7 Ways to Renovate a Home

Unless you've got loads of time to spend on your project, the best way to add sweat equity is up front, by handling your own demolition, or at the back end, by doing some of the finish work yourself. To brighten up a windowless bath or hallway, for instance, you can install a "light tube," which slips between roof rafters and funnels sunshine down into the living space. "The biggest mistake people make when they're trying to figure what the payback is going to be is they overbuild for their neighborhood," says Jimmy.

"If you're doing your renovation green, you're really ahead of the market right now. So going green is a very smart investment," Carey emphasizes. "If you need a small bathroom, pick the right fixtures," says Jimmy. "You can buy low-profile toilets and narrower sinks. Don't try to put full-size fixtures in a tiny, tiny bathroom. It's just going to be crowded."

"Instead of paying someone to pick up sawdust off the floor, put your money into the time it takes to trim the window properly," he advises. He made a few phone calls and came up with hundreds of square feet of hardwood, in various lengths and widths, that otherwise would have gone into the trash on other job sites. Just by planing it to uniform thickness, then sanding and refinishing it, he saved his client almost $9,000 in materials costs. Do-it-yourselfers can reap big savings with recycled or lightly used fixtures and building materials.

This owner admits that she barely did any prep work, and she confined her painting to anything that could be rolled out. By choosing a light color, she was able to diminish the massive look of the fireplace. Eating Bird FoodThat lonesome refrigerator is good for keeping food cold, and that's about it. But it sucks up a lot of floor space, plus there is plenty of room above and to the side that could be used for storage.

Place of My TasteWhen you need a rapid style change and money is an issue, painting your kitchen cabinets is nearly always the best way to go. Given the high cost of kitchen cabinets, removal and replacement were out of the question. Even two low-cost solutions, ready-to-assemble cabinets and cabinet refacing, can be out of reach for many homeowners' budgets. Driven By DecorTwo important remodeling ideas are at play in this living room. First, the owner imposed clean, grid-like lines on the accent wall, so that everything works off of straight horizontals and verticals.

A simple DIY job will likely cost less, while a high-end custom remodel is likely to run you well above $60 per square foot. For projects on a budget, check out the blog at Centsational Style. You’ll find projects, advice, visual inspiration, and tips in this highly aesthetic blog. What started as a blog chronicling one renovation eventually became three renovations, as well as thousands of DIY projects and tips.

Keep in mind that these averages are just estimates; house renovation costs can vary significantly based on such factors as the materials you choose and your location. Home renovations are time-consuming and costly, so it’s important that they’re done right from the start to save yourself time, money, and headaches. Consult an interior designer to help you choose materials for your renovation. If you plan to add or remove walls, hire an architect to make sure your home is structurally sound and the project is up to code.

According to mortgage technology and data provider Black Knight, the average homeowner gained $48,000 in tappable equity in 2021, a 35% increase from 2020. That could be helping to drive the popularity of renovations, as homeowners often draw on home equity loans or lines of credit to finance renovation projects. The chart below shows the average costs of popular Home Renovations for a house of about 2,500 square feet, according to Realtor.com.