Updating your home can be expensive. The worst part is that if you don’t, your home can look  outdated. The trends for rooms like the kitchen or bathroom are always changing and while they may still be functional, sometimes as an owner, you’ll want to freshen the  look of your home and bring the space up to date. So what can you do to stay inside your budget and get a great space?

The good news is you can do more repairs yourself than you think. With a little do it yourself education and some elbow grease, you can bring any room up to date.

Before starting any project, it’s a good idea to plan out what it is you want to accomplish and how you will accomplish it. Create a budget! Have a number in mind for what you would be willing to spend on updates and then stick to it. Keep in mind, you can run into surprises along the way, so it’s a good idea to have a cushion.

Deciding what to spend can be arbitrary unless you know what the realistic price points are for the updates. Go window shopping to see what the reasonable prices would be. This remodeling calculator is also a useful tool! It gives you an estimate of major projects that you can quite possibly do yourself. It is good to factor in the type of style you like, but don’t limit yourself! Sinks, faucets, hardware, etc. can get pretty pricey if you aren’t careful.

Once you’ve decided what your budget is, make a realistic plan to save for it to make your goal. Maybe you’ll use your tax return or maybe you’ll put away an extra $50 a paycheck. Whatever the case is, it’s good to have a plan. It is exciting to update your home, but no one wants to go into debt over what should be a fun endeavor.

Another good tip is don’t tackle every room at once. Do it room by room. That way, instead of the whole house being a construction zone, it’s just one area at a time, which becomes more manageable. Remember, making updates, major or minor, can take more time than anticipated. It’s good to split the updates up over a few weekend projects depending on what you want to accomplish.

Remember, whatever room you decide to update next, have fun and make it your own!

Start Budgeting For Those Updates!