I’m so excited to share Part 3: DIY Home Renovations. There are some really really cool ideas that are simple and can be inexpensive.
Just in case you missed it:
Part 1: Packing
Part 2: Cleaning & Repairs
If you are moving into a house that needs a little TLC or if you’re selling a home that needs a bit of updating to make it stand out among the rest, this post is for you.
Take your home from “meh” to “luxe” in no time.
Seriously, you don’t have to be talented at all. You just have to know how to read directions…and not many at that. Click on your favorite images to see more about each project.
Let’s get started!
NEW KITCHEN BACKSPLASH
Source: Lovely Crafty Home
Create a stone backsplash with “Airstone”. You buy the stones, add adhesive and literally stick it to the wall. Check out how Lovely Crafty Home did it. (scroll down a bit to see the kitchen)
FRESH KITCHEN CABINETS
Source: The Lettered Cottage
I won’t pretend that all The Lettered Cottage did was paint their cabinets. They did a full kitchen makeover but it’s all DIY. First things first: Paint those cabinets. After seeing the steps they took in order for their kitchen to go from “before” to “after,” I’d like to live with them. Would that be weird. They have the CUTEST house. IT’S ALL DIY!
STONE KITCHEN ISLAND
Source: House Honeys
From the “Why didn’t I think of that” file, House Honeys took their typical-looking island and made it look like a high-end vacation home. I could totally see this in a house celebrities go to ski in the winter. I mean, come ON. It’s so cool! This, too, is Airstone. Adhere the stones to the island. Done and done.
GRANITE-LOOKING COUNTERS
Source: DIY Network
Oh, I’m sorry, you thought this was granite? Nope. It’s a DIY paint job, friends. I’m talking “paint with a sponge and dab the colors together” type of process. Love DIY Network for this simple how-to.
MOSAIC TILE BATHROOM MIRROR
Source: Centsational Girl
Centsational Girl has turned a basic-looking mirror into a work of art. I’ve also read that you can purchase adhesive tiles from a hardware store and line them along the edges. Whatever your choice, you’ll have a killer-looking mirror.
MODERN FIXTURES
Source: Entirely Smitten
No matter what your fixtures look like (bathroom, kitchen, hallway, whatever), you can spray Rustoleum spray paint on them for a completely updated look. Now I want about 500 cans so I can go nuts on my house. We’re talking toilet paper holders, faucets, lights… See what Entirely Smitten did!
SHOWER UPDATE
Source: Style With Cents
This is something that NEVER occurred to me to change. I would just keep looking at the brass eye sore and decorate around it. Dear Style With Cents, you’re changing our world (and saving us money from avoiding that house with an ugly shower).
ROCK TUB
Source: Lovely Crafty Home
Remember Airstone from a few pictures up? It’s baaaaaack! Lovely Crafty Home, I need to stop right now and get myself an entire truck of this stuff. I’ll live in a stone house by the time I’m done. I want to even put Airstone on my half wall from the living room to the kitchen. Look at this spa-like tub! It went from completely typical to appearing expensive.
MODERN VENTS
Source: The Frugal Homemaker
While you have your Rustoleum spray paint out, why don’t you just grab the vents and paint those, too. The Frugal Homemaker had some tired looking vents (eh hem, so do I). After a quick spray, the vents are tired no more.
NEW-ISH DOORKNOBS
Source: Live Love DIY
Gee, guess what kind of paint does this awesomeness? Live Love DIY went nutty (just like I would) and painted her doorknobs, furniture handles and more. It cracks me up to see someone similar. Changing those gold doorknobs are a must. Let’s all do it. Wanna?
A WELCOMING ENTRANCE
Source: 320 Sycamore
Talk about curb appeal. 320 Sycamore changed the look of their home entry by getting rid of the screen, adding paint to the door, accessorizing with the cute little numbers and adding a punch of color with the flowers. Gah. We think this is adorable!
What else needs a bit of sprucing up at your home?
Cheers to moving, right? It can be an incredibly awesome and overwhelming situation all at once.
You’ve packed everything up, leaving the cleaning materials out, so you’re looking at an empty house that you need to clean and make look shiny new. Did you miss the packing tips and how-to’s? Click HERE to read Part 1: Packing.
First things first: When using any sort of cleaning solution, it needs time to activate. Thanks to tips from the W Hotel chain (pretty much perfection when it comes to customer service and cleanliness), we’ve learned to let our cleaner sit about 5 minutes before scrubbing.
CLEANING TIPS
CARPET AND FURNITURE SPOT REMOVER
Supplies:
- Small spray bottle
- 1 teaspoon dish washing liquid
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1 cup warm water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- Clean absorbent towel
- Clean sponge
Quick steps: Dab stain, mix concoction, spray, dab. Watch. Dab again. Stain gone.
For full directions on how to clean the spot, click HERE.
DEEP CARPET STAINS
Supplies:
- White vinegar
- Rag
- Iron
- Water
Quick steps: Spray rag with vinegar and water (1:2). Place rag on stain and put hot iron on rag for 30 seconds.
For full instructions on how to clean the spot, click HERE.
CLEANING MOLD FROM TUB AND SHOWER
Supplies:
- Bleach
- Cotton beauty coils
Quick steps: Dip coils in bleach, line the moldy area with it. Let it sit overnight. Pull coils up. Mold gone.
For full directions on how to clean the mold, click HERE.
DISHWASHER DEEP CLEAN
Supplies:
Quick steps: Clean out the bottom of the dishwasher, take a look at the drain and then put a glass of vinegar in the top rack. Run the dishwasher with the hottest water possible.
For full directions on how to clean your dishwasher, click HERE.
SINK AND DRAIN CLEANER
Supplies:
- Baking soda
- White vinegar
- Liquid dishwashing soap
- Rock salt
- Lemon or Lime
- Ice
- Rag
- Toothbrush
Quick steps: Wet sink then add baking soda. Create a paste. Scrub. Rinse. Soak paper towels in vinegar, line sink, let sit for 20 minutes and then rinse & dry.
For full instructions (which I did a horrible job at explaining), and directions on how to clean your disposal click HERE.
WINDOW CLEANING INCLUDING THE TRACKS
Supplies:
- Vinegar
- Qtips
- Paper towels
Quick steps: Wipe your window down. Dip Qtip in vinegar and get down deep into the tracks. Run the paper towel over the tracks and in crevices.
For full instructions and how the BEFORE picture turned into the AFTER, click HERE.
CLEANING KITCHEN CABINETS
Supplies:
- Microwave
- Sponges
- Rubber gloves
- All purpose cleaner
To clean your cabinets, first heat a slightly damp sponge or cloth in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until it’s hot.
Spray the cabinets with an all-purpose cleaner containing orange oil then wipe off the cleaner with the hot sponge.
CLEANING A SHOWER HEAD
Supplies:
- White vinegar
- Plastic baggie
- Rubberband
- Rag
Quick steps: Fill a baggie with vinegar. Wrap full bag around shower head and secure with rubberband. Let sit. Remove. Wipe shower head.
For full instructions, click HERE.
CLEANING BLINDS
Supplies:
Quick steps: Combine equal parts water and vinegar. Put sock on hand, dip in mixture and swipe.
For a full how-to, click HERE.
CLEANING GLASS STOVE TOP
Supplies:
- Baking soda
- Hot water
- Rag
- Gloves
- Windex
- Paper towels
Quick steps: Dust stovetop with baking soda. Dip rag in almost hot water. Rid rag of water so it isn’t dripping. Place rag flat on top of baking soda dusting. Sit for 15 minutes, scrub and give it a final wash with windex.
For full instructions (and safety notes), click HERE.
CLEANING DRIVEWAY STAINS
Supplies:
- Pour-N-Restore
- Hard bristle brush
Quick instructions: Read the back of the bottle. How’s that for quick?
For a how-to based on another person’s experience, click HERE.
HOME UPDATE TIPS
FIXING SCRATCHES ON WOOD
Rub a walnut over wood scratches. That’s it.
PAINTING PERFECT TRIM
Use a large spackle knife to keep your paint in line, especially with trim. For more, click HERE.
NAIL HOLE QUICK-FIX
Take Dove bar soap and rub in a circular motion over a nail hole. See how it’s done, HERE.
Part 3 of the 3-part moving series will be posted this week.
We’ll walk you through some simple, DIY projects that will turn your home from average to luxury. We all want great looking houses but many of us can’t afford to do a complete renovation.
Planning a move? I still think this seems like the most simple way to do it. Don’t you think it would be awesome to give your house a good clean, secure everything in place and then pack the entire house on a truck for a move to your new location?
Turns out, that’s not possible for about 99% of us.
We will be posting a 3-part moving series that will apply and be helpful to those moving in or out of a home you own, rent, a dorm or any other place where you have to pack loads of stuff you didn’t even realize you owned and make the place look pretty when you vacate.
Tips for Moving – Part 1: Packing
Just scroll down and discover easy tips for moving, how to stay organized, the proper way to pack a box and tips on your “first night survival kit.”
Tips for Moving – Part 2: Cleaning & Repairs
Coming soon. We’ll share quick tips on how to efficiently clean your home making it look spotless with the least amount of effort. It will appear as if you hired a cleaning company…all the way down to the driveway.
Tips for Moving – Part 3: Inexpensive DIY Home Updates
Coming soon. Are you staging your house to sell or are you moving into a less than new home? We’ll share tips and how-to’s on update your home making it appear more high priced than it actually is. We all like quick-fixes to make us feel a bit more high class, right?
There are a few simple tips to remember, a few other websites to browse for packing how to’s and ways to organize your move so you know where everything is when you get to your new home.
PACKING TIPS
1. Create a moving binder and/or moving log. (use a color-code system for your boxes)
Click for moving a moving binder how-to.
Source: A Bowl Full of Lemons
Click for instructions
Source: Shannon Brown
2. Separate plates and bowls with disposable foam plates and bowls. For a more environmentally friendly version, choose corrugated cardboard or even dishtowels.Â
The Frugal Girls
(click image for more)
3. Wrap Glad Press n Seal over any miscellaneous home items that could fall out or get messy in the move.
More Press n Seal tips at OrgJunkie
(click image for more)
4. Wrap your clothes in a trash bag while they still hang in the closet.
The Wicker House
(for more packing tips, click here)
5. Use socks to pack perfume bottles or fragile items.
6. Everything soft is packing material. This will help you save on bubble wrap, packing paper, etc. Hello linen closet!
7. Before you get boxes, start packing up suitcases, laundry hampers, garbage cans, storage bins, etc.
8. You can get FREE BOXES at colleges (head to the computer lab), book stores, liquor stores, craigslist and even behind major stores like Target and WalMart.
A lot of times you can go in and ask for the boxes or you can go dumpster diving. In the recycled box container. Be careful…we won’t take responsibility for your diving injuries.
9. Tape nuts and bolts to the furniture in which it belongs.
10. Create a moving day survival kit.
You will be moving into a place that is completely empty (unless you just won the lottery and are buying everything new and it’s waiting for you – but I digress). Be of the mindset that you are camping. What would you need for night one?
- A suitcase loaded with a couple changes of clothing (including sleepwear)
- Toiletry kit
- Towels
- Daily medication
- Quick food (non perishable)
- Plastic utensils
- Bottled water
- Bed linens and blankets (or sleeping bags)
- Pillows
- Pet food (if applicable)
- Small tools
- Flashlights
- Phone charger
- Towels
- Cleaning supplies (just some basics)
- Games and/or toys for kids
- (more survival packing tips at The Joyful Organizer)
11. No matter the distance of your move, do it as if you’re moving cross country.
You’ll be more efficient if you pack a big truck one time and unload it one time.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
