Three Easy Ways to Update Your Apartment on a Budget

Your home is your haven. After a tiring day at work, it's the place you look forward to resting and recharging your batteries. Or perhaps you spend the bulk of your time at your apartment since you work from home. Either way, your apartment should be a source of joy and comfort to you.

A beautiful space that you enjoy being in. To ensure your apartment is a place you love, it needs to be upgraded every so often. Perhaps you've lived in the apartment for a while and are bored with how it looks or noticed that it seems outdated or worn. Or maybe, you've just bought a new apartment and want to upgrade it to make it your own.

You may put off upgrading your apartment because it seems expensive, but it doesn't have to be. There are ways to update your home to reflect your style and taste without breaking the bank. When working on your apartment, keep in mind that some upgrades will increase the value of your property, so if you think you may want to sell in the future, it's helpful to keep this in mind.

A Fresh Coat of Paint

The most effective way to give your home a fresh look is to paint the walls. The interior walls in a home need to be painted every five to ten years. After a few years, the paint on the walls will show signs of wear and tear - you might notice scratches, chips, or the top layer may begin to wear. A fresh coat of paint will cover these imperfections.

When it comes to color, the safest option is to go for neutral tones. To add an element of interest, consider painting one wall in a room a bright color like red or electric blue. For example, you may paint the entire apartment off-white, then one wall in your living room red, or perhaps a wall in your bedroom electric blue.

If neutrals aren't your thing, choose the colors you love but remember that you will need to live with them for a few years. Also, take into account your furniture, fixtures, and fittings. Unless you plan on replacing them all, the color of the paint on your walls should match. Lastly, consider the feelings you want to create in each room. Rooms where you socialize and entertain, like the living room and kitchen, should be painted in warm tones like yellow and coral. Use cooler shades like blues and greens in rooms where you unwind and relax, like your bedroom and bathroom, since colors are known to have a calming effect.

Still, color is a personal preference, so if you find that scarlet red relaxes you and would like to paint the walls in your bedroom red, you should do just that!

Replace Kitchen Cabinet Doors and Countertops

An entire kitchen remodel can be very pricey, but if your cabinets are in good condition, there is no need to replace them. You can update the kitchen's aesthetic by simply replacing the cabinet doors and countertops. When replacing cabinet doors, think about the look and feel you want to create and choose a style that fits. A popular choice is to have solid doors on the bottom cabinets and doors with glass panels on some of the upper cabinets as a display feature.

Alternatively, if you love the style of your current cabinet doors, you can update them by changing the hardware and painting them in a different, more modern color. If your kitchen is small, you can probably afford a more expensive countertop like one that's made of granite. While it is pricier, it's heat resistant and long-lasting.

Update the Floor in the Living Room

The flooring in your home can seriously date it! (Think back to bold colors and patterned floors of the 80s and early 90s.) There are several options for redoing your floors, which will depend on what flooring you have. If you have wooden floors, you can paint them in a lighter color to brighten up the room. Another option is to use peel-and-stick flooring, which is relatively cost-effective.

If your living room is carpeted, the best option is to remove the carpets and replace them with laminated flooring or tiles. This may cost a bit more, but it's worth it in the long run. Cleaning these surfaces is much easier and gives the room a modern look.

Financing Your Upgrade

Even though you may find the most cost-effective ways to upgrade your apartment, you still need to spend money. You have to buy materials and if you're not planning on doing the work yourself, hire a contractor. In these economic times when most folks struggle to save, it can be a struggle to come up with the money for a much-needed apartment upgrade, but an easy way to finance it is using a loan.

Folks with high credit scores can easily secure a loan with a bank, as bank loans typically carry lower interest rates and reasonable terms. However, you aren't out of options if your credit rating is less than perfect. Some lenders offer loans specifically designed for folks with bad credit, called bad credit loans. There are several types of bad credit loans, but one of the best and most affordable options is an installment loan bad credit. If you've applied for an installment loan and been approved, the lender will pay you the total amount in a lump sum. You will have to
repay the amount, including interest and fees, in monthly installments until the full amount is paid off.

References:
● Idealhome: How to renovate on a budget – 21 ideas to transform your home
● Rurallivingtoday: How To Impressively Renovate A Small Apartment On A Budget
● BHG: 19 Budget-Friendly Home Renovation Ideas for Every Room in Your House
● Mybath: 7 Tips for the Ultimate Low-Cost Apartment Renovation