Whether you've just moved in or have lived in your home for years: These user-friendly kitchen update ideas can give you more for less. No house flip needed. Making even a few small changes can change how you enjoy the central room of your house—while helping to improve your property value. These simple projects can be done on your own or with minimal outside help: 

Add a backsplash. Backsplash is the way to go if you want to make a big statement at a fairly affordable price. You can hire a professional to install backsplash for around $1,000, or watch some YouTube tutorials and do it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Peel-and-stick backsplash tiles are also an option. 

Buy a new appliance. Sometimes, it's that easy. Purchasing a new stainless-steel refrigerator or double-oven cooktop is enough to give your kitchen an instant facelift. If you're looking to save, consider buying "open box" or slightly used from retailers like Lowe's and Best Buy—potentially cutting more than half the price. 

Consider new flooring. On the hunt for low-cost kitchen flooring, luxury vinyl is likely to be your best choice. Thanks to the hardwood flooring shortage throughout the pandemic driving up prices, more homeowners have turned to luxury vinyl tiles (typically peel-and-stick with grouting), costing around $3 to $18 per square foot. 

Put in new lighting. Swap out old hanging pendant lights with bolder, statement fixtures—or look into installing pendants if you don't have any. Some "illuminating" over-island pendant picks include industrial dome lights, globe lanterns, frosted bell lights, and even an antique gold chandelier. 

Repaint cabinets. Touch up chipped paint or make worn cabinets new again with a totally different color. (Right now, white, black, baby blue, and earthy greens are trending.) Metal, wood, and wood-laminate are considered some of the easiest cabinet materials to repaint. 

Turn a house into your home—one small change at a time. What you think may be a minor change to your kitchen could significantly affect your home's overall appearance and value. You spend most of your time at home, so we hope these tips will help you make it your dream home.

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