Let’s face it, we can’t always afford to make all the changes we’d like to our homes. If you are anything like us, your Pinterest boards are filled with lots of great ideas just waiting for the budget to get started. But there are lots of small things you can do to upgrade your home for under $1000. Here are ten great home decorating ideas to get you started:
1. Change out the old hardware on your cabinets.
When changing cabinet hardware make sure that the new hardware will cover the same areas as the old otherwise you will need to find a way to cover up the old holes and also may need to try to blend the area that was covered into the rest of the cabinet. The cost of this job will depend on the hardware and the quantity but a handyman should be able to change out all the hardware in a standard 2000 – 3500 sq ft for $200.00 or less. New hardware can cost anywhere from $1.00/piece to $15.00/piece this number can add up quickly so count the number of pieces you have first and then decide what your budget is before you start picking anything out.
2. Change out your bathroom vanity.
Since all of the plumbing is already there installing a new bathroom vanity is a simple project that can really update a space. Obviously this can depend on the vanity you select; however, most hardware stores offer great savings when you buy a vanity, counter top, sink, and faucet combo. In the lake country area of Wisconsin you can expect to pay a handyman between $200.00 – $500.00 to remove the old vanity and install the new one. This job will generally take about half a day.
3. Wainscoting and other decorative trim.
Adding crown molding or wainscoting to a room can give it a traditional and timeless look. Wainscoting is technically any wood paneling that comes halfway up the wall so be sure to let your handyman know what type of wainscoting you would like installed. A straight wood panel will require more material but a wood chair rail with square frames is much more time consuming especially when laid out properly. Be sure to talk with your handyman about how you want the wainscoting laid out if there are a lot of windows or electrical outlets that interfere with the placement. Due to the large number of different factors involved with a project like this it’s impossible to put a price on it but most average sized rooms should be able to be done for less than $1000.00 including materials.
4. Change out light fixtures and chandeliers.
Changing light fixtures is a simple job that can be undertaken by your handyman. Despite common belief this is not something that requires an electrician. As long as it’s not uncommonly large removing an old chandelier or fixture and replacing it with new can be done in less than 1 hour so plan to do several at a time to save money on trip charges and minimum hourly charges. Also check your local restore https://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx for a chandelier that you can re-purpose in your home. Many times something that looks old or dated in one house can add elegance to a different home. This projects price will depend on how much you spend on fixtures but a good estimate for a handyman is around 50.00 per fixture if doing several at once.
5. New flooring in a bathroom or mudroom.
Because most bathrooms are small replacing the flooring in them can be fairly inexpensive even when upgrading to ceramic tile. There will likely be an additional charge for a smaller room if the installer has to come back twice as with ceramic tile so try to group it with other household projects if possible. This is where handymen really make the most sense, as you’re able to group more and more projects together that would otherwise require multiple trips for a specified sub-contractor, a handyman can save you a lot of money. If you look for bargains you should be able to buy your materials for less than $200.00 unless you have a very large bathroom. Installation will depend on multiple factors from material choice to the shape of your bathroom but anything under 10’ x 10’ should be able to be done within the 1000.00 budget including materials.
6. New backsplash.
A new backsplash can make a drastic impact on a kitchen space. This job will also require two trips so if you can schedule some other jobs along with it for the second day it can really help on the price. This is another job that the numerous variables make it difficult to give a firm price. However, most kitchens can be done for under $1000.00 so long as you don’t have to many different designs being done with the tile. This is also another project that shopping around can save you big bucks and be patient in waiting for the right deal to come along.
