Transform Your Space with These Effortless Home Refresh Ideas

Looking to give your home a fresh, modern feel but not sure you’re ready to tackle a time-consuming or potential costly renovation? You still have options! You’d be surprised how effortless refreshes drastically improve the look and functionality of your home.  Unlike renovation projects that can take months, the home refresh ideas below can be done in under a month without breaking the bank.  

No renovation required: Simple home refresh ideas 

Renovating vs. refreshing your kitchen 

Cost of kitchen renovation

• Replacing kitchen cabinets. Doing so costs $5,400 on average. Plus it can set you back by as much as $10,000 or even $20,000 on the higher end.  

• Replacing flooring. This can also be a significant expense depending on the type and quality of the flooring you choose. Take, for example, the difference in cost between vinyl and hardwood. While vinyl typically costs between $2 and $7 per foot installed, hardwood can cost between $4 and $14. So an average kitchen—150 square feet—could cost $300 to $1,050 or $600 to $2,100 respectively. And that would be in addition to the cost of removing existing flooring.  

• Swapping lighting. The average cost of installing light fixtures is around $500 with the high end ranging up to $2,500.  

• Upgrading appliances. Appliances such as stoves and refrigerators cost hundreds or even thousands. Plus, the typical cost of installation isn’t included! 

Altogether, for new cabinets, new flooring, new lighting, and new appliances the cost could be in the ballpark of $30,000. Not looking to spend that kind of money on a renovation? You don’t have to!  

Cost of kitchen refresh

• Refinish your cabinets.  Much lower than the cost of replacing them, the average cost of refinishing cabinets is just $2,900. (Refinishing involves removing the existing finish, sanding, and applying a fresh coat of paint, stain or varnish.) 

• Add or swap hardware. For example, if your hardware is worn or out of style, you can purchase new hardware relatively inexpensively. You may even be able to swap out knobs and such yourself if you’re handy.  

• Re-sand hardwood floors. Other types of flooring such as laminate are difficult or even impossible to repair or refinish. But, if you have hardwood floors, you’re in luck. You can refinish them by having them sanded down, stained, and protected with an oil or water-based finish. On average, hardwood floor refinishing costs $1,700.  

You could likely get this refresh done for around $5,000. This could make an updated, modern look more attainable financially. Plus, if you’re selling your home, it can increase the value of your house and attract a broader set of buyers like a kitchen renovation would.  

Renovating vs. refreshing your bathrooms

Cost of bathroom renovations

As with your kitchen, you can also get great results from a bathroom refresh as opposed to renovation. What might renovating your bathroom entail? 

• Replacing flooring. Let’s say that you wanted new luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or ceramic tile. The cost could range from $4 to $7 per square foot or $5 to $20 per square foot respectively. So 40 square feet of LVT would range from $160 to $280 and ceramic tile from $200 to $800. Not including removal of your old flooring.   

• Replacing your shower or tub tile surround. As with ceramic tile there’s a fairly wide range of price points and the same is true of other types of tile. If you want a higher-quality type such as marble, you’ll be on the higher end of the spectrum.   

• Replace your shower or tub. An average pre-fabricated shower typically costs between $800 and $950 installed. A tub (or shower-tub combo) can cost between $1,100 and $1,800. Of course, you’ll pay more if you want customizations such as rainfall shower heads or jets.  

• Replacing your vanity. This project can cost anywhere from $665 to $3,300.  

What kind of investment would this entire renovation require? For high-quality LVT, a mid-priced shower-tub combo, and an affordable vanity, you could expect to pay around $2,700. If you have several bathrooms, that cost could add up.

But what if a complete renovation isn’t needed? It can be much less expensive to do a refresh!

Cost of bathroom refreshes

• Adding or swapping hardware such as cabinet handles and faucets.  
• Refinishing your vanity. This is a very similar process to refinishing kitchen cabinets. However, it’s typically less expensive since there’s less surface area to cover and less labor involved.  
• Reglaze tile surround. If your tile surround is chipped or cracked, reglazing can improve its appearance dramatically. The cost of ceramic tile reglazing, for example, can be as low as $150.  

You can give your bathroom a much-needed upgrade for likely half the cost of a renovation. And you’d be surprised what a huge difference it can make!

Other home refresh ideas worth considering

Besides your kitchen and bathrooms, what other spaces can you breathe new life into with easy home refreshes? Any one, including any outdoor living areas on your property! For instance, you could: 

• Do curb appeal landscaping to make your house look more inviting 
• Clean and stretch carpet to extend its lifespan and improve its look (or refinish other types of flooring) 
• Remove old wallpaper 
• Give your living room or bedrooms a fresh coat of paint in a neutral color 
• Update your window treatments 
• Opt for repairs when possible instead of replacements 

If you’re preparing to sell your house, ask your Realtor® what refreshes they would recommend! They’ll take into account the current condition of your home, what buyers in your local market want, and other factors.   

When a home refresh won’t cut it 

If your agent feels that a renovation would get your home sold quickly and for more, ask them about Curbio. We specialize in determining what home improvements will get you the best return on investment and we also take care of the work! Learn more about how Curbio works.