Wanting to freshen up your kitchen doesn’t have to be a major money spending event. You’ll be surprised to find out just what you can do with less expense then you thought possible. So if you are on a small budget, just a couple hundred dollars can do a lot to brighten the space and give it a new look. Or if you have between $500.00 and $2000, you can really add some pizazz to your somewhat boring or outdated kitchen.

So here’s a few suggestions for you to look at and decide for yourself what you can do to update your blah kitchen. It will be money well spent. One thing you might think about doing is installing new countertops and back splash. Older homes often have outdated tile countertops, these can cheaply be replaced with laminate countertops, concrete countertops or butcher block countertops that can match any homes decor. If you have an older home, no doubt your kitchen probably has a 4″ band of tile above the counter on the wall, right? Well why not update that look by removing the tile and filling the entire space between the counter and upper cabinets with either wall paper, glass tile or a contrasting color or even decorative paneling painted to coordinate with the room. This is a job you can do yourself. Once you have removed the old tiles, just smooth the surface, prime the space and install your choice of filler.

Now what about your appliances? Do you still have a mismatched refrigerator and stove? Well believe it or not, you can have these refinished at a local workshop. They will pick them up, apply enamel in your choice of color or with a brushed steel finish and then return them to you looking just like new. The cost for this is generally around $100 to $500 per appliance. Be sure to check on the warranty.

For your floors, a good choice would be laminate flooring because it comes in a variety of patterns that imitate natural materials like wood grains, stone, granite of tile. This can also be a great project that you can do yourself if your floors are level with the adjacent rooms making it a really easy task. Be sure to get an accurate measurement of your floor and buy enough flooring plus a little extra in case of boo-boos or replacements down the road. Once you have purchased the flooring you need to open the boxes and put them in the room where they are going to be placed to let them “season” for the recommended period of time. Once ready, you can place the flooring plank by plank right over the old floors. No need for nails or glue as these boards snap right together. By the way, if you are renting your house, you can easily lift up the flooring and remove it when you move out if need be.

A small budget can go along way in a kitchen remodel if time, research and planning plays a role. Kitchen flooring, kitchen countertops and paint are some of the tasks you can do yourself if you have the motivation and the patience to learn and achieve. With persistence, your efforts will pay off and you will be living in a remodeled kitchen, although on a budget, that suits your family and homes wants and needs.

If your house is an older home, chances are that under that flooring is some hardwood floors. If you prefer the hardwood over the laminate, you’d be surprised what beauty and warmth they can add to your kitchen. You will need to remove the flooring on top of course and then clean off all the old adhesive, fill any nail holes, sand the floors and then seal with the proper hardwood varnish. This will take a little while and can be a little harder then just covering what you have with the laminate. You can rent the proper tools and find the supplies you will need at any hardware or home repair store like Lowe’s or Home Depot. You will get years of wear and tear while enjoying the rich look.