Owning your own home is expensive. Between mortgage payments, utility bills, furniture, appliances, decorations, and more, it’s difficult to afford the luxurious looks of a renovated home. In fact, the number one reason some Americans struggle to afford their first home is due to paying down debts, as cited by 26% of home buyers. How can you go about making updates to your kitchen on a budget? Here are some ideas to consider.
Make a Plan
First, you need to make a plan. What is your budget? How much are you willing to spend on updating your kitchen? Are your appliances working properly? Are you simply unhappy with the color scheme? Do you want to make the kitchen look more aesthetically pleasing? These questions will determine which projects or ideas you’ll want to allocate your money toward.
Think About Options Outside of Replacing the Cabinets
If you’re unhappy with your kitchen cabinets, first keep in mind that they can last up to 50 years. If they’re in good shape structurally, you may want to consider simply swapping out the doors and painting them. It’s cheaper to swap rather than replace the structures altogether. Remember to pick cabinet handles that will look best and be most useful for you. Also, think about painting them white because the simple and clean color will make them look brand new.
Consider Open Shelves
If you want to upgrade the style of your kitchen, consider open shelves. Perhaps you don’t want to replace the kitchen cabinet doors. Instead, you could paint your cabinet structures and take off the doors altogether. If the shelves inside your cabinets are old, consider installing new shelves, as it’s a relatively easy DIY project to take on. Exposing your dishware can be a classy and aesthetically pleasing look that can upgrade the look of your kitchen instantly. Plus, it may call for purchasing a new dishware set, which is much cheaper than replacing other structures in your kitchen.
You can also add open shelves to other parts of your kitchen. If you have areas of your kitchen that you wish held cabinets, consider installing shelves in those spots. You can add kitchen decor to them, or you can utilize them to store cups, mugs, and water bottles. Lower shelves could even hold grab-and-go snacks and fruit for convenience.
Lighting Makes a Difference
A dark kitchen can make the room appear smaller and less appealing. Brighten up your kitchen by utilizing natural lighting and by swapping out your lighting fixtures. You may want new overhead lighting above your cabinets, shelves, and meal preparation area. The lighting above your kitchen island is especially important, particularly if there are bar stools on one side of it. Exposed lightbulb fixtures are trendy and allow for an abundance of light to soar through the room. Swapping out lighting fixtures is a smaller expense, too.
Window installation is expensive. To increase the natural lighting in your kitchen, consider how your windows are covered instead. Perhaps see-through curtains would help. Be sure your windows are cleaned at all times. The color of your kitchen makes a difference as well. Painting your kitchen a lighter color, such as white, cream, light grey, or a pale shade, as well as adding mirrors and shiny decorative pieces to your kitchen can allow for more natural lighting and make the room appear bigger.
Add Small Touches
If you’re looking to upgrade and improve the look of your kitchen, simply painting your kitchen, buying new dishware, scrubbing all of your appliances, and adding some small touches may be all you need to make it look better than ever. If you need help painting or would like tips on how to properly clean your kitchen appliances, look to YouTube for some DIY and step-by-step how-to videos. YouTube has over two billion visitors every month, and consuming content through videos is increasingly becoming more popular. Following a video is a little easier than reading, especially when it comes to hands-on projects at home.
Another small touch that can make your kitchen look more aesthetically appealing is the color scheme you choose. Keep it simple to make the kitchen look fresh and clean. Add small plants to window ledges, hang a painting or two, and string some fairy lights to add some glamour to your kitchen. These small and relatively cheap changes can really amp up the look of your kitchen.
Look to Discount Stores for Cheap Appliances
If you’re in need of updated appliances and you’re trying to stick to a strict budget, look to discount stores as well as appliance outlet stores. With the right timing, you may be able to snag a brand new appliance that’s been discontinued at a cheap price.
If you want to update your kitchen but don’t have a lot of money to spend on the project, there are several ways to go about some budget-friendly updates. Think clean and simple, and be prepared to take on a DIY project or two. Consider these tips as you tackle a kitchen upgrade.
