Home Renovations: Where Do I Start When I’m On a Budget?

For the first time in our married life, I have a home renovations checklist; a real honest to goodness checklist with more than “Fix toilet, replace air filters and unclog drains.”

You all, this is a milestone, but for those that have been reading here awhile, you know it’s come with patience (often disguised as my frustration) and perseverance.

For years, the thought of any home renovations seemed like a distant dream. We were trying to re-establish an emergency fund after our year of unemployment depleted our savings and so many necessary fixer uppers were kicked to the curb.

If you want to feel better about any “to do” list items that haven’t been tackled yet, just look at the picture above. Out of the desire to keep some semblance of my dignity intact, I will not share how long that golf ball has been lodged in our window, but months doesn’t even come close.

When I began my home renovations checklist, the last thing I wanted to spend money on was the broken window. They don’t even carry those windows anymore and it’s hidden behind a corner. But guess what’s first on my list? It’s finally getting replaced, along with a lot of other broken, over looked items. It’s a constant reminder of just how long we’ve waited to get to the check list.  (Que the marching band!!)

At the end of May, I shared about my “Big Dream.”

Well, nothing dynamic happens until it becomes specific, so I took the first step. Part of that “Dreaming BIG” step was having our house appraised.There’s nothing that brings the reality of home repairs more into play than walking through ones home with the appraiser holding a clipboard noticing all the “broken” window types of issues.

But it was good. It got me moving, since I’m always so indecisive with these things and changes needed to be made.

Over the last few months, I’ve had the privilege to work with Allstate and their Information Team Members. They really want consumers to be informed and they have been a wonderful resource, especially when it came to questions about value with home renovations.

Since we added on our large wrap around front porch (The Porch that Took 17 Years to Build), I knew that value was added to the home, but when our appraisal came back, it wasn’t as much as what a realtor’s value would have been. I wanted to know the difference.

A realtor and appraiser considers different aspects of a home when it comes to placing value. An appraiser looks at the construction and integrity of the home along with additional features that add value (such as stain-grade trim). A realtor will look at how to sell the home based on the layout, additional features, outside area, location and resale value.

Considering Allstate continually works with homeowners and understands home value and worth, I knew they’d be the perfect team to give suggestions on prioritizing my “Home Renovations Checklist.”  Since there are so many things we need to tackle, I decided to start with a minimal budget and go from there. There are suggestions for everyone.

Home Renovations on a $1K Budget

Paint

For me, paint is in a separate category all by itself. It’s a MUST DO!!! You all know that I believe paint is the miracle worker of Before and After Reveals. I still marvel at the difference paint (and flooring) made in our dining room. It’s such a dramatic difference and we love it.

 The Before and Almost After of Our Dining Room

When I asked the Allstate Information Team Members, they agreed. “Paint is a very inexpensive way to update a home, and if done properly, can indeed add value. Updating the color of the walls will add warmth and freshness which increases perceived value to potential home buyers. If you are planning on selling the home and the walls are white, paint them a warmer color such as a light tan or gray and keep the trim white.

 The fireplace’s focal point makes a stunning statement. Love the warm colors.

If the room is small, make sure it is a light warm color as not to make the room look smaller. Very large rooms can handle a bit darker color to make the room feel cozy. Outdated colors can make the home look old and deter potential home buyers from falling in love.”

When it comes to resale value, kitchens are the most important home in the house. You know how I feel about our kitchen. It’s the heartbeat of our home. It’s where life is shared and everyone gathers, so that is one of the best places to maximize ones budget. Besides our floors, our kitchen hasn’t been updated since we built the house – 17 years ago.  Fortunately for us, the kitchen opens to the “living/family room” so any of these updates will help the overall value.

Kitchen

• Lighting –  On a very limited budget, you can update an existing light fixture, add drop lighting over an island or add under cabinet lights. All of these add instant value and appeal.
• Paint – update the color and freshen the room
• Cabinet handles or pulls – On older homes, the hardware on the cabinets date a home tremendously. Updated cabinet pulls help define a kitchen’s style and you can swap them all out for $100-200. I spray painted my cabinet knobs and that made a huge improvement.
• New cabinet doors – if the home is older, the style of the cabinet doors can age the home. You can purchase new doors from a cabinet maker or a local home improvement store and install these yourself, make sure you paint or stain them to match the existing cabinets. If you don’t want to install new cabinet doors, updating the paint on the whole cabinets is not expensive and can give your kitchen a whole new look
• Backsplash  and Fixtures – updating the backsplash and fixtures will really help towards achieving a higher end look on a budget.

Living Room

• Lighting – Update existing fixtures and add a ceiling medallion above the fixture. Medallions are very inexpensive and add an architectural feature when describing a house. Don’t forget to paint the medallion the same color as the trim in the room or the ceiling color. My dining room inspiration picture above shows just what a huge difference a dramatic lighting fixture can make.
• Flooring – Depending on the size of the room, you can replace flooring on a budget. Carpet is relatively inexpensive and can be completed in a day. Now you wouldn’t be able to install wood floors for $1k, but there are vinyl substitutes that look very similar. You know how much we love our hand scraped laminate. It was a bit more of an investment, but updated our home and increased the value dramatically.
• Feature Wall – If you have a fireplace then update the mantel, if there is no fireplace, create a focal point to the room. There are many faux finishes or paint techniques you could complete on one wall of the room. Local paint distributors can show you different techniques and options to choose from.
• Built-in’s – instead of a feature wall, build some cabinetry that is permanently installed. Paint the new cabinets the same color as the trim for a cohesive look. This may be a bit over the $1K mark, but built-in cabinets are considered a selling feature of a home from a realtors point-of-view. Not only do they add value to the home, they are also great for storage and displaying home décor.

Built ins for our family room is on the home reno checklist. See my thinking here. 

Dining Room

• Lighting – again, update the fixture or add a medallion. See mine below.
• Feature Wall and update paint – the dining room can usually use a more dramatic color such as a red (if the room is not too small); don’t be scared to go bold!
• Crown Molding or Chair Rail – A simple piece of trim around the room at ceiling level or chair level adds an architectural detail and makes the room looks more like a craftsman built the house. Paint the rail the same color as the trim and for an added feature, install wallpaper or incorporate unique paint feature on the bottom half of the wall (under the rail)

Highlighting the recommendation to add a medallion, I did so in my laundry room. One of the things that makes me most happy is walking into that dreaded work place and seeing my thrifted crystal chandelier and medallion. (Yes, even the medallion was found yard saling. It was a steal.) Check out the before and after of my laundry room. It blends many of these budget friendly points.

If you are similar to me and just need a nudge in the right direction, hopefully these budget friendly home renovation ideas will get your creative juices flowing. I’m excited to make small changes in our home this year, which in the long run, will make a HUGE impact.

What is your favorite home renovation that you’ve done? I’d love to hear about it.

Thanks to the Allstate Influencer Program for sponsoring this post. As the nation’s largest publicly held insurance company, Allstate is dedicated not only to protecting what matters most—but to guiding people to live the Good Life, every day. While this post was sponsored by Allstate, all opinions are mine.