If you’re working from home, you’ve likely had time to identify some room for improvement at home. Improving your space, especially when you’re spending more time in that space, can improve your quality of work and life. It’s important that you have a space that’s not only comfortable, but functional and enjoyable to be in as well.
However, these kinds of home improvements can also be costly when you’re hiring contractors. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of projects that you can DIY with a little know-how and a can-do attitude. Some projects are harder than others, but many can be done without breaking the bank.
6 Home Improvements You Can DIY from Home
1. Give your home a “face-lift”
While this project doesn’t involve your interior, it can help improve the overall atmosphere of your home and make it happier to return to when the time comes to go back to the office. There are many ways to improve the outside of your home with little skill required.
- Paint—don’t be afraid to go bold by painting your front door a new color. If you have shutters, you can paint those to match as well.
- Pressure wash—depending on the exterior of your house, a good pressure washing can instantly improve the look of your home. If you don’t have your own pressure washer, you can rent them from a home improvement store for under $50 a day.
- Landscaping—take a trip to your local plant nursery and pick out some flowers or shrubs. While landscaping can get expensive when adding bushes and trees, you can stay low budget by sticking to simple but popular flowers.
2. Add an accent wall
Looking for ways to spruce up your office space? Even if you don’t have a dedicated office space, you can instantly make your makeshift office more inviting by changing up the walls. If you happen to have virtual meetings, an accent wall can also be a nice backdrop. Here are some ideas you can use:
- Paint/wallpaper—If you have a specific color scheme in your office or living room, painting one wall a different color or finding an interesting wallpaper can bring new life to your space.
- DIY shiplap—By trimming plywood into planks and affixing them to your wall with nails and/or construction adhesive, you can make your own shiplap wall for around $50. Add some paint on top and you have a new, rustic wall to admire.
- Art—get creative with your wall art. A gallery wall can add life and texture to an otherwise plain wall.
3. Fake marble countertops
If you’re wanting to add a little luxury to your countertops or tables, you can get the look of marble without having to break the bank. You’ll need furniture paint, a variety of small and large paintbrushes, and some high-shine glaze or epoxy. Although this project takes time and attention to detail, you’ll get that nice marble look and save thousands of dollars.
4. Make your ceilings more appealing
Ceilings can often make or break a room. Improve the mood, make your space feel larger, and add your own flair easily with these ideas.
- If you’ve got a popcorn ceiling that you’re not a fan of, you can remedy the problem relatively easily. You’ll need a wet/dry shop vac and a drywall knife. It takes some time, but the results are worth it. First check for asbestos and lead if your home was built prior to 1979.
- Add faux ceiling tiles to add a bit of elegant flair. You can find panels made from vinyl, foam, or even tin to add to your ceiling.
- Paint you ceiling white to make your room appear larger and roomier.
5. Update your hardware
It’s amazing how changing your doorknobs, handles, and other hardware can instantly change the atmosphere of a room. If you’re painting cabinets or otherwise adding new touches to your home, don’t forget to do a hardware upgrade while you’re at it. The color or style of the hardware can take any room from rustic to academic, or retro to modern.
6. Update your lighting
Light fixtures can have a huge impact on your space—everything from the look of the fixture to the amount of light it puts out can make or break a room. There’s no better time to update your light fixtures to match your personal style and lighting preferences. As a bonus, you can also make the switch to energy efficient light bulbs and reduce your energy bill.
Financing Larger Projects
Some home projects are going to be more than a $50 DIY—you might want to build a patio or update your floors. You may even have improvements that need to happen—after all, fixtures and appliances wear out, eventually. These projects can be more costly or may just be difficult to do yourself if you don’t have the skills.
No matter what your home improvement goals are, we hope you can find an affordable solution or be able to secure the right financing. Use the time you have at home to make your home more comfortable.
What to do if you urgently need money for home repair
If you’re interested in financing an urgent project, you’re not without options. You can open a line of credit with Echo credit. If approved, get up to a $2,600 line of credit in minutes. Have funds in your bank account as soon as today!