5 Easy Home Renovation Ideas with No Experience or Large Budget Needed

Refresh Your Kitchen Cabinets

Sure, remodeling your kitchen is an excellent idea. Nonetheless, it's an expensive undertaking. Additionally, it's not an option if you're looking to complete home renovations with no experience. First, use a mild detergent with water to clean the cabinets. They can collect grease and smoke residue over the years. 

Next, consider refinishing the doors to make them look brand new again. You can do this with a fresh coat of paint or by staining them. Furthermore, you can work over many materials without needing to sand or strip the old materials. 

Additionally, replace the hardware. A new set of handles on each cabinet with a new coat of paint can make your kitchen look amazing with less and spend under $500 to make the changes. If new handles aren't possible and the old ones are metal, you might be able to refinish them with a coating or two of spray paint. 

One to one-up your neighbors that are also looking to sell on a budget? Add under-cabinet lighting with LED strip lights. These are inexpensive and look amazing. 

Update Your Floors with Vinyl Tiles

DIY products have come a long way over the past decade or two. You no longer have to buy expensive and delicate floor tiles or measure out huge sheets of linoleum to upgrade your flooring. Instead, you should be able to find peel and stick tiles within your budget. After measuring and purchasing the number of tiles necessary, it's time to prepare your floor.

Remove the trim. Unless you replace the trim as another home renovation on a budget, you'll need to put it back up after the floor is down. You can install the tiles directly on concrete or ceramic flooring. Additionally, if you're replacing vinyl flooring with more vinyl, it's possible to place one on top of the other and save time. 

For material not listed, you may need to add plywood underlayment. This reduces the need to remove old flooring that's not compatible with vinyl. Again, always check with the instructions on the package, but you may need to stay off the new floor for up to 72 hours while the adhesive sets. 

If you're not ready to work with the peel and stick tiles and are prepared to move forward with your sale, contact us today. We buy houses in Richmond, VA. 

Install a Programmable Thermostat

Another excellent idea for a home improvement with no experience is a programmable thermostat. Whether you want to sell now or are looking to upgrade your living conditions, it's the perfect solution to add value to your home and save money without spending too much. 

In addition to helping you control your home's temperature day and night, thermostats with smart device capabilities allow you to check your thermostat from anywhere in the world and raise or lower the temperature in your home. Monitoring your house's temperature and preventing major fluxations can reduce the stress from use on your heating and air conditioning units and extend their lifetime. Additionally, it can raise your home's selling price.

You don't have to be an HVAC technician or an electrician to switch out your standard thermostat with a programmable one. Also, it won't take long. However, you'll most likely spend more time purchasing the new thermostat than installing it. 

Programmable thermostats vary from $50 to more than $150 each, depending on features. For example, an HVAC device that works with your Google Nest system might cost as much as $200, but it gives you a ton of smart features that help save you money on heating and cooling expenses. 

It's vital to turn off the power to your HVAC system when installing the programmable thermostat. Once you're sure there's no power flowing through the wires, remove the cover from the current device and detach it from the wall using a screwdriver. 

Follow the instructions to connect the red wire to the "R" screw and the white wire to the "W" screw terminal. Then, anchor the new system to your wall, add batteries, and turn your HVAC system back on to verify it's installed properly. 

Add or Replace Wall Trim

Adding or replacing trim can be a game-changer for your house's appearance. But, keep in mind, that depending on the size of your home and the number of rooms you plan on updating, it can get expensive. Home improvement experts estimate that it costs between $350 and $570. 

However, in terms of home renovations with no experience, it's perfect. You measure your rooms and head to the hardware store to choose the right trim. Here's where it can get costly. Different materials are more expensive than others. You want to find an option in the middle to stay within your budget. 

You can add trim to any type of wall—brick, wood, drywall, and plaster. Additionally, there are some tools required. You'll need a compound miter saw to cut the trim to fit. Depending on how big your home is, a finish nail gun can make the completion time much shorter. Also, make sure you have a good tape measure. Wrong measurements can be costly when replacing wall trim. 

Consider adding crown molding to complement the new trim. If you're installing wood trim and crown molding, paint it first. You want everything to match. Plus, you won't need to worry about drop clothes and unsightly drip marks. 

Remove That Popcorn Ceiling

Popcorn ceilings were a top-selling point for many homes in the 1960s, 1970s, and even the 1980s. Unfortunately, after a few years, homeowners saw the disadvantages of popcorn ceilings—Those dips were easy for dust and cobwebs to fill but not as simple to clean. Now decades later, they're more unsightly than eye-pleasing. 

Luckily, this is the ideal home renovation on a budget. 

To complete this home improvement project, you'll need to pick up a few supplies at the hardware store, such as a wide putty knife or drywall tool, plastic sheeting for the floor, and painter's tape. Additionally, you'll want a dust mask and safety goggles to protect your eyes and lungs.

After removing the popcorn ceiling, you'll want to sand, primer, and paint the ceiling. Also, consider refreshing the entire room with a new coat of paint, trim, and inexpensive crown molding. 

You don't need to be a residential contractor to complete home renovations on a budget. These are only five ways to spruce up your residence without taking out a home improvement loan. While they might not make a real estate brochure or have top realtors knocking on your door to secure your contract, they raise the value of your dwelling for potential homeowners. Not all buyers are looking for a picture-perfect home. Instead, they don't mind making their own improvements to customize it to their likes and needs. Are you ready to sell? We can help you sell your house fast in Richmond, VA.