Do you plan to DIY your home renovation? Though hiring professional services is highly recommended, there are some DIY renovation projects that you can handle on your own just fine. A DIY renovation project is an affordable way to improve your property when you don’t have a big budget but have a lot of determination and decent skills. See our guide on the most common renovation mistakes to avoid.
If you are looking for cheap and easy DIY renovation projects that can really make a difference, scroll down for best value renovation items and ideas for a DIY project.
- Begin basic upgrades
Home upgrades don’t necessarily mean splurging on expensive items. Some of the cheapest and most basic renovation tasks can make a difference — like applying a fresh coat of paint. Repainting your home with modern light colours will help brighten the interior and give your property a new look. While you’re at it, don’t stop at the walls: repaint your entire home including the cabinetry and timber flooring.
You can also replace outdated lighting with modern light fixtures and swap narrow floor skirting with wider variants. You’ll be surprised how much your home will transform with these cheap home accessories.
- Install a kitchen splashback
If you are looking to increase property value, then you must absolutely upgrade parts of your kitchen. But that doesn’t have to be incredibly expensive either. A budget-friendly kitchen renovation idea is to install a splashback. It will be a small yet significant change that will instantly give your kitchen a new appearance.
The cheapest splashback material that you can use is ceramic tile, which only costs around $35 per square metre. Choose the best colour that will fit your kitchen design and voila, you have an upgraded kitchen.
- Take down a wall
Sometimes, less is more, even in home renovation! By taking down the wall between an unused bedroom room and the living room, you can create a larger open area. This change will be massive and can give way to so many redecorating ideas that can change the way your home looks and feels. Best of all you don’t have to spend a penny doing it. And if you’re planning to sell or lease your property, the large space earns you instant brownie points from minimalist homebuyers who love open spaces more than anything else.
- Do some garden work
Another DIY home renovation that offers great value for money and effort is upgrading the garden. For a few dollars, you can convert your outdoor space into a lush greenery with a vegetable patch or flower garden. The key is buying the seedlings instead of grown plants, which can cost thousands of dollars. Although the plants will take some time to grow, it’s definitely worth the wait. While growing your garden, you can slowly build the surrounding area with affordable garden accessories like plant pots, hammocks, painted rocks, and improvised chairs.
- Keep plumbing and electricity lines
Renovating the bathroom can also increase your property’s market value. However, if you want to keep the costs down, make sure to go on about the upgrades without moving the plumbing and electricity lines. Shifting the plumbing and electricity lines will cost you more than adding any new bathroom fixture.
- Aim for natural lighting
Brightening up rooms using natural light is cheap and absolutely offers great value. Installing a skylight is one of your best options, as well as including mirrors to reflect the light inside the rooms. If a wall outside is blocking the sunlight in front of a window, paint it white or with any light colour to help reflect indoors.
- Shop around for bargains
Adding furniture and fixtures around the house is another a good way to upgrade your property without shelling out a lot of cash or exerting a lot of energy. However, you need to be wise when shopping around. Instead of looking for a specific item and finding the cheapest one on sale, do it the other way around. Look for bargains or second-hand items online and at your local shops, then find a way to integrate them into your home design.
- Choose your DIY projects wisely
Not all DIY renovation projects can lessen the renovation cost. Take on only projects that you can do well with absolute confidence. For example, if you’re not experienced with moving plumbing or electrical lines, you might end up just causing damage to them. This will lead to an unexpected expense for you. So choose what to DIY wisely.
Some tasks that are easy enough to manage on your own are removing the flooring tiles, dismantling the kitchen cabinets, painting the walls and cabinetry, and patching up damaged furniture.
- Double and triple-check your measurements
A lot of times, you can save money on DIY home renovation by just doing things right the first time. It prevents the waste of materials and resources. So, if you plan to install flooring, shelving, or a kitchen benchtop; make sure to double and triple-check your measurements before placing an order or cutting the materials.
- Transform your outdoor space
Last on our best value renovation ideas list is transforming your outdoor space. If you already have a backyard deck or patio, you can convert this into an outdoor living or dining room. Buy some secondhand furniture, fixtures, and affordable lighting; repaint the deck and railings; then take out your barbeque. That simple and you’ll have an upgraded outdoor space, which many home buyers in Australia would love to have.
A DIY home renovation can really save you some cash, especially with these best value renovation items and ideas. However, for the tasks that you think are beyond your experience and skills, you can always contact Renovare. For an affordable rate, our team of expert builders and our proven process, we can help you transform your property into the home you’ve always wanted.
If you are looking to do some serious home renovation, call on the experts at Renovare. We are professional home renovation builders and we’ll make sure your next reno is completed to the highest standard. Call us on 1300 049 516 or contact us online to get started.
Updated 24 April 2024