help me UPDATE my house on a BUDGET

[mafibisha]

OP here

Thanks all! Great ideas! So psyched to get started!

So what about this --

1) Regarding all the brass: we do have the builders lighting in our foyer and dining room. What do you recommend for their replacements??

2) Also, we have more wood vs brass in the baths, like towel bars and toilet paper holder etc. What do you suggest for their replacement?

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. .

That's awesome! Please tell me how you got insurance to help on a 20 year roof?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

1) Regarding all the brass: we do have the builders lighting in our foyer and dining room. What do you recommend for their replacements??

I think it's easiest to go into it with a "plan" in your head. As in, what style you like, what overal type of "feel" you want your home to have, how much money you have to spend, what your highest priorities are, how you're going to accomplish your goals, etc. It's also helpful to understand some basic principles of design, too. You can learn these things fairly easily today by reading articles and looking at pictures online and in magazines, and watching HGTV and such. In other words, give it a lot of thought. (If you haven't already.)

A couple of things to keep in mind. Ideally (and people may disagree with this), you'd like your home to have a nice "flow" going from room to room and not feel "choppy". Like odd colors and styles in one room, then a completely different set in another, etc. Eclectic is fun, but even with eclectic, you can create a flow using colors and continuity in your rooms. And pick out a few colors you really like and incorporate them in each room. Remember that "mismatched" patterns are ok if the colors are the same, so that can add an element of whimsy. Also, vary your textures to have a good variety, like glass, stone, fabric.

Anyway, about the lights. Once you have some basic ideas about your plan, then you can start looking at lots of lighting styles. It's fun to go into stores but you'll find you can get a lot more accomplished looking online. Then pick out what you like that's modern and complementary to the rest of the things in your home. I happen to like black wrought iron, and you'll find a lot of it in my home but it's rather inconspicuous. Just little spashes here and there. It brings a continuity from room to room, and we like that. When I pick out new lighting, I often choose pieces that have a little bit of black in them. Just my preference. Again, you don't need to spend a ton of money as today there are lots of places to buy fresh, yet inexpensive pieces today. You can also use spray paints if you like a piece but want to change out the color.

 

[CluelessDisFan]

We just did a mini kitchen remodel that made a big difference. We bought new hardware for our cabinets on 99centknobs.com that only cost $36. My DH moved up our cabinet and microwave above our stove. Also I bought 3 battery operated under cabinet lights for $13ea at lowes. I love them! and we spent about $200 and spent the weekend doing our very own tile backsplash. My DH has expierence doing this. But the Tile Shop has free DIY classes. Check out pinterest that's where most of my ideas came from.

 

[texasroni75]

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".

Yes - they have "Peel and Stick" sheets of tiling for backsplashes. So many beautiful options, and when we did it 5 years ago, it was around $200 for 15ft of tile and the kit comes with the grout and tools to apply it. You (obviously) peel and stick it, then use the grout. Took about 2 hours.

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

First simple thing we did was replace the outlet and switch plate covers. Of course ours were brass and some brown so updating to white made a huge difference. I also had a professional come and paint the main living spaces but I touched up the trim myself since it saved a ton. Updating fixtures is pretty easy - we just went to Home Depot and Lowes to find what we liked and prices we were comfortable with.

We have all hardwoods but I changed out an area rug in one room and it made the room look very different.

I also agree with another poster about de-cluttering. I recently went through my living room and took everything off the shelves, kept maybe half of it. I also replaced two sofa tables I had with one better looking shelf and replaced two older chairs with one new one. It did wonders! Gained lots of space in the process.

 

[dsneprincess]

Yes - they have "Peel and Stick" sheets of tiling for backsplashes. So many beautiful options, and when we did it 5 years ago, it was around $200 for 15ft of tile and the kit comes with the grout and tools to apply it. You (obviously) peel and stick it, then use the grout. Took about 2 hours.

Thanks. I am glad to know you tried it & it worked. I think they look beautiful.

 

[TinkTock]

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.

This is something that I'd like to do, but my current cabinets are very old, and I live in a humid climate. I'm afraid that many of the screws will be hard or impossible to remove. Have you or other DIY'ers had that problem? If so, how did you handle it?

 

[Alesia]

This is something that I'd like to do, but my current cabinets are very old, and I live in a humid climate. I'm afraid that many of the screws will be hard or impossible to remove. Have you or other DIY'ers had that problem? If so, how did you handle it?

I didn't take the doors off when I painted my cabinets.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

I agree update the lighting and pictures. It will give the room a different look and feel. Different accent pillows. And don't for get smell. get a candle warmer and use some fall scents. Even moving furniture around will make a big difference

 

[ellochka]

First simple thing we did was replace the outlet and switch plate covers. Of course ours were brass and some brown so updating to white made a huge difference.

Totally. If you have one of those "latte" colored switch plates, it totally dates the house.

As far as "debrassing" goes, I really like shiny (polished) chrome in the bathrooms. The oiled bronze (dark matte finish) is all the rage now, but again in 10-15 years it is going to look dated. Satin nickel is starting to look dated right about now, so I would avoid it. Polished chrome is classic, but it needs to be paired with the right colors - white, black, and fresh light modern or bright cottage theme. I would avoid "Tuscan" colors (olive green, burgundy, caramel) with polished chrome.

 

[PatMcDuck]

OP here


That's awesome! Please tell me how you got insurance to help on a 20 year roof?

Ah, the roof. Well, we had tried to submit a claim for the roof in August, 2012. Roof Shingles had blown off (maybe a dozen), the roof was then about 16 years old. We had the pieces, they did blow off, they did not just fall off. That claim was denied, they said the amount of $$ to repair was about the same as our deductible. We debated what to do..... Then, Hurricane Sandy hit, AND a huge No'Easter a week or so later. More shingles were blown off, not in one spot, but scattered around. And we had the 2 leaks..... We got another estimate, which was higher. Things were quite crazy around here (Jersey Shore) and my insurance co. had a Claims center set up in a hotel nearby. I went over one day with the estimate, not really expecting TOO much. I was the only claimant in there, and the woman said, do you have 20 minutes? I said yes, and expected her to have me fill out forms, etc. Well, instead she handed me a CHECK on the spot, in 20 minutes, for about $3400, to repair the roof! I asked, "can I just use this towards the cost of an entire new roof ?", and she said "of course!"

Yes, they did not even come out and look at my house, they went by the estimate. But they did have an adjuster look at it in August, and they had those photos on file, so they knew we had been losing shingles. I assume their adjusters were busy with whole house claims, and ours was peanuts in comparison.

It was a fluke. But I have another neighbor who got his insurance to pay for his roof, which is why we filed in the first place. PS a few neighbors went the repair route, and it looks really bad. Mixing new shingles with 16 year old shingles, does not match and blend.