6 Home Updates That Make A Big Impact For Less Than $500

Design

May 29, 2024

Whether you’re looking to make a few small home improvements that make a big impact, or you want to do a phase 1 makeover before tackling a major renovation, here are 6 ways you can update your home for less than $500.

Moore House Design. modern living room with pleated curtains — Design: Moore House Design | Photography: Erin Little

Home Improvements For Less Than $500

Swap Out The Rug

The rug is the foundation of the room and with it being so big, it attracts a lot of our attention. So what better way to make a big impact than to swap out your rug. Make a dramatic change by going from a light rug to a dark rug, or vice versa.

While large vintage rugs can easily run upwards of $3,000-$5,000, there are many vintage lookalikes in more affordable price ranges. Printed rugs will be your most budget friendly option and rug manufacturers such as Loloi have mastered the art of replicating the colors and textures of authentic vintage rugs. The downfall of some printed rugs however is color fading in rooms with heavy use and direct sunlight. Be sure to check customer reviews before purchasing.

An alternative to printed rugs are wool rugs. Wool rugs are known for their longevity, durability, and soft underfoot. While wool rugs are more expensive than printed rugs, the quality is apparent and the prices are often still affordable. Keep in mind that wool rugs have an initial shedding period. Consistent vacuuming will be required for the first several months until the rug ceases to shed.

Printed & Wool Rugs That Don’t Fade

Update The Baseboards

Too often I see dinky baseboards in homes. They look out of proportion to the wall and they do nothing for the room. Aim for baseboards that are 5″ tall or more. This instantly makes the baseboards look like an intentional detail rather than an afterthought. Replacing baseboards will require some effort, but if you can handle mitered cuts, you can install new baseboards yourself.

For less than $500, you’ll most likely need to work in sections/rooms and progress to the rest of the house as the budget allows. To save money, use a flat board with a flat top and add a separate ornamental base cap on top. It’s a less expensive way to get decorative baseboards than a custom “all in one” option you can find in store or online.

If you’d like to avoid removing your existing baseboards, there’s an illusion hack you can do that makes your existing baseboards look taller. Nail on base cap moulding an inch or two above your existing baseboard and paint the trim, baseboard, and wall in between all the same color to give the illusion of extra tall baseboards. Check out this tutorial to get a visual of what I’m talking about.

Moore House Design. High end tailor pleated curtains. How to update your home for less than $500. — Design: Moore House Design | Photography: Erin Little

Replace The Curtains

I’m a firm believer that curtains can make or break a room. If you can afford custom curtains with a pleated header, do that! But being that custom curtains could easily run you $500 for only two panels, I’m all for finding less expensive alternatives that still look high end.

Curtains hung by curtain rings look more high end than curtains with back tab, grommet, or rod pocket headers. So look for curtains that can be hung with hooks and curtain rings. Follow these curtain hanging guidelines and avoid these mistakes.

Train your curtains to hang neatly, following the natural fold of the curtain. You can do so by folding the curtain neatly and clamping them for a day or two. If the fabric allows, use an iron to train the folds to stay in place.

Curtains That Look High End

Paint The Kitchen Cabinets & Update The Hardware

If you’re kitchen cabinets are dated, one relatively easy update you can do is paint them. You can rent a paint sprayer to get a professional finish, or if you have the patience you can roll them with my favorite extra smooth finish paint roller.

If your cabinets have dated doors, my one piece of advice for picking a paint color is to pick an actual color rather than white. Whether it’s a mid tone or dark hue, you’ll be more fixated on the color of the cabinets than the style of the cabinets themselves.

White tends to highlight the style of cabinet doors because it accentuates the shadows created by the profile of the door trim or decorative mouldings. On the other hand, the shadows virtually disappear into a dark color. So if it’s the style of the door that’s dated, pick a mid tone to dark color!

Even easier than painting, replace the hardware. There are a lot of inexpensive antique brass dupes or wood knobs that will elevate your kitchen without breaking the bank. Of course, order a few samples to test the finish in person. I’m particularly fond of this budget friendly antique brass knob and these wood knobs that can be painted.

Cabinet Hardware

Kitchen with brass plate covers. Photo by Amy Bartlam. Design by Light and Dwell. — Design: Light and Dwell | Photography: Amy Bartlam

Install Brass Switch Plate and Outlet Covers

Perhaps the easiest upgrade you can make is switching your standard outlet and switch plate covers for brass or paintable covers. While standard white outlet and switch covers are far from bad, brass or paintable covers turn an otherwise overlooked element into a designer feature. Brass covers come in a wide variety of styles and pop against light colored walls. For dark walls, get paintable covers that blend in, or brass covers that stand out…in a good way.

Kitchens and bathrooms are great rooms to start replacing the outlet and switch covers. And as the budget allows you can continue this upgrade in the rest of your home.

Brass Or Paintable Switch Plate Covers

Replace the kitchen or bathroom faucet

A cheap faucet is usually pretty easy to spot. Upgrading to chrome, polished nickel, unlacquered brass, or matte black plumbing fixtures is a relatively easy way to elevate the sink zone.