Have you found yourself browsing through our #homespirations on Instagram and felt the urge to give your home a facelift? As those makeovers can be expensive, you may be holding back because of the cost. Here are five alternatives to the most expensive home makeovers so you can achieve your Pinterest-worthy home without a million-dollar budget.
Overlay instead of hacking your bathroom tiles
Image courtesy of Ashley Fine Floors
You may have waited patiently for the three-year restriction period to lift before ripping off your bathroom tiles, but do you know doing so will set you back $8,000 to $12,000? An easier (and cheaper) alternative is to overlay your existing tiles instead of hacking them. Vinyl is a great material as it is durable and waterproof—ideal for wet areas. If you get the ones without glue, you can also remove them easily and change them out when the design gets outdated. Plus, it’s relatively affordable at just $5.50 to S$6.50 per sq ft.
Purchase a kitchen trolley instead of an expensive kitchen island
Image courtesy of Ciseern
Kitchen islands look expensive, and they definitely are. While they provide much-needed storage space, getting one built from scratch can cost between $75 to $180 per sq ft. If you aren’t keen on adding this to your almost-bursting renovation budget, consider a counter-topped cart or kitchen trolley instead. These can be easily bought off the shelves, and are more flexible since they can be moved around or stowed away when not in use.
Opt for marble-look surfaces instead of real marble
Image courtesy of Bellus
Picking a marble look for your countertop or feature wall can really transform your home, so here’s how you can do so without the hefty price tag: simply opt for marble-look laminates and quartz surfaces! They are more affordable and require much less care and maintenance than their luxurious counterpart. Laminates and engineered quartz surfaces also come in a wider range of designs that you can customise with ease.
Utilise mirrors to reflect light instead of expensive lamps
Image courtesy of Fuse Concept
While fancy chandeliers and designer lamps look nice, they can be extremely pricey and go out of style easily. A less expensive way of adding light to your home is to decorate it with mirrors. Besides making your home look brighter, this also creates the illusion of an open-concept space.
Use stick-on tiles instead of fully tiling walls
Image courtesy of Clever Mosaics
Walls in the bedroom and living room get less traffic compared to kitchen and bathroom walls. Instead of spending lots of money to tile them, you can elevate the look of such areas with simple peel-and-stick-tiles. This cheaper alternative achieves your desired visual effect with ease, plus you can always switch them out without breaking a sweat.
