Have you been looking around your home and realizing that it’s seen better days and is looking a little worse for wear? If so, then it may be time to consider some home improvement projects to update the space and freshen up the look. So what happens if you are a university student currently enrolled in an online diplomacy program or similar?
Chances are you’ve spent a lot of money on your tuition and books, so how do you have the budget to handle home improvement projects? There’s also the fact you are taking the masters in diplomacy program. You may like to travel often so you can get a sense of how things work, not just in your own country, but abroad, too. And it doesn’t have to be this program, it can be any degree program that has you scrimping and saving and making it hard to see how home improvements are possible.
Prioritize the Projects
The best way to go about DIY projects when you’re on a strict budget is to prioritize the projects by creating a list. What areas bother you the most about your home? What are the least functional or attractive things to look at? These will probably be the area you want to focus on first. Even if you can only afford to tackle a couple of the items on the top of the list, you’ll still feel as though you’ve made huge strides.
What is Your Budget?
Another important thing to look at is what your budget is. What are you comfortable spending? Remember this budget should be strict because once you start to go over, it’s hard to stop.
One mistake people make with the budget is assuming that it has to be large or else it’s not worth it. Even if your budget is just a few hundred dollars, that’s enough to make some pretty significant changes to a room.
Look for Bang for Buck Ideas
Now that you’ve picked the room(s) you want to tackle and set your budget, it’s time to start thinking about what exactly you can do to the room. This is where you want to focus on the bang for your buck. You want to pick the ideas and techniques that will have the most impact for the least amount of money.
When it comes to the biggest impact, any designer and expert will tell you that paint is the way to go. Painting a room yourself won’t break the bank, but the effects will be massive. It will completely transform the look and feel of the room. Even if you can’t afford to buy new furniture, décor, hardware, etc., everything will look different once a new color is on the walls.
If you’ve still got room left in your budget this is when you can start to look at changing finishes such as hardware on cupboard doors, light fixtures, a decorative rug, backsplash in a kitchen, pops of color through décor pieces, etc.
Don’t Let Your Student Budget Hold You Back
When it comes to home improvement projects on a student budget, it is more than possible to transform your space without having to break the bank.