When it comes to sprucing up our homes — and fixing the annoying little things that never fail to get on your nerves — sometimes the cheapest changes can have life-changing impacts. Recently, folks from r/HomeImprovement and the BuzzFeed Community shared their favorite cheap but rewarding home upgrades that totally transformed their spaces, and they included a bunch of renter-friendly suggestions, too. Here are the smartest ones.
If you have any worthwhile home upgrades of your own to share, you can do so through the comments at the end of this post or through this anonymous form.
1.
“We bought remote-controlled LED rope lighting for the above-cabinet lighting. It can turn multiple colors, too, which is nice for different holidays.”
2.
“Bidets are literally life-changing. Like, the two eras of my life are pre-bidet and post-bidet. I love it so much I bring it up in conversations way more than is appropriate. I try to avoid using the restroom anywhere but at home. I’ve gifted them to my friends and family, too.”
—patricko49a6782f9
3.
“I installed LED nightlight outlet cover plates throughout the house. They come on automatically in the evening and bathe the entire house in just enough glow to walk around without turning on any lights. Perfect for when you have to get up briefly in the middle of the night when turning on lights would mess up your biorhythm and maybe make it harder to go back to sleep.”
4.
“I painted over ugly wallpaper, and they said it could not be done. I used Sherwin-Williams’ best paint, and they are serious when they say one coat. I’ve already repainted in different colors, too, and it still looks great. What a difference it made.”
—Charlene, 70, Florida
5.
“Timer switches for all the bathroom fans so we don’t accidentally leave them on, but also so we can leave them on for a bit after showering to help prevent mold or humidity issues. They’re great for pantry and closet lights, too.”
6.
“Motion sensor lights! Every closet, laundry room, and pantry has one. Open the door, and voila! Instant light that turns off automatically. I recharge with USB about once a month. It makes life a little glamorous and easy without any fuss.”
—Adam
7.
“I installed pull-out shelves for all my bottom cabinet shelves. It is so much easier to get a pot or anything else from the back rather than having to take out everything in front just to get what you’re looking for. Putting the pot back once you’re finished is much easier, too. The same can be said for canned goods or anything else you store on a bottom shelf.”
8.
“Stationary vacuums! I got an EyeVac for a Christmas gift. It’s stupid how much I love it. We have hard floors throughout the house with two dogs, two cats, and a toddler. I hated sweeping but love having swept floors…now I get so much joy from seeing that huge pile of gross get whooshed up into a nice little box that I only have to empty once a month. No more dustpans! It’s silly what a big difference it makes.”
—u/klodklodklod
9.
“I replaced every recessed light throughout the house with LED retrofit lights. These lights are color adjustable, so there are no more mixed light hues throughout the house, which I hated. The best thing is they are sealed, so you no longer see the housing around the edge, and the bulbs never get dusty! We did it ourselves, and the change was breathtaking.”
10.
“I painted all wood furniture items in my home shades of green, mostly from sample pots. So, all my wooden pieces, like stools and tables, are now in beautiful, matching colors. They look totally custom for under $50.”
—Susan, 57, Canada
11.
“My townhome doesn’t have A/C. It’s absolutely brutal in the summer; I hate it so much. Portable air conditioners are noisy and must have buckets of water emptied frequently. Anyway, recently, I was gifted a couple of ceiling fans and had them installed. I had no idea the difference they would make! They absolutely transform the space and make it livable during the worst of summer.”
12.
“Dimmer switches everywhere. Being able to dim lights in your dining room, for example, can be a game changer. We also have a dimmer on our kitchen lights as the kitchen is small, but I wanted plenty of overhead lights just in case. So dimming them helps a lot.”
—wylyjoan
13.
“Right now, I’m most happy with the cheap water sensors I added to areas where leaks could go unnoticed. I only had one that I got for free and tossed it under the sink, never thinking about it. Last week, I got a notification on my phone that there was a leak and assumed the thing was acting up. Nope, the garbage disposal failed during a dishwasher cycle. Caught it early enough that no damage resulted.”
14.
“Getting a solar-powered attic fan reduced my air conditioner use by 40%, and it costs nothing to run, so it’s a real long-term saving. Once installed, it’s effortless; the sun comes up, it runs, and then it turns off as soon as the sun goes down. Installation was easy, and I could DIY without paying an expensive electrician or contractor.”
—Anonymous, 73, California
15.
“I planted wildflower seeds in the bare spots of my backyard. Now, instead of patches of dirt that grass refuses to grow on, I have beautiful oases of orange, purple, and blue flowers that attract honey bees and bumblebees. My front yard, I keep ‘normal’ looking to match the neighborhood, but the backyard is going wild.”
16.
“WiFi cameras that don’t need a hub. Just set them wherever and plug them in. No configuration is needed; I’m in Florence at the moment, and I can look around our house with our $35 purchase and an app on my phone.”
—David, 75, California
17.
“I installed two large steel overhead storage racks in the garage for those bulky or less frequently used items like ladders, table saws, folding chairs, and bins of items. Everyone who sees them wants them in their garage, too. They really do add a lot of storage space to the garage.”
18.
“I got an exhaust fan for my bathroom that has speakers, which connect to your phone to play music while you shower.”
—Cecelia
19.
“Switching out the ’90s brass hardware on all of the interior doors in my house for the matte black finish ones cost less than $100 and makes it look 100 times better. It’s also very easy to do; it takes about 5–10 minutes per door once you get the hang of it (pun slightly intended).”
20.
“Installed a hot water circulating pump on our hot water heater. No more running water and waiting for it to get hot! The pump has a timer you can set so it doesn’t move the water around constantly. It actually lowered our water bill (and usage) for a one-time investment.”
—Val
21.
“I put our new bathroom vanity on post legs rather than its platform-style base. We decided we wanted the vanity to look more like a piece of furniture, so we spent around $100 for legs we found online and stained them with the touch-up stain that came with the vanity.”
22.
“I had an outlet installed in my medicine cabinet. I can have my electric toothbrush charging in there without any cords visible. They make cabinets with an outlet already installed, but those are a ton of money — so my contractor cut a hole in the metal top of the cabinet and installed the outlet there.”
—u/Ask-a-Walrus
23.
“Curved shower rods. I will never go back to a straight bar — ever.”
24.
“Extensive wire shelving and removable small labeled bins in an extra bedroom closet. This space now holds all my craft and sewing materials, and the whole upgrade cost less than $200.”
—Anonymous
25.
“I have done so many little upgrades, but the trivial ones that I see daily are the ones that bring me the most joy. I replaced the super cheap beige light switch covers in our kitchen with ceramic ones that almost perfectly match our backsplash. It made such a huge difference. It still blows my mind that the people who built our house used so many builder-grade products.”
26.
“New electrical outlet covers to match light switch covers made our home look very put-together!”
—Kat, Texas
27.
“Adding wainscoting to our main living area. It was such an inexpensive project that everyone who comes over gushes about.”
28.
“New mailbox. I bought it before we even closed our house because the last one looked pretty ugly and old from the outside, but it was rusted to bits on the inside! The poor mail carrier was probably worried about getting tetanus every time he delivered mail. I installed the new one before we even moved in. It went from an old, faded health hazard to a bright, shiny new one. It’s such a little change, but it was the first thing that made me feel like, ‘Wow, this is our home now!’ Never really cared about a mailbox before that.”
—u/jessykab
29.
“I just installed an electric keypad deadbolt and fell in love with it immediately; no more messing with keys while taking the dog on a walk!”
30.
“Putting lights under the kitchen cabinet. It was like cooking in the dark before.”
—manimal28
31.
And finally: “A $20 showerhead to replace the dumb, expensive rainfall one that came with the house. Best $20 I spent this decade.”
Now, it’s your turn. Homeowners (and renters!), we want to hear about the budget-friendly home upgrade you made that you wish you’d done years ago. Tell us about your project in the comments below or through this anonymous form, and your submission could be featured in a future BuzzFeed Community post.
Note: Comments have been edited for length and/or clarity.
