9 Budget-Friendly Renovation Ideas to Fix Your Home's Most Annoying Imperfections

No matter how much you love your home, there's probably something about it you'd love to change. Fixing major flaws can prove costly, but many more affordable renovations can make your home more comfortable and convenient without breaking your budget.

These nine home renovation ideas under $500 can help fix common (and bothersome) imperfections, especially if you're willing to consider DIY solutions. You can also save money by sourcing fixtures, décor and materials via secondhand marketplaces or consignment shops.

1. Add built-in storage

Common complaint: Inadequate storage space 

2. Plant greenery in place of a fence

Common complaint: Lack of privacy

3. Paint your bathroom tile

Common complaint: A dated bathroom

Home renovation tip: A full bathroom remodel can cost thousands of dollars, but you don't need to spend that much to make simple creative renovations to the smallest rooms in your home. An $80 tub and tile refinishing kit, some elbow grease and a weekend can whisk your pastel pink shower to the current era. Other budget-friendly renovations for bathrooms include:

• hanging wallpaper
• replacing mirrors
• swapping out light fixtures
• updating door and cabinet hardware
• replacing faucets
• installing rain-style showerheads
• adding tile backsplashes

Combine multiple fixes for a truly updated look.

4. Breathe new life into your cooking space

Common complaint: A dated kitchen

Home renovation tip: Redoing a kitchen can cost even more than remodeling a bathroom, but again, you don't need to spend thousands of dollars to make renovations. Paint is a classic budget-friendly home renovation and with good reason. A new color for your walls, cabinets, ceiling or even the floor can brighten and update your kitchen for a relatively small investment. To go further, update your kitchen's lighting, faucet, door and cabinet hardware, and window coverings if your kitchen has a window. Adding more storage can help you declutter a dated kitchen and show off its vintage charm.

5. Get strategic with lighting 

Common complaint: Dark rooms or hallways

Home renovation tip: Sometimes, brightening a dark room can be as easy as swapping out light bulbs that give off more light into your existing fixtures. Just be careful not to exceed the fixture's wattage limits as that can cause a fire. Another low-lift way to solve the problem: hang mirrors in the room to reflect existing light sources. 

Of course, you can also upgrade your fixtures or add additional lights, such as ceiling, pendant or track lighting, rope lights, and under-the-counter or cabinet lighting. Just note that these upgrades could cost more than $500 depending on the size of your room and whether you hire a pro to help. Have a particularly pesky room, like an entryway, with no pre-wired ceiling light? Consider hanging a decorative swag light via a cord and hook in the ceiling, or try wall sconces with battery-operated puck lights as a DIY-friendly hack.

6. Weatherproof your attic and garage

Common complaint: Rooms are too hot or too cold

7. Give your ceilings a creative upgrade

Common complaint: Popcorn ceilings

Home renovation tip: Removing a dated popcorn ceiling from an older home can be messy and dangerous due to the fact that they may contain the harmful substance asbestos. Unless you're doing a major remodel, it's usually advisable to leave asbestos in place because the loose fibers can be a health hazard. That's why many homeowners choose to hide this type of ceiling rather than rip it out. You can cover or camouflage a popcorn ceiling creatively with wood planks, faux tin tiles, fabric, shiplap and drywall boards. Popcorn can also be cleverly disguised or played down with smart paint choices or lamps that direct light away from the ceiling.

8. Make your garage door do double duty

Common complaint: No back or side door in garage

9. Makeover your front porch

Common complaint: No curb appeal