When you’re raising kids on your own, keeping the house looking fresh can slip way down the priority list. But cheap home improvements don’t have to be stressful, complicated or expensive. With a few clever tweaks, you can make meaningful changes that fit a single mum budget and still make your home feel warm, cosy and uniquely yours.
Whether you’re teaching yourself some simple DIY tricks or finding smart ways to cut costs on bigger home improvement projects, there are plenty of budget-friendly ideas that make a difference. Below are 15 cheap home improvements to brighten up your space without breaking the bank.
Further reading: 7 Tips to transform your bedroom from cold to cosy.
Cheap home improvements on a single mum budget
Cheap home improvements to brighten up the entrance
The front door is the first thing you and your guests see when they walk in, so it’s the perfect place to start. A fresh coat of paint, new house numbers, or a leafy plant on each side of the door can instantly upgrade the vibe—no big spend required.
Cheap home improvements with new curtains or blinds
New blinds or curtains make for easy, inexpensive home improvement. They are the perfect way to freshen up any room. For enhanced privacy and protection, security shutters in Melbourne are an excellent choice, offering both style and functionality while securing your home from external threats.
Go online and check out the sales. Measure up and get some quotes. Unlined curtains will be cheaper, and plain fabric is usually cheaper than patterned. If your windows are a standard size, buy ready-made to save heaps. You can also go for some blockout blinds, as the limited light can help you to make your home more cosy. Remember, it’s subtle styling that works wonders.
Add a stair runner
Old carpeted stairs tend to show their age—especially with little feet running up and down all day. After stripping old carpet, sand and paint the timber underneath, then finish with a hard-wearing stair runner to protect against everyday chaos.
Change your handles and knobs
It’s amazing how many small details can transform a room. Swapping out cabinet handles, drawer pulls, or knobs is a cheap home improvement that takes minutes but looks like a mini-renovation.
Update your storage systems
If your home feels cluttered, upgrading your storage can be a low-cost game changer. Sliding doors, modular shelving, open wooden shelves, woven baskets and simple organisers all help maximise space—especially in small rooms common in single-mum households.
Add some greenery
Indoor plants add colour, purify the air and bring life into your space. Just make sure to choose plants suited to your home’s light and climate. Always check whether plants are safe for kids and pets.
Cheap home improvements for your bedroom: new bed covers
If DIY isn’t your thing, this is the easiest, cheapest home improvement ever. Fresh bedding can completely transform your bedroom without lifting a hammer.
Change your lamp shades
Replacing your lamp shade is an effortless way to revamp the overall look of a room. A different colour, shape, or size can diffuse light, reduce glare, and direct light in a brand-new way without completely replacing your lamps.
When buying new lamp shades, get the right fitting size. You can, of course, find electrical connectors or an adapter if your fitting is wrong, but that’s an additional expense.
If you’re artistic, you can defo DIY your lamp shades by sewing them yourself or spray-painting over the existing fabric to change the colour. Just resist overdoing it with the spray paint so the fabric remains opaque.
More cheap home improvement ideas that won’t break the bank
Paint your cabinets (a classic cheap home improvement)
A fresh coat of paint is one of the most affordable and cheap home improvements. Painting can also sufficiently hide your child’s “artworks” (a.k.a. scribbles), which inevitably happen at some point.
Before you paint your cabinets, unscrew pulls, knobs, and hinges, peel off stickers or wallpaper, sand if necessary, remove dust, and prime. You may also have to use putty to even out rough surfaces.
If you have a bigger budget, get an all-in-one paint, so you don’t need to prime. Also, use a roller instead of a brush for a more even coat.
Put up some new pictures
A family photograph, your child’s art, preserved foliage, or a print you found on Etsy can breathe life into your wall or bookshelf. Pictures can also add personality to your home, making it truly yours.
You have a couple of options when hanging pictures on a wall, each with pros and cons. The more secure option is drilling, but you’d have to cover the holes if you want to move your pictures. On the other hand, you can use adhesive, which is no-drill and almost invisible, but it can peel off the paint one day and is not as secure.
For many, it can be hard to know where to start when choosing art. As a starting point, head to Printivart and scroll through their collection to see what you like and what will work with your home decor and style.
Cheap home improvements with new light switch plates
Who knew something as basic as a light switch plate could refresh a room and be a winner for cheap home improvements? Yet, whether we realise it or not, we always touch light switch plates. So naturally, they will be dirty and grimy through the years.
Did you know that you can buy decorative light switch covers now? Yes! Today, they come in many designs: cute, girly, cars, punk, and even handmade, artsy patterns. Now, even your light switch plate can be a topic of discussion.
Additionally, you can make your child select their favourite design for their bedroom. It can help them remember to switch the lights off when not in use. There are heaps of budget-friendly options available online to fit their personality.
Change your splashback
Give your kitchen a makeover by simply replacing the splashback. Splash backs protect your kitchen walls from grime and condensation. They give any sad kitchen that fresh touch-up and make cleaning more manageable.
For mums on a tight budget, tiles, acrylic, and stainless steel are the most economical options. Lightweight, thin, and with self-adhesive backings, acrylic splashbacks are easiest to install by yourself.
On the other end of the price spectrum, glass is more expensive but, depending on quality, can last indefinitely. So, consider this if you’re concerned about replacing your splashback in the future.
Cheap home improvements by changing your room layout
Whether you’ve already outgrown your current floor plan or need to repurpose a room for additional living space, the cheapest way to flip your home is to move your furniture around.
After all, you already have everything you need. You require only your inner architect and, of course, muscles to push/pull things from one area to another.
When changing the layout of your room, keep mobility and safety in mind. Consider using a compact loveseat from Home Reserve instead of a full-sized sofa to create more open space, especially in smaller rooms or apartments. Keep breakable stuff away from where a running toddler can knock it down. Also, ensure nobody has to cross an entire obstacle course to reach another area, especially entrances and exits.
Tidy your garden
Don’t forget the garden when it comes to cheap home improvements.
Beautiful, lush flora can have a calming and refreshing effect on you, your kids, and anyone who sees it. But it’s easy to overlook your garden, especially for a single mum who works outside the home for most of the daylight.
When planning your garden, choose more low-maintenance plants. For example, lavender, thyme, and agave are beautiful yet undemanding plants you might want to consider.
If you don’t have time to maintain your garden, there are a couple of things you can do more regularly. As you pass, remove dry flowers and leaves along the way. Leave dried leaves on the soil under your plants to become organic fertiliser.
You can also participate in “No Mow” campaigns for the bees to thrive, so you have every excuse to keep your garden wild!
Paint a room or just one wall
Nothing says “change” more than new paint. Whether it’s a fresh coat of the existing hue or a completely new colour, repainting a room gives that much-needed facelift.
Not keen on repainting the whole room?
Many homeowners and decorators paint an accent wall instead, which becomes the room’s focal point. The general rule for an accent wall is that it can be a few shades lighter or darker than the rest of the walls, as long as it’s a complementary colour. If you can’t find a suitable wall, ceilings are often underutilised.
Finally, consider getting non-toxic, water-based paint if you have a baby or a little kid at home.
