your front door a paint job

Your porch is the portal to your home, so it’s always best to try and make a good impression. A faded paint job or an inappropriate colour choice can really look bad on a front door, but this is easy to rectify. When choosing the colour for your front door, always take into account your neighbourhood, the style of your property and any considerations that future owners of your home may have!

5 – Perform an intensive clean

Doing a thorough clean will dramatically improve the look and feel of your home. Make sure all dusty carpets are thoroughly attended to, clean your windows so that more natural light radiates into the home, and don’t forget to clean your basement and attic. If you’re cleaning before a potential sale, new owners like to envision what they can do with the cellar and attic, and they won’t enjoy seeing your unused items in there – so chuck them out! You’ll be amazed at how spacious your home feels after a clear-out.

Mollymaid suggests the following:

“Dampened cloths tied to the ends of mops and brooms work great for removing cobwebs. For slatted blinds, use the string to close them one way and dust, then close them the other way and repeat…it’s effective and a lot more efficient than trying to do one slat at a time. Don’t forget to hit the tops of doors, fans, light fixtures, picture frames and yes, each of your knick-knacks (keep them in display cases to reduce dusting work). For the face of framed photos, TV screens, and computer monitors, use glass cleaner on your cotton cloth or microfiber to avoid streaking.”

6 – A few household accessories go a long way

You might not have the budget to buy a completely new sofa, but you can always add a couple of new cushions to improve the general aesthetic of the furniture. Have a look in your local charity shop, you’re likely to find some great accessories which will provide an excellent compliment to your furniture – for next to nothing. Happy hunting!