Simple Kitchen Upgrades You Can Do Yourself

Everybody likes a change now and then, especially homeowners. Home buyers almost always feel the need to update. Additionally, owners that have lived in the same home eventually desire changes. If either of those describe you but you don't want to invest in a full remodel all at once, here are a few simple kitchen upgrades you can do yourself - or at least without a complete remodel.

Update or Add Hardware

First up on our list of simple do-it-yourself kitchen upgrades is updating hardware. Now when we say 'hardware', we are talking about a variety of kitchen fixtures. For example, changing or adding door knobs and handles on drawers or cabinet doors only requires a bit of drilling and a screwdriver. But cabinets are not the only place on which you can focus your attention. Changing out a sink faucets and doorknobs also can be done relatively easily. Finally, adding some crown molding can elevate the environment too. So, adding hardware is a simple upgrade for the DIY'er.

A Touch of Paint

Paint can transform a kitchen into a nearly new presentation. Whether you are applying the paint to the walls or the cabinetry, this simple kitchen upgrade can be done easily and relatively inexpensively. All you will need is the proper equipment, which is not too costly, the paint, and the time and patience to get the project completed. Here are some tools you may need depending on what kind of surface you are painting:

• Paint
• Small Brush
• Sandpaper (if you are smoothing walls or removing finish from cabinets)
• Pan
• Small Roller

Add or Replace Lighting

This simple kitchen upgrade could have been included in the hardware segment of this post as well. Lighting makes a tremendous impact on the ambience of a room. You can change out fixtures that are outdated or old with newer fixtures or ones that compliment you design taste. But new light fixtures such as chandeliers and recessed lighting are not the only kind of lighting that impact the area.

Adding LED lighting under the cabinet can work wonders to a kitchen. Yet as big of an impact under cabinet lighting adds, it is pretty simple to install LED style lighting that is low voltage and is "do-it-yourselfer friendly".

Add Various Accessories

For the next category of simple kitchen upgrades you can do yourself involves accessorizing. This can be done in a number of ways. Adding a simple piece of funiture like a bakers rack or a freestanding butcher block to your existing kitchen can upgrade it will relatively little effort. And don' forget the impact that some small appliances can add. Accentuating the space with decorative small appliances is one way to upgrade with little cost.

Update Flooring, Backsplash, or Countertops

The last item in our list of simple DIY kitchen upgrades is really three-in-one. Updating flooring, backsplashes, or countertops might not be considered simple for some people. In fact, at first thought these may sound like major projects, yet upgrading surfaces in your kitchen does not have to be extremely complicated. True, it can be complicated - but it doesn't have to be.

With the invent of floating, lockable laminates, flooring can be updated by anyone that can follow simple instructions. Even if you cannot perform these surface upgrades yourself, they can be done by as smaller projects that do not require a full remodel. And changing out surfaces in your home can make a big difference in the way your kitchen looks and feels.

So in conclusion, whether you decide that one of these simple upgrade techniques is for you or you choose to implement more than one, bringing your kitchen up-to-date can be accomplished on a budget if you just get a bit creative.