7 Summer Home Improvements on a Budget

Summer is a popular season to tackle home improvement projects and breathe new life into your living space. However, many homeowners are deterred by high costs associated with renovations, especially with recent surges in inflation.

The silver lining? You don’t need to break the bank to enhance your home’s aesthetics and functionality. With some creativity and resourcefulness, you can revitalize your space without compromising your finances. Here are a few ideas to inspire your summer to-do list.

One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to transform any room is with a fresh coat of paint. If you’re working within a tight budget, even one accent wall can brighten up the surrounding space. You can request paint samples to test out at home and knock this project out in a day by enlisting the help of friends or family. Prefer to skip the painting route? Opt for easy-to-apply adhesive wall decals or wallpaper panels, available online and in most home retailers.

Enhance your home’s curb appeal by sprucing up the landscaping. A little goes a long way in this category: trimming overgrown hedges and tree branches, mulching, adding inexpensive outdoor lighting or stepping stones, and repurposing materials (such as tires) for container gardening are all affordable ways to refresh your outdoor areas. Pro-savings tip: if you haven’t already, start composting kitchen scraps and yard waste to create nutrient-rich garden soil.

Summer often means higher energy bills due to air conditioning usage. Opt for fan usage on milder days and check for air leaks around doors and windows, sealing them with weatherstripping or caulking. Switch to LED or CFL bulbs, as they use less energy and produce less heat compared to traditional bulbs. Install reflective blinds or curtains designed to block out sunlight and heat during the hottest parts of the day. These small changes can add up to significant savings on your monthly utility bill.

There’s no better time than summer to host a garage sale—for whatever you can’t sell, set up an area where you can group items by category: keep, donate, or discard. Tackle one room at a time so the process is less overwhelming and use storage bins, crates, empty jars and shelving to house whatever remains. And while you’re in organization mode, don’t just limit your de-cluttering to physical items…digitalizing bills, statements, and important documents can eliminate paper clutter and the psychic stress that’s often attached.