In this day and age, it’s hard enough to be able to afford a house, period. So once you’ve purchased one, you probably don’t have thousands of dollars laying around for renovations. Even if you're itching to rip out the carpet in your bedroom and replace it with sleek, wood floors, that change may have to wait.
There are, however, some more affordable projects that you may be able to accomplish in the meantime. Homeowners on Reddit have recently been discussing cheap home improvement projects that are worth every penny, so we’ve gathered some of their suggestions below. Keep reading to also find a conversation with Krayton M. Davis, Executive Principle at Let’s Renovate, and be sure to upvote the projects that you’d like to get started on this weekend!
#21
That translucent film to cover the smaller windows that you want lots of light from
21points
#22
Replaced old blinds and curtains with top down / bottom up cellular shades. Bought custom size from Blinds.com and installed myself.
New smart ceiling fan / light that looks modern (replaced 20 year old one that looked very dated).
Updated bathroom fans - Panasonic Whisper truly are whisper quiet! And new timer switch :)
New patio furniture set
New smart ceiling fan / light that looks modern (replaced 20 year old one that looked very dated).
Updated bathroom fans - Panasonic Whisper truly are whisper quiet! And new timer switch :)
New patio furniture set
20points
#23
Touchless kitchen faucet (it has a sensor you wave your hand in front of)
3-in-1 fan/light/heater in the bathroom. Being able to take a shower with the heater on makes me feel old but my god is it amazing in winter.
3-in-1 fan/light/heater in the bathroom. Being able to take a shower with the heater on makes me feel old but my god is it amazing in winter.
19points
#24
Stupid easy and stupid cheap. Covered my kitchen backsplash with fake tile sheets. It’s a temporary bandage until I get my kitchen fully redone, but it looks so much better and I’ve gotten so many compliments.
18points
#25
New front door with a large window to let in more natural light, with a keypad deadbolt. Never have to worry about being locked out or fumbling for my key in the dark.
Smart garage door opener. I can operate it remotely and make sure that it's closed by 8 PM. After having kids we kept accidentally leaving it open a lot.
Bidet toilet seats. Clean bums are just light years better.
Smart garage door opener. I can operate it remotely and make sure that it's closed by 8 PM. After having kids we kept accidentally leaving it open a lot.
Bidet toilet seats. Clean bums are just light years better.
18points
#26
$25 on Amazon to buy those garage door magnets that make it look fancier.
$10 on Amazon to buy timer switches for all of our lamps
Much smaller than the cap you suggested, but those things have really changed the aesthetic of our home relative to the cost.
$10 on Amazon to buy timer switches for all of our lamps
Much smaller than the cap you suggested, but those things have really changed the aesthetic of our home relative to the cost.
16points
#27
Changing ugly light fixtures
14points
#28
Like $15-30 per closet to get the hardware to make bifold doors into French doors (take hinges off, hang the second half from a new set of hangers). They open so much wider and quieter. Put new hardware on and you got fancy closets.
We also redid our walk-in closet on possession - paint and IKEA organizer for pretty cheap but it's so much nicer.
Also change ceiling lights. Easy and makes things better.
We also redid our walk-in closet on possession - paint and IKEA organizer for pretty cheap but it's so much nicer.
Also change ceiling lights. Easy and makes things better.
14points
#29
Literally, the easiest thing was replacing all hinges, doorknobs, and faucets. To change away from the old brass stuff was instantly better
14points
#30
Added a 4x5 pass through between the kitchen and living room - made our 1902 house feel so much more modern and open.
14points
#31
Poured a 20x20 concrete slab in my backyard behind my back porch. That was a game changer as it gave me somewhere to put plants, grills, an outdoor table, etc.
Then, a few years later I covered it with one of those hanging shade cloths and that was another game changer as it meant I could actually use the patio for more than a few months a year (central FL).
As to OP's example, those recessed lights are super simple to install and well worth every penny. The only lighting my house had was from ceiling fans so most of the rooms were way too dark. Adding 4 recessed lights on a dimmer switch is under $200/room and is such a quality of life improvement, it's a no brainer.
An honorable mention - sheds can be nice as they free up a ton of space in your garage. I built an 8x12 shed during covid, and while it was a little more expensive than OP mentioned they wanted to spend, you can get prefab sheds for well under $2k.
Then, a few years later I covered it with one of those hanging shade cloths and that was another game changer as it meant I could actually use the patio for more than a few months a year (central FL).
As to OP's example, those recessed lights are super simple to install and well worth every penny. The only lighting my house had was from ceiling fans so most of the rooms were way too dark. Adding 4 recessed lights on a dimmer switch is under $200/room and is such a quality of life improvement, it's a no brainer.
An honorable mention - sheds can be nice as they free up a ton of space in your garage. I built an 8x12 shed during covid, and while it was a little more expensive than OP mentioned they wanted to spend, you can get prefab sheds for well under $2k.
14points
#32
We built a wood fired pizza oven in the back yard! Great for family/friends get-togethers. Looks interesting and is a great conversation starter.
Less than 500$ in materials and a summer's worth of weekend labor to assemble.
Less than 500$ in materials and a summer's worth of weekend labor to assemble.
14points
#33
We took the former "parlor" and ripped out the rippling carpet, fresh paint on everything with the trim a different color than the walls (they were the same before), refurbished the ceiling fan, put in wifi bulbs, new, cheap pull down blinds for the 10 single pane windows to replace the falling apart roman shades, and I added premade beadboard panels to the bottom two feet of the wall with a board around the top to match the height and style of the windowsills. New carpet came later (whole house, definitely not under 2k) and now it's a perfect playroom (read: contained area to throw all the toys at the end of the night) for the 3 year old.
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13points
#34
Changing my light switches from ‘flip’ to ‘paddle’. Having all of them brand new & the same color/type has made a huge difference & probably cost around $50 (or less). And wasn’t as hard as I was anticipating.
13points
#35
$1500 for granite countertops, installed.
followed up with -
$750 for laminate flooring - DIY.
Each completely changed the character of the house.
followed up with -
$750 for laminate flooring - DIY.
Each completely changed the character of the house.
12points
#36
Nest Smart Smoke/Carbon Monoxide Detectors (about $100 each, so $600 total). Feel great that I can monitor while I'm on a trip. I can set automations (e.g. if it detects an alarm at night, turns on all the lights). Even better, it warns me if it's going to go off while I'm searing steak and I can turn it off via the app.
Upgraded to a DC motor fan in the bedroom (300). No more noisy fans.
Upgraded to a DC motor fan in the bedroom (300). No more noisy fans.
12points
#37
Added a light in my mud room area. Old house, plaster walls. The $250 to have our electrician pull those lines was well worth it.
Replacing the wooden threshold at our front door. Again, old house, wonky walls. Paying a carpenter $400 for a brand new oak threshold and pvc facing board was absolutely worth it.
Pest control. I could do it myself, but honestly hate the idea. Fieldstone foundation requires extra effort to exclude mice. Worth $400/year.
Replacing the wooden threshold at our front door. Again, old house, wonky walls. Paying a carpenter $400 for a brand new oak threshold and pvc facing board was absolutely worth it.
Pest control. I could do it myself, but honestly hate the idea. Fieldstone foundation requires extra effort to exclude mice. Worth $400/year.
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12points
#38
Put in dimmable 6" flat LED ceiling lights. Got rid of three table lamps and a chandelier in the process.
Absolutely transformative. The living and dining room look a lot more spacious now as well.
Absolutely transformative. The living and dining room look a lot more spacious now as well.
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12points
#39
We had a small 2-3 ft block retaining wall in our back yard, super steep between it and the patio and you’d have to go around to get out the back gate to the walking trail. We also had to fence off the top as our dog hurt her back launching herself off to bark at anyone using the trail.
D codes to fix both problems by cutting a set of stairs into the middle of the wall. Only had to cut 2 of the old big blocks in half as the pavers fit perfectly with the spacing of the blocks. Put in 4 sets up to the patio and used the old blocks we removed to raise the height up and soften the slope from 30%grade to 6-10% much more manageable and easier to mow. Only cost about $300 and two days nursing my back but worth it.
Super functional and looks great. We’re planning to add some pavers alongside the drive way this summer so we don’t have to stand in the mud getting the car seat in and out and I might get a few extra to connect the top stair to the patio and eventually get a paver path down to the gate from the bottom of the stairs
D codes to fix both problems by cutting a set of stairs into the middle of the wall. Only had to cut 2 of the old big blocks in half as the pavers fit perfectly with the spacing of the blocks. Put in 4 sets up to the patio and used the old blocks we removed to raise the height up and soften the slope from 30%grade to 6-10% much more manageable and easier to mow. Only cost about $300 and two days nursing my back but worth it.
Super functional and looks great. We’re planning to add some pavers alongside the drive way this summer so we don’t have to stand in the mud getting the car seat in and out and I might get a few extra to connect the top stair to the patio and eventually get a paver path down to the gate from the bottom of the stairs
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11points
#40
Replaced my 60+ year old solid wooden front door that liked to swell during the summer (to the point where I didn't even need to lock it and it'd still be secured) to a fiberglass door with a small window in it. Much nicer, much easier to lock and unlock, and so much more modern
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11points
