Making changes around the home can absorb considerable amounts of time and money, but that does not mean you should shelve your renovation dreams altogether.
Here are some quick-change ideas that will give your home some of the uplift it needs, with minimum disturbance to the family or the budget.
Painting is an easy way to make big changes in a short time, but be sure to schedule for the preparation, as it constitutes half the work. Time-poor renovators can make inroads by painting a room – or even just one wall – at a time.
If painting one wall in a different hue, choose colours wisely as that is where the eye will be drawn. On the other hand, you can afford to be bold there, so don’t be afraid to try a colour you might not choose for the whole room.
Replacing or removing worn carpet makes a dramatic change to a room or hallway and can be undertaken over a few days. Major savings can be made if the old carpet is hiding floorboards, as all you need do is rip it up, sand the boards back and polish them using an odour-free, oil-based stain.
The porch, front door and hallway are the first things visitors see, so a weekend spent renovating there will make a huge difference to how you feel about your home.
– Replace the front door or paint it in a bold colour and upgrade the doorknob and knocker.
– Make a bare porch more welcoming by adding a pergola, wicker furniture and potted plants.
– If the path leading to your front door is straight and boring, edge it with interesting plants that overgrow slightly, or replace it entirely with curved gravel or stepping stones. Plant bushes along the edges to enhance the curves.
There are also plenty of ways you can upgrade your bathroom without losing access to it for weeks, such as painting the vanity or replacing it altogether.
– Over time, tile grout gets dull and mouldy so if the bathroom walls are looking a bit tired but the tiles are in good shape, just replace the grout.
– Nothing ages a bathroom quite like a mouldy old shower curtain, yet it’s a fairly quick job to replace it. For an ultra-modern look, have a professional put in a glass or seamless shower and replace the fittings but if you’d prefer to make a quick change yourself, buy a clear plastic curtain and loop it onto the rods using equal lengths of waterproof ribbon in colours to match the bathroom décor.
Apart from painting or changing the window dressings, some speedy renovation ideas in the kitchen include upgrading the cooktop or oven, installing new splashbacks or changing the curtains. Many kitchen fittings are standard, so you might be able to replace just the fronts of the cupboards. If not, paint them and replace the handles.
Giving your home a facelift should not necessarily be a major inconvenience, if you can plan time for smaller changes, one at a time.
