5 Home Improvement Projects You Can Do for Under $1,000

Remodeling your home doesn’t have to be a huge investment. If you have a modest amount of cash set aside, you can make a noticeable impact on the value of your home and the enjoyment you get out of it without breaking the bank. Here are five affordable projects that make a huge impact—all for $1,000 or less.

1. Give Your Walls a Fresh Coat of Paint

Of all the changes you can make to improve your home, putting fresh paint on the walls is one of the fastest, easiest, and most affordable. If you want to save money on the cost to paint your home’s interior, it also makes for a great DIY project. Even beginners can paint walls like a pro in a day or two without much of a learning curve, so you can save money for other projects. 

Giving a room a totally different look is as simple as changing the color of the walls. Choose a color you can tie into the surrounding furniture and decor for a stylish, cohesive look. You can also apply a bolder color to one wall and create an accent wall. However, if you’re planning to sell your home soon, you may want to stick to earthy neutrals that will appeal to potential buyers.

2. Modernize Your Kitchen

Remodeling a kitchen is almost always a great investment. Depending on your budget, there are a variety of projects you can do to enhance an outdated kitchen, including the following:

• Swapping out or adding a beautiful, easy-to-clean chic tile or stone backsplash

• Redo countertops in budget-friendly materials, such as concrete or engineered stone

• Replace sink faucets and built-in soap dispensers

• Purchase new dishware, linens, and rugs in contemporary colors

• Update cabinet hardware on doors and drawers 

• Refinish cabinet fronts

• Install a kitchen island or portable cart

3. Build an Outdoor Living Space

If your home lacks an outdoor space to relax and enjoy summer days, you can build a small deck or patio in your yard. Use brick, natural stone, or cement patio pavers to lay out a space where you can spend time on all your favorite activities. Update your landscaping with pathways or gardens to make the space look more natural, or a surrounding fence for privacy.

Outfit your new patio with accessories—if you want a place to soak up the sun, get some patio lounge furniture and a large umbrella or two for shade. If you want to entertain your friends and family, invest in an outdoor dining set and a grill or a fire pit with some benches to gather around on summer evenings.

4. Give Your Entryway Some Curb Appeal

Your front entryway makes an impression every time you (or your guests!) pull up to your home, so it’s worth making that impression a great one. Some simple updates to your front porch decor can make for easy DIY projects, such as installing new house numbers, laying out a new welcome mat, setting up planters with flowers, or adding a decorative bench.

If your front door is worse for wear, a new door with contemporary hardware and better security features can make a huge difference. When choosing a new front door, fiberglass looks like real wood and still resists the elements. It’s also more affordable, leaving you room in the budget to hire a door installer.

5. Remodel Your Guest Bathroom

Guest bathrooms tend to be relatively small spaces where a tight budget can go a long way. A budget-friendly bathroom remodel can be as simple as replacing old cabinet hardware, faucets, and light fixtures with more modern styles and finishes. You can also paint or stain a worn-out vanity in a sleek neutral color. Swap out decor and linens like shower curtains for a fresh look.

If your plumbing is outdated, you may even be able to hire a local plumber and replace your toilet and sink if you find models on sale. Another way to spend your bathroom budget is by installing shower tile or re-tiling your floors as a DIY. Ceramic tile is a relatively low-cost flooring material, but there are also moisture-safe alternatives including luxury vinyl flooring.