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Almost any renovation budget can be stretched—even one that’s $2,000. That’s how much money young homeowners are setting aside for their home improvement projects in 2021, according to a new survey from marketing firm UpSwell. People in the 18-to-29 age group (a mix of Gen-Zers and millennials) said they’d be spending approximately $2,240 on fixing up their spaces this year. It’s a modest number when you consider the average cost to replace kitchen cabinets alone is $5,100, but the possibilities are (almost) endless if you’re willing to get creative. Here are four ways we’d make the most of a 20-something’s remodeling budget.
Bring a Dated Backsplash Back to Life
Canadian design blogger Amy Peters saved major dollars in her bathroom reno by painting her existing glass vanity backsplash tiles white using a product called Beyond Paint, which bonds to challenging surfaces—no primer necessary—and costs $50 per quart.
Create a New Dish-Washing Station
On average, switching out the sink will total around $450 (with labor), and the job will typically take about four hours. If you want to go above and beyond, do like Shea McGee and add a drip-edge detail to an under-mount one (it catches any spillage and protects cabinetry).
Hack Built-Ins
After being quoted $3,000 for floor-to-ceiling living room bookcases, Elise Joseph purchased five of IKEA’s Billy bookcases, some 3-by-4s, and caulk and DIYed the project for $500 total.
Carve Out a Mudroom
To make her entryway feel like its own room and not just a place to drop coats and keys, This House 5000 blogger Elena Lohse bought a stock French door from Home Depot for $135 and a $60 fogged-glass one from her local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
You decide what’s next with the cash you have left over.