8 DIY Home Improvement Ideas for 2023

Rough River Hardware believes that with the right planning, any homeowner can transform the look and feel of a whole room or the entire home with a single project.

For avid do-it-yourselfers, the best part is knowing that this transformation can happen while you save money by completing the work yourself. Even if you aren’t a seasoned DIYer, it’s not hard to tackle and complete home upgrades that add value and functionality to your place. For inspiration, start with this list of eight easy home upgrades you can do on a budget of $1,000 or less.

Project #1: Install a Stair Runner

If you want to add a bit of color or sophistication to slippery, wooden stairs, installing a stair runner is the perfect DIY task.

Most quotes for professionally installed stair runners will start at $1,000 and go up, but with a bit of elbow grease, some advice and supplies from your local hardware store and a bit of preplanning, just about any homeowner can complete this task in one weekend.

Average Cost: $300

Project #2: Repaint Your Walls

Want to go from dingy and boring to bright and inspired? Then it’s time to get out the drop cloth. Painting a room can dramatically change the look and feel of the space. Plus, it’s a simple job to complete for experienced DIY homeowners and an easy project to tackle for inexperienced handypeople.

Average Cost: $150

Project #3: Add or Replace Crown Molding

Crown molding adds charm and value to a home, not because it’s ornate but because it lends a completed look to any room.

If you don’t relish the idea of spending a weekend trying to get the corners just right, then consider a simple way to avoid miter-saw frustration by using lightweight Trimroc crown molding. Unlike traditional crown molding, this product is made of polystyrene foam coated in hard plaster. The best part is that it can be cut smoothly with a handsaw and it goes up easily and quickly with a joint compound. (For more experienced DIYers, this means no coping, no tricky angles, and no ragged joints you need to figure out how to make disappear.)

A rule of thumb is to select a crown molding size that is 30% to 40% of the width of the baseboard.

Average Cost: $260

Project #4: Swap Out Kitchen and/or Bathroom Cabinet Hardware

A great and inexpensive way to upgrade the look of your home is to replace kitchen and bathroom cabinet pulls and handles. The older your current cabinet hardware, the more dramatic the impact this upgrade will have on your home’s look (and value).

For inspiration, consider looking online at home decor sites and scanning real estate listing ads. Once you’ve settled on a cabinet-pull look, make sure it matches your current setup. While most cabinet handles and knobs come in standard sizes and shapes, there are always exceptions. To be sure, measure the space between the installation screws and the screw itself, or just take the screw and one of the old handles into your local hardware store to get expert advice.

Average Cost: $175

Project #5: Layer on Some Warmth With a New Floor

Nobody likes to wake up and step onto a cold floor. If you find that one or more of the rooms in your home have consistently cold floors, then it might be time to improve the look and feel of that room’s flooring. 

Installing a new cork floor isn’t hard and the cork is a resilient, durable, stylish and natural floor material that adds both warmth and a bit of cushion to any floor in any room. 

Average Cost: $700 (or roughly $6 to $8 per square foot)

Project #6: Revive Your Old Deck

Years of harsh weather can turn even the best-built deck into a dingy, weatherbeaten mess. To restore your deck, consider spending a week giving it the love and attention it needs. Start by power-washing all surfaces. Once done, you’ll then need to hand-scrub the hard-to-reach areas. Once the deck is dry, brush on a protective coat of semi-transparent stain. This will protect the wood decking from the elements and prevent that dull, gray weather-beaten look that tends to make a deck look dated (and devalue your home).

Average Cost: $250

Project #7: Protect your Walls With a New, Easy-to-Clean Backsplash

If installing a traditional tile backsplash feels a little out of your DIY league, then consider updating your kitchen’s backsplash using a single sheet of solid surface material, such as beadboard. The project requires relatively few cuts and allows those just getting comfortable with home handiwork to finish the job in a weekend.

Average Cost: $250

Project #8: Install Kitchen Cabinet Rollouts

Rollouts are one of the easiest and most satisfying upgrades you can make to your kitchen. Adding a rollout (or two or three) helps you access hard-to-reach cabinets and puts all your supplies and small appliances within easy reach. That means for every rollout you install, you're actually gaining usable storage space in your kitchen!

If you don’t want to make the rollouts yourself, you can shop for moderately priced yet sturdy rollouts online or at your local hardware store. Virtually all ready-to-install rollouts are simple to mount and come in standard cabinet sizes. In fact, the biggest mistake is ordering the wrong size, so when you measure your cabinets for a rollout, be sure you take into consideration the door, hinges and any other obstructions.

Average Cost: $180 for three rollouts

If you have any questions or need more information, visit Rough River Hardware. Our team is always available to help in any way we can.