9 Budget-Friendly Home Renovation Ideas

Many homeowners planning to upgrade their homes are looking for budget-friendly renovation ideas. We all know that renovations don’t come cheap. While it has been said that it is good to upgrade a home every ten years on average (a room refurbishment varies from six to eight years), depending on the extent of renovations that you plan to carry out, it need not be expensive or cumbersome.

Interior design and décor styles do go out of fashion too, especially if you follow vogues and trends that quietly slip away after a few years. For those who fall under this group, you’ll always need to refurbish, re-paint, and select new schemes and themes on a continuous basis. Expensive ventures!




Budget-Friendly Renovation Ideas


As long as you aren’t planning to take on major structural changes, minor renovations can be inexpensive. This means that you don’t have to wait a decade or so to upgrade your interior space. There are budget-friendly renovation ideas that will not only save you lots of money, they can also give your space the charming uplift you desire.

1. Painting


When you paint the walls and/or ceilings you give a room a new lease on life. A coat of paint does wonders to an old tired house and is a good form of renovating. If you are not quite sure of colours to choose, play safe; go for neutral colours in warm or cool hues. Neutral colours work well with every theme and also serves as wonderful backdrops to furniture and furnishings.

2. Dado and Picture Rails


Although mouldings like rails and cornices are usually associated with period houses, dado and picture rails are brilliant features that will transform any room dramatically, just as adding crown mouldings and architraves will liven up bland walls too. Use them to create clear borders between different colours on a wall. The modern approach is to paint them in soft colours that either complements or contrasts with the walls. The softer colours are best, as they enhance the entire space.

3. Flooring


Many homeowner’s preferred form of renovating is changing the floor covering. Engineered wood flooring materials are affordable and budget-friendly and there are a wide variety of stylish favourites. When you change the flooring, you give the entire space a complete turn- around. Inexpensive options of flooring materials include faux wood planks, tiles, bamboo, cork, and laminate.

4. Lighting


Create cove lighting for a dropped ceiling in a living or dining zone. The false ceiling with hidden lights will transform a room remarkably especially if dropped over a specific zone in the interior space. Cove lights work great in both modern and traditional style interiors and can also be regarded as timeless.

5. Add a Focal Point


Creating a distinct focal area in a room is a great way to change the look of a room. What’s the wall that you see when you walk into the room? Identify this wall and turn it into a feature wall. A budget-friendly idea is to use 3D wall panels (three-dimensional decorative wall panels) on the wall. They are lightweight and can be painted to any desired colour. Other ideas that work well for feature walls include stucco walls, wall panels, wallpaper, and some special paint techniques.

6. Wall Art


You can change the look of a room by simply hanging artwork, so, invest in some affordable wall art, sculpture, murals, elaborate stickers, wall decals or create an art gallery theme. If you don’t have framed pieces on hand, try the flea markets, antique stores, second-hand shops for vintage artwork, or online stores that retail unique artworks.

7. Upgrade All Interior Accents


To inject a fresh renovated look into a room that looks ‘tired’ doesn’t only rest on changing the floor finish, painting the walls, or changing the window treatments. A good upgrade could be as simple as changing the lampshades (shape, colour, or both), adding new throw pillows with classic patterns, texture, and in complementary colours, adding new vases or an elaborate urn, and adding a standalone water fountain in the room. Fittings, fixtures, locks, and other interior accents can also do with a dramatic change.

8. Window Treatments


Having new window treatments will dramatically enhance a room and it doesn’t have to require much money or a ton of effort. Budget-friendly easy-to-install shades, blinds, no-sew drapes and curtains, and unique rods and decorative ornaments like finials can transform a room and even give it a classic timeless look. Never underestimate how simple window treatments can complete a design concept and ‘finish’ a room.

9. Smart Home Features


Adding modern smart home features can modernize an old interior and make your home more appealing if you finally decide to sell. Install smart lighting systems that will give different lighting moods, modify brightness, and even set schedules. Other smart home features that are budget-friendly renovation ideas include security features, heating and cooling systems with both time and parameter-based functions, and power supply for all appliances controlled through the smart system.


Budget-friendly renovation idea - 3D wall panelling


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Tips:

  • For a style that stays around for a long time, stick to classic furnishings.
  • Remember to create a sense of flow in the house with your choice of colours. Do this by repeating at least one colour throughout the interior.
  • Always use professionals for electrical, plumbing, and structural works.
  • If you have a patio, you can convert it into an outdoor living area.
  • In the absence of a patio, build an outdoor deck that flows out from the living or dining area.