I’ve talked recently about my bathroom and it’s need for a makeover, but the other common woe for householders all over the world is disdain for their kitchen.

Supposedly your kitchen should be the heart of your home but with a new fitted kitchen often costing an arm and a leg, plus all the associated mess and disruption it’s not always easy to revamp quickly. Home style TV programs often tell us that it increases your houses value but a 2012 survey by HSBC found that it only actuallyupped the selling price by £4,577.

So today on the blog we have a few options to spruce up your kitchen with a bit of DIY. Even if the end result doesn’t make you love your kitchen anew, it might tide you over until you can afford a huge makeover or make your house more saleable. Also don’t underestimate the value of a few new appliances, they can lift the whole room.

Get painting!

Instead of replacing whole units, restyle your existing cupboards and storage. A new coat of paint can instantly brighten and modernise a space, whilst replacing handles adds a fresh, clean look.

Change those worktops

Chipped, scratched or outdated worktops (countertops) can be given a new lease of life by replacing the work surface, rather than the whole unit. Laminated worktops are a good option being both durable and mimicing the look of more expensive finishes like granite, marble and wood. If you’re handy with a saw or jigsaw cut and fit them yourself for maximum savings.

Create more space

Suffering from a small kitchen? Don’t grab the sledgehammer just yet, create the illusion of space by removing wall cupboard doors and replacing with glass, if the contents isn’t pretty just use some frosted glass Make sure tired pots and pans are kept neatly tucked away, and instead use these shelves to display colour-coordinated crockery or elegant glassware. You could even pop down to your local charity shop and grab some vintage gems.

Retile!

Many jobs don’t require calling in a pro, and a DIY attempt can often achieve the same effect. A tiled splashback can inject style instantly while keeping clean and tidy for a lot longer than a painted wall. Small mosaic tiles in neutral tones look amazing but come in easy-to-apply sheets. If you’d prefer larger tiles just purchase some tile spacers (little plastic crosses to keep your tiling perfect).

Theme your room

Keep your kitchen makeover framed around a defined theme. Neutral rooms look great with a signature colour focused on bright textiles and accessories: look for coloured or printed chair cushions, vases and wall art. Or, for a really sleek finish, try out metallic cupboard handles, a steel-look light fitting and dark-tiled splashbacks.

Take advantage of payment plans

The thought of finding the money to update appliances can put many people off getting stuck into their kitchen re-style, but these purchases can actually be surprisingly affordable if your payments are staggered. Big ticket items like fridge freezers on credit is a great option offered by household companies like Littlewoods, enabling you to spread the cost over a number of months should you need it, avoiding an instant hit on your wallet.