help me UPDATE my house on a BUDGET

[mafibisha]

Our house was built 20 years ago and it's time to do some updating. We've done some changes over the years, like new paint colors, throw pillows, carpeting. But alot of our extra budget has gone to Disney and other trips, and I still don't want to be "house-poor."

So I'm looking for ideas to give our house a fresher, updated look, without breaking the bank. Please give me any ideas you might have. TIA!

 

[MOpGrad2013]

Budget is a tough word. For us, the items you mentioned--fresh paint, bedding, drapes are all that I came up with.

If I had a few thousand dollars, I would update flooring. Be sure to do a good leveling and the underlay/padding.

Or just a few new pieces of furniture.

 

[mafibisha]

Budget is a tough word. For us, the items you mentioned--fresh paint, bedding, drapes are all that I came up with.

If I had a few thousand dollars, I would update flooring. Be sure to do a good leveling and the underlay/padding.

Or just a few new pieces of furniture.

I was thinking about furniture, maybe a new couch and loveseat.

My husband wants to do countertops, but I keep seeing articles like this -- which make me even more confused! Not to mention the $$$ involved!!

http://dishwashers.reviewed.com/fea...op-finishes?utm_source=TB_paid&utm_medium=cpc

 

[kymom99]

I would do furniture and some updated window dressings and pictures on the walls.

 

[dprincessmom]

We bought an older house so I feel your pain. We have tried to do one room at a time. Living room carpet, paint and furniture. Bathroom gutted and redone but that was necessary and not as expensive as I expected.

Bedroom paint, furniture and new hardware on the built in drawers.

Kitchen will be countertops, floor and appliances when we get there.

 

[Gigi22]

Have you considered new window treatments?

 

[scottmel]

Countertops! I change mine about every 10 years and this time went with quartz and love them. So easy to take care of etc. I prefer to put money INTO the house in your case rather than new furniture. If budget is an issue maybe craigs list for newer furniture and I would put the money into equity like countertops, etc

 

[tvguy]

Countertops! I change mine about every 10 years

And I thought my wife was crazy for wanting to replace our 35 year old countertops. Of course my parents countertops were 53 years old when i sold their house last year.

 

[dsneprincess]

We have had our kitchen cabinets refaced. We had a desk area in the doorway where you couldn't even put a chair to sit at it (good planning!) and we're lacking cupboard space. We bought 2 stock cabinets at Lowes, removed desk cabinets, put in the new cabinets and refaced the entire kitchen to match. We laid quartz countertops at that time and love them. This gave us a "new " kitchen.

We had the master walk in shower redone with acrylic. The tile and grout was awful: dirty and never came clean, as we're the shower doors. We picked an acrylic to minimize/match the pink tiles around the jacuzzi tub in the room because they tiles there were fine. We updated the paint and accessories to coordinate but downplay the tiles. We did update the countertop, sink and cabinet as well. We had already changed out the mirrored bubble lights. So our late 80s bathroom is now more updated, but still has peachy/pink tile floor & jacuzzi surround because we didn't fix what was not broken.

 

[jacksmom]

Light fixtures and hardware!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I said this on another thread the other day, but I really think that the first part of freshening up any house or room starts with decluttering. And not just with excessive items stored in the room, but with things hanging on walls and placed around the room, too, i.e decorations and knick knacks, etc. Just clearing up those two issues alone will almost make it feel like a new room.

It's a big task, but once you get going, it's an great feeling. Pick one room that won't be too overwhelming. Start by cleaning out drawers, shelves, closets. Take down wall hangings. Paint the room if you want to. Re-evaluate your furniture and see if you're making the best use of your space with the pieces you have and whether you have too much, or whether what you have is too big for the space, etc. Today it's possible to find some decent new, or new to you, pieces that look and work better in the space fairly easily and inexpensively. Then find some wall hangings that are bright and modern - places like Target and WalMart have some nice ones that won't break the bank. Save a few of your most cherished things that you can't part with for one shelf, if you must. And also get some new window treatments - again, WalMart has a surprisingly nice assortment and they're very reasonably priced. (Try something different.) And don't forget light switches and lighting. When you do this your room will feel refreshed and airy, and you won't want to let it get cluttered again, lol.

 

[3princes+1princess]

If you want new countertops at a fraction of the cost...try painting them. We did this on our ugly white laminate countertops and it gives the appearance of granite. google gianigranite for the kits. It holds up really well (this family of 6 is hard on everything). I sound like a commercial, but we didn't have $ for real stone, and putting new laminate is not an option (they give off major chemicals and I am so sensitive). It was not really hard to do, just preparation. I highly recommend it!!

 

[aprilfoolwed]

Take everything down! Curtains, clocks, framed art, etc.

Then get a friend or two to come over and move everything around. Things look stale after a few years - move the framed print from the dining room to the bathroom - or the table from the family room into a bedroom. Having some friends over will help you open up to new visions and ideas.

When we moved into our new house, I was so tempted to just hang things back on the walls in the rooms they were in at the old place. My MIL came over one night and started moving things around, and I was amazed at how nice my dining room looks with the art from my powder room in it! And that switching end tables from the living room to family room would make such a difference!

And don't underestimate paint! Take a piece of furniture and paint it - it may change the whole look of a room.

 

[ellochka]

If you want to update the house itself:
1. New bathroom fixtures. Faucet, shower faucet (choose compatible, so nothing behind the wall needs to be changed), shower head, light fixture, towel hangers.
2. If you have too much brass, you need to de-brass for a more modern look. I like polished chrome in bathrooms and industrial in the kitchen.
3. If your trim is brown wood, consider painting it white.

Even if you just move the furniture and decorations around, you can get a better result. Are you one of those lucky people who make everything they touch suddenly pretty and stylish? You are probably not if you are asking for advice Me neither. So, I look at good design picture (Pinterest!) and make notes of symmetry, size, proportion, color combinations, furniture placement, etc. After a while, if starts slicking. Also, take pictures of your rooms. Seriously, they totally change your view of what needs to be changed.

 

[Alesia]

My husband wants to do countertops, but I keep seeing articles like this -- which make me even more confused! Not to mention the $$$ involved!!

http://dishwashers.reviewed.com/fea...op-finishes?utm_source=TB_paid&utm_medium=cpc

Don't worry about what's trendy, just buy what you like. But also take how you use the kitchen into consideration; things like tile countertops are only practical in kitchens that are never actually cooked in.

 

[texasroni75]

A lot of what I was going to suggest was already posted by previous posters but I'm going to throw my 2cents in anyway When we were putting our house on the market 5 years ago, we had to "stage" it first. That meant, getting rid of clutter, fresh paint, etc and taking a long hard look at the house - and we saw a LOT that needed updating. Not wanting to spend a ton of money on changes, though, we needed to be practical and budget-minded.

We started with paint, bedding, window treatments and carpets. We then moved on to identify a few critical things that were "dated" or "worn". We decided to invest in new bathroom fixtures. Our half-bath had a sink and vanity - which was bulky and we never used the under-sink cabinet. We replaced it with a pedestal base and WOW it made a huge difference - the bathroom felt twice as big and looked so much more modern. DH is not handy and he was able to install it himself. Cost $120.

If you don't want to completely reface your kitchen cabinets, just replace the hardware/handles. Also, you can install your own new kitchen backsplash fairly inexpensively. DIY instructions and tons of Pinterest ideas online. Find a new theme and search!

 

[dsneprincess]

A lot of what I was going to suggest was already posted by previous posters but I'm going to throw my 2cents in anyway When we were putting our house on the market 5 years ago, we had to "stage" it first. That meant, getting rid of clutter, fresh paint, etc and taking a long hard look at the house - and we saw a LOT that needed updating. Not wanting to spend a ton of money on changes, though, we needed to be practical and budget-minded.

We started with paint, bedding, window treatments and carpets. We then moved on to identify a few critical things that were "dated" or "worn". We decided to invest in new bathroom fixtures. Our half-bath had a sink and vanity - which was bulky and we never used the under-sink cabinet. We replaced it with a pedestal base and WOW it made a huge difference - the bathroom felt twice as big and looked so much more modern. DH is not handy and he was able to install it himself. Cost $120.

If you don't want to completely reface your kitchen cabinets, just replace the hardware/handles. Also, you can install your own new kitchen backsplash fairly inexpensively. DIY instructions and tons of Pinterest ideas online. Find a new theme and search!

Did you do your tile backsplash? Amy pointers? I am thinking about trying that, but am afraid to do the kitchen first time, as it is so "visible".

 

[hsmamato2]

a few of my friends have redone their kitchens.... repainted countertops with either a kit or diy (they look amazing) and repainted cabinets for a couple of hundred dollars.... paint a chalkboard wall and draw....take down every picture and bit of decor,and reposition or replace,including curtains and windows.... I like to move my stuff around a lot....

 

[mrsp1030]

We moved into our current home 2 years ago and after living in two brand new beautiful homes, coming to a 20 year old home was quite the adjustment. We made plans as to what was big spending must dos like the master bathroom but the rest has been our own updates.
Light fixtures, knobs, faucets we've done and removed all the brass.
Change up door knobs and hinges too.
I painted our other two white laminate bathroom cabinets and framed out builder grade mirror. Easy updates!
New photos, window treatments add a big difference also
I also agree with de cluttering. In that process now.

 

[PatMcDuck]

We are nearing the end of a 2 year renovation on a 20 year old house. Some things just had to be done.... we mostly get everything from Lowes and Home Depot.

1. New roof.... yeah, not the cheapest thing, but we had some missing pieces, and a couple of small leaks. Looks much better now too. Got some $$ from our insurance co., about 1/2 the cost.
2. New HVAC system. Sounds boring, but we got in a government program, and they gave us a new energy efficient system that has cut our bills in half which sound impossible but its true. They also insulated the attic, new water heater, now we are Energy Star rated and pay $80/month with our gas bill no interest. (we paid nothing up front).
3. Inside, like others have said, we went room to room. Everything off the walls, spackled every crack and hole, painted each room. New (cheap, off the huge rolls from Lowes) carpet, with the best padding, free installation. I removed the old carpet myself. We do all painting ourselves.
4. I pulled carpet off the stairs, and re-stained the honey oak railings dark brown, and painted the repaired
chewed spindles white. Stained the stairs the same dark brown. I also did this myself, took 6 weeks.
5. Upstairs, we DID have to 1/2 gut the main bath used by the kids. There was damage behind the tile wall, some mold as well. So this bathroom got new everything, cost $3000 I think, again, we do most of the work ourselves except tile installation and plumbing.
6. Master bath, we just replaced the tile in the shower stall, new frameless shower door, cleaned the floor grout, painted of course, new toilet and sink top. And I painted the white vanity, looks new.
7. Downstairs, more painting, replaced the builders shiny brass dining room fixture (finally!)
8. Powder room had to be redone, that was inexpensive, we installed the floor tile ourselves too.
9. Last room is the kitchen, I am just beginning to paint the kitchen cabinet doors white, I am doing 3-4 a week. They will come out great, I am sure. We will get new countertops, old ones are kelly green formica. We will get light colored quartz, and glass backsplash. New cabinet hardware, got it off Ebay (from a vendor).
10.The big one will be all new hardwood floors on the first floor. We have no option, the current floors are beyond awful, we just wanted to do them last.

I think when a house hits 20 years, things just have to be done. We did little for the first 17 years, too busy with kids and bills. We do hope this will help resale in a couple of years, of course. Some things are less "fun" like the roof and HVAC, but really we appreciate having those things done..... but I agree with others, paint and de-cluttering is a great start. I do much of the work myself, like the painting; and my husband is a carpenter (who dislikes working on his own house but has been forcing himself).

Good luck! It sounds like we did so much but that has been over 2 1/2 years.