5 simple ways to upgrade your home this summer for $200 or less – you’ll only wish you did it sooner

Summer is on the horizon, and as our mindset shifts with the season, many of us feel invigorated with the urge to completely transform our properties.

However, a top-to-bottom home renovation does not always mean starting from scratch, as there are plenty of simple ways to breathe new life into your home in time for summer for under $200.

Summer home improvement upgrades

Here are some small, inexpensive summer home improvement upgrades that will make a big difference in your home and garden.

1. Clean patios

Paving, patios and wooden decks can accumulate dirt, debris, moss and algae over winter. While using a pressure washer is the fastest way to clean a patio, there’s a danger that the strong jet of water will damage even tough outdoor surfaces.

Start by clearing your decking completely – furniture, pots, your barbecue, and anything else. Then, give the surface a thorough sweep to remove as much debris as possible from the surface and between cracks. You could use a garden hose to wash away grime, spraying in between the deck planks to dislodge debris. Next, apply a cleaning solution.

For a gentle clean to remove surface dirt and cobwebs, use a solution of washing up liquid in warm water. Alternatively, you can purchase a product made especially for cleaning decking. This Floor Scrub Brush with a Telescopic Handle from Amazon works a treat when used with this Wet & Forget Outdoor Cleaner, also from Amazon.

But that is not to say you can't use a pressure washer on hardy materials. Pressure washing should be reserved for durable concrete surfaces or composite decking, which can better withstand the blast of water. Even so, it’s best to use the fan spray and start on the lowest setting.

For paving, work in a sweeping motion, cleaning the surface using long, overlapping sprays. To clean out any corners, swap to the jet setting and aim into the corner, following an L-shaped action. Try to work from a shallow angle, say 30° or less, and work diagonally across the paving to avoid parallel washing of the joints, which could damage pointing.

If you do opt for a pressure washer, the Kärcher Pressure Washer K1700, available on Amazon, is one of the best options you can buy for the price – and is available for the next day delivery.

2. Install a ceiling fan

Ceiling fans can help keep a room cool in a heat wave. The most obvious benefit of a ceiling fan is air circulation. You'll be cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Changing a fan direction to cool a room counterclockwise can help draw hot air up and away from you while circulating cooler air downwards. This is why they are great for use in tandem with an AC, helping push cold air around more efficiently.

‘The counterclockwise circulation of fan blades in the summer pushes cool air down to the floor, producing a wind chill effect on the skin and making a room feel up to eight degrees colder to those underneath. Ceiling fans also help your air conditioner, redistributing already chilled air, and reducing the need for constant central or window air conditioning,’ explains Lane Dixon, VP of operations at Aire Serv.

3. Invest in blackout and light-filtering blinds

Often the last decorating choice in a room update, summer window treatment ideas can sometimes get overlooked, but they are an integral part of any scheme.

We spend a large part of the year trying to maximize the amount of light and heat in our homes, but when summer arrives, the opposite is true. Lying awake on hot nights or being woken up early by the sun streaming through the window isn't anyone's idea of fun.

The good news is that many brands now offer affordable, viable solutions to this common problem. Many blackout blinds have a tight, lightproof seal to ensure they fit your windows perfectly, keeping light out even when the sun is at its brightest. A reflective back coating also improves insulation, retaining warmth as well as reflecting the sun's ways to keep out excess heat.

4. Create garden shade

No longer just a place in which to enjoy the occasional lunch on a sunny Sunday afternoon, our gardens, whether a compact patio or an extensive lawn with well-stocked borders have become an extension of our interiors. And, as with the rooms in our homes, we want our outside space to work in many different ways. Now that summer is here, that means providing an inviting and relaxing setting to entertain friends and family.

One of the first considerations, after purchasing your outdoor seating, should be good garden screening ideas. Being overlooked is the reality for most people living in urban areas with houses on either side or, with backyards immediately backing onto an outside space. With this in mind, you'll want to prioritize some well-positioned pergolas, tall trees, or even a living wall.

However, if the budget is tight, the solution may not be planting or a completely new structure that involves a costly remodel, but a garden awning.

Those that extend outwards above your head by more than 6ft can offer some privacy, but you can also find awnings that extend down to the ground on either side that will provide garden privacy and screening from the weather, too.

5. Hang garden lighting

Good outdoor lighting ideas will transform any garden into a magical space, and it doesn't have to cost the earth.

As dusk descends, carefully positioned patio lighting can play a central role, drawing attention to the texture and shape of plants or decorative features, and creating a sense of depth and space with the interplay of light and shadow.

'Lighting is an instant way to make the space feel more custom or higher end,' says Kate Anne Gross, of Los Angeles-based landscaping design firm Kate Anne Designs. 'For example, when you go to resorts or high-end restaurants with outdoor seating, their lighting game is always on point.'

Today, many retailers sell lights under $200, and, thankfully, you will never notice the difference.

Outdoor string lighting ideas are a great option for the budget-conscious – and can be easily hung from existing structures. Team them with other light sources for sufficient illumination for the patio area. The Hampton Bay String Lights from The Home Depot is surprisingly inexpensive for a smart tech option.

Garden wall lighting is always getting cheaper by the day. The Outdoor Wall Light Sconce from The Home Depot is less than $90.

So you’ve decided that this is the year that you’re going to upgrade your home for summer. But what next? Whether you’re planning a home addition, seeking to make eco-home improvements, or planning a basement extension, the same essential steps will help you to realize your vision of curating a home that is a pleasure to use all year round.