The following excerpt is from an article found on Porch.com. It was written by the Master Builders Association.
Keep costs manageable while still making impactful upgrades to your home.
Home renovations require patience, planning, and more patience, but not massive amounts of money. You just have to think like a pro. Keep costs down and spirits up by taking advantage of these professionally-proven tips and techniques in order to achieve the look and feel you want minus the hassles.
Kitchen Lighting
Make sure you have the illumination you need and want. Any kitchen worth its salt will have three types of lighting: accent, ambient, and task. If you’re being wired for overhead accent lighting in the form of a hanging pendant light, have the electrician ready the ceiling for recessed, or ambient, lighting as well.
When going for task lighting in the form of under-cabinet illumination, avoid wiring altogether and simply stick LED adhesive lighting strips where needed. These versatile peel-and-stick lights don’t require extra labor and can be cut to length to accommodate whatever crazy dimensions you come up with.
Super Storage Savings
Consider going with open shelving instead of cumbersome and expensive new cabinetry in the kitchen. Cool and stylish, open shelves offer a number of décor options without a heavy-duty price tag. Better yet, you can then repurpose those old cabinets to provide excess storage in the garage (for tools, etc.) or even in the closet (for whatever).
Paint The Mood You Want
If you’re done dealing with lighting altogether, use lighter paint tones to brighten a room without adding excess fixtures. Lighter walls will make better use of the lighting you do have, and won’t add dollars to your electricity bill. While we’re on the subject of paint, be sure to cover the walls before adding cabinets, backsplashes, or anything else that you would otherwise need to dance around after installation to save on unnecessary time and labor.
