Affordable DIY Home Updates

If your house is in need of some updating, but you don’t have the time or money to start a huge remodel, there are still low cost projects you can do yourself to give your home a more modern feel.

Repaint your Vents

For starters, check your heating/cooling vents. Are they an outdated color or metal finish? If so, you can easily pull up the vents from your floors or unscrew them from walls or ceilings. Then give them a good cleaning with a scrubbing sponge and a simple water and vinegar solution. Allow them to dry, and use a spray paint in your choice of color. Many spray paints now come in metallic finishes like oil rubbed bronze, or you can use a simple white if your vents are on the walls.

Paint or Stain your Doors and Trim

If you have outdated wood stained door frames and baseboards throughout your home, you don’t have to rip them all out and replace them. A more affordable way to update the wood is painting the baseboards white for a clean, modern look. Again start with a washcloth soaked in a water and vinegar solution, and wipe down the baseboards throughout your house. Use a small sanding block to slightly scuff up the surface of the baseboards. Take another damp cloth and wipe away any dust from the sanding. This sanding step is not necessary, but will help the paint adhere to the surface better. Use hand brushes to paint the baseboards and door frames in long smooth strokes. If this seems like a large task, break it up room by room and do the project over a period of time.

Update Faucets and Hardware

Another affordable fix to update your home is changing out your bathroom faucet hardware. Many older homes still have brass or bright chrome faucet fixtures. Purchase a new kit in the finish that you prefer either online or at your local hardware store. If you have several bathrooms that need new faucets, switch them out one room at a time over the course of several weeks to break up the project.

Paint Lighting and Hardware

Finally, if you also have brass hardware for the lighting throughout your home, these can easily be removed, cleaned, and spray-painted. For a minimal cost, this project gets the most bang for your buck.

Trying to update an older home by yourself takes patience if you have a lot to change. However, it can be a very cost effective way to make those changes, and doing it yourself can be extremely rewarding.