Many of us can not afford to do a complete remodel or update to our home. But, there are a handful of ways to bring an updated feel with out breaking the bank. “Do it yourself” updates are usually easy and affordable changes that you can do on your own over the weekend or in just a few weeks!  Not only will these small changes freshen the appearance of your home, your hard work and investment will increase the value of your home!

Here are a few easy “updates”  you can complete over this Long Labor Day Weekend  or any weekend that will pay you back. The best news, each costs less than $1,000 and should require less than a day’s work.

Replace Sinks & Faucets

Estimated Price: Sink $400 & Faucet $150. If your  looking to spruce up your house, the kitchen is one of the first places you should start. You can replace a kitchen sink and faucet yourself in a matter of hours.

I LOVE this stainless apron front Kohler sink! It has been on my “to-do” list for our kitchen. We had this sink in our last home and it was awesome. Washing large pots is super easy. It isn’t exactly on the lower end of the price range but worth the investment in my opinion.

Find this one here

I love the look of this sink in the HGTV Green Kitchen. The stainless steel rectangle sink gives you a modern look and instant update.

Pot Fillers anyone? I’m a fan, just wish I had a place to install on in my kitchen!

Image: Decor Pad

We used this gorgeous faucet in a recent kitchen remodel! It totally made the kitchen pop! Your kitchen faucet can be a focal point in the room if you can’t afford to replace any thing else!

Backsplashes

Estimated Price: $14-20 per square foot depending on the brand, style and material you choose.  An updated backsplash is the easiest way to add pizazz to your kitchen.  You can go from country to modern in a snap with a variety of options for finishes and colors. To save money, time and frustration, consider the peel-and-stick tile options now available.  They’re not as bad as you think…they are attractive and will do the job if that’s all you can afford

Keep is simple: We used a white subway tile from Dal-Tile  for the backsplash in this kitchen. It’s clean, fresh and affordable. Subway tiles are available in multiple sizes and colors. The glass subway tiles are beautiful too.

Image: Decor Pad

Here are a few options for great looking affordable backsplash options,  Design for less has beautiful options.

Check out their great sale items too!!!

Image: Decor Pad

This was a bungalow kitchen that we remodeled last year! The backsplash was affordable and brought a modern feel to the new space.