45 Free or Inexpensive Home Improvement Ideas

Looking for free or inexpensive ways to improve your home? These 45 home improvement ideas will make your home look it’s very best, with ideas ranging from decluttering, organizing, decorating, and maintaining it on a budget!

Want more home improvement ideas? Get our free printable spring outdoor maintenance checklist to get your house in shape this season!

Stuck at home and looking for projects to improve your home (and sanity?) We’re in the same boat, and I’ve found having one project a day helps me take my mind off everything right now and gives purpose to our days.

With that in mind, here’s 45 free or low-cost home improvement ideas to maintain your home and make you love it even more. Whether it’s finding more space by decluttering, organizing to make your days go more smoothly, or beautifying and adding style, you’re sure to find tons of ideas here to make the most of your time at home!

Free and Low-Cost Home Improvement Ideas

Freshen up light switch covers, outlet covers, and/or cabinet pulls by spray painting them– a brushed gold or oil rubbed bronze works in most spaces! Here’s 20 additional spray paint makeovers to try.
Organize appliance and instruction manuals, and toss outdated ones.
Tighten cabinet doors or handles that may have come loose.
Replace blown light bulbs (we LOVE using dawn-to-dusk bulbs outside, they turn on at night and off at dawn automatically!)
Mend clothing, hem curtains, or fix anything in the ‘needs to be fixed’ basket.
Declutter unloved cookbooks and organize recipes- here’s a free printable recipe binder cover.
Wipe down kitchen and bathroom cabinets and drawers.
Declutter a closet and donate clothes you no longer need or love.
Hang curtains on your porch to manage pollen and sunlight.
Clean your grout the super easy, non-toxic way!
Upload photos of your kiddo’s art projects and have them printed into a book; it’s way easier to store and view kids art this way.
Clean out and organize your pantry (donate any unexpired food you don’t need).
Repot plants if needed.
Start some seeds, it’s a great time to grow spring vegetables.
Paint furniture that needs an update (here’s a recipe for easy-to-use DIY Chalk Paint.)
Print out photos or make photo books from photos you have on your phone or computer.
Clean out your inbox (okay, this isn’t home improvement but haven’t you always wanted extra time to do this? The time is now!)
Paint an accent wall– this is free if you have extra paint on hand! Or Home Depot will deliver it for free with a $45 order right now. 🙂
Paint your front door. You may even want to add a special message on it.
Declutter your medicine and personal care products. Use up beauty product samples during a home spa night with your family.
Swap your home decor from room to room for a free home decor refresh.
Paint inside a bookcase or cabinets.
Wash and detail your car.
Label your food storage with these free printable pantry labels.
Power wash your walkways, porch, deck… so many things! This pressure washer is highly rated and a budget-friendly way to maintain the look of your home.
Decorate for spring with what you have, such as clipping spring branches and putting them in vases.
Go through your files and shred papers you no longer need. We have this shredder and love it; it’s not inexpensive but we splurged knowing it was highly-rated, great quality, and it would work for the long-haul.
Rearrange furniture. You might be surprised at how well a piece functions in a different room!
Clean and organize your garage.
Hang a pegboard to organize tools.
Get your lawn and garden tools and supplies ready.
Create a gallery wall using what you already have. Group photos and art on the floor first (find an arrangement you love) before hanging them.
Style your shelves! Lay books flat or between bookends, place decor on top of flat books, switch things out, display photos in frames. Vary the height of objects and place in groups of 3 or 5. Add faux plants or real plants if you have access to natural light.
Build a planter or a raised garden bed- here’s 20 brilliant raised garden bed ideas.
Hang lights on your deck, patio or porch to create a cozy outdoor area.
Switch out clothing for the new season. Clean and store winter gear if you’re in a warmer climate.
Organize your gift wrapping supplies- wrapping paper, tape, ribbons, tags, and bow. My favorite way to do this is in shoe pockets on the back of my office door.
Swap out throw pillows or cover with inexpensive pillow covers.
Transform your front doorway with a new doormat.
Wash blankets and store until the fall.
Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Get rid of that ‘boys bathroom’ odor with this cleaning hack.
Freshen the carpets with this toxin-free homemade carpet freshening powder.
Plant a container garden to brighten up a room or outdoor space.
Create a ‘drop zone’ or mudroom area. Add a boot tray or shoe storage, some hooks for jackets and backpacks, smaller hooks for keys and a tray for mail.
Touch up paint on walls where needed.
Clean the lint out of your dryer, and the floor under and behind your fridge.