5 affordable DIY home upgrades

Many households would love to refresh their home but don't have the time or budget for a full scale renovation. However, with a little creativity and resourcefulness, a DIY (do-it-yourself) upgrade is possible.

To help get you started, we've identified a few budget-friendly ways to spruce up your home without cumbersome renovation, exorbitant expenses or a messy aftermath.

Conceal cracks & damaged walls with wall putty

Cracks, chipped surfaces and uneven edges are common sights in many homes. They are unsightly and can even dampen the value of the property, should you be showing it to potential buyers.

Fortunately, fixing a slightly damaged wall can be relatively easy to do yourself. For example, wall putty can conceal damaged parts of the wall and restore the surface to create a new and smooth appearance. Additionally, wall putties are inexpensive.

A tub of ready-to-use wall putty typically costs about $7 per kilogram, or as little as $3 per kg if you buy in bulk. If you need to scrape the edges of the cracked wall before applying the putty, a wall scraper can cost as little as $3.

Give your home a fresh coat of paint

The colour of your walls is a great medium for creating the desired style, mood and ambience in your place. A new coat of paint can instantly transform the aesthetic quality of a home and even increase the value of a property.

Additionally, this DIY project is made easier with paint delivery services. These companies allow you to order the paints of your choice at the comfort of your own home and have them delivered to your doorstep, eliminating the laborious chore of lugging the heavy cans home by yourself.

This list of paint prices that can help you work out a budget before embarking on the creative project. Please note that prices already included delivery cost.

Furthermore, it's worth keeping in mind that you can save about 60 per cent (per L) by buying large quantities, as the relative cost of larger quantities is less than that of smaller containers.

Get artistic

Like a fresh coat of paint, art decor can create great visual sensations, cover up old, dirty walls and even uplift moods in a room.

Decorating with artwork is an ideal way to revamp the look of a home. Additionally, it allows homeowners to personalise their space with carefully selected pieces that match their aesthetic values, emotions and even aspirations.

If you prefer high quality art pieces, at a relatively inexpensive price, visiting the annual Affordable Art Fair will present you with an extensive selection from international artists. The fair is scheduled for Nov 20-22 in Singapore, but you can also purchase artwork on the Affordable Art Fair website.

Alternatively, there are many decorative art suppliers in Singapore that offer a wide range of framed pieces from as low as $20 to $30. These stores, such as Nook and Cranny and Ikea, make updating your flat with some new art easy and inexpensive.

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Re-grouting tiled flooring and wall

Ripping out the tiles of your floor or wall and replacing them with new ones can be an extremely expensive and cumbersome affair. Not only will you have to pay for a contractor, the hacking and re-tiling process can also disrupt the daily routine in your home.

A low cost alternative to tiling is to re-grout the old and dirty gaps in between the tiles. Re-grouting is an easy task, but it does take time and the right materials to simplify the process.

However, the cost savings are significant. For example, hiring a re-grouting contractor to overhaul a bathroom floor can cost $350 to $700.

On the other hand, a tub of ready-to-use grout to re-grout the same area costs less than S$20 and can help you give your existing floors or walls a new look.

Cover old flooring surface with carpet

If you're tight on time and money, your options are a bit more limited.

However, if you want to change the atmosphere in a room you might want to consider purchasing a new carpet. For instance, a rug can hide older flooring and instantly transform the theme of the entire apartment.

You might choose a Persian-styled carpet for a sophisticated look, or one with abstract patterns to give your apartment a more creative twist. Importantly, you are able to choose one that suits your taste.

Depending on the style and design, reasonably priced carpets and rugs can be found in furniture stores such as Courts, Harvey Norman and Ikea.

For low-cost carpets, shopping online can help you find good deals. Our research suggests you can pay as little $10-$15 for a carpet on sites like Lazada.

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Fresh look at a factor of the cost

There are many ways to deck out your homes without racking up the full cost of a home renovation project, which can easily cost more than $50,000.

Depending on your budget, there are lots of options available to you. Sometimes a little touch up here and there is all it takes to spruce up the place and make it feel like a brand new home.

Besides, minor upgrades that are completed with our creativity and effort can make us appreciate our habitat even more.

This article was first published in ValueChampion.