Sebastian House Tour (Budget Flip)

Written by: Naomi Middleton

Over the last four years, we have refinished almost every surface of our house. It was a lot of work but also so fun finding budget-friendly options for every room. Four years ago, we moved into our first home. We knew that we were going to have to do quite a bit of work on it when we bought it. However, as most projects go, we ended up doing much more than we originally planned. We didn’t have a lot of extra money when we bought our house, so we had to get creative with many of the renovations. Now, after four years, I’m pretty sure I can confidently say that we have finished most of the major updates that we wanted to do. It feels so good to be done and not have any huge projects looming over our heads. Here is an overview of the renovations that we did, the before/afters, and general costs.

Kitchen Updates

BUDGET: $5,500

We spent the largest amount of our renovation budget on our kitchen because it was one of the rooms that ended up needing the most work. When we bought the house, I was planning on just refinishing the cabinet doors. However, after we moved in, we realized that the cabinets were in quite a bit worse shape than we had originally thought. We also found some mold behind the lower cabinets. So, we made the decision to rip out the cabinets and put new cabinets in. In the end, it was a good decision because we were able to configure the cabinets in a much more efficient and practical way. We went with basic custom cabinets from Lowes ($4,500). For the countertop, we choose a Butcher Block from Menards ($300). For the backsplash, we went with a basic white subway tile and dark grey grout from Menards ($200). We also used their MusselBound Adhesive Tile Mat so that we didn’t have to mix and spread any mortar! And finally, for the floor, we used Lowe’s Grecian Marble Peel and Stick tile ($300). I absolutely love how everything turned out.

Living Room Updates

BUDGET: $1,700

For the most part, the living room was a really easy refresh. We painted all the walls Sherwin Williams Pure White and Attitude Grey ($100). And we also added a fun accent wall ($100). Because our living room can feel a little dark, the white accent wall was such a good addition. It made the whole room feel so much brighter. We did install all new Marvino Hickory floors from Lowe’s throughout most of our house which cost a total of ($1500). Because the living room was the largest space, we put the cost to refinish the floors in the living renovation budget. In full transparency, we did try to refinish our hardwood floors first on our own. However, it was a complete fail! A few years after we moved into our house, we ended up just laying new flooring down. In the end, I’m really glad that we went with engineered wood. Not only is it super durable but also super easy to clean.

Main Bathroom Updates

BUDGET: $1,100

Our main bathroom was a really fun and relatively simple project. We painted the vanity, Sherwin Williams Armitage Grey. The primer and paint we used cost about ($100). We also installed new facets from Lowes ($200). Replaced the light fixtures and mirrors. Sadly both are no longer sold but together they cost about ($200). We updated the floors with Lowe’s peel and stick tiles and grout. By grouting the tiles, we were able to make the floor completely waterproof ($100). And finally, we had a local company called Surface Solutions come and refinish our tile bathtub. When we had it done four years ago it cost us about ($500). However, I think that the price has gone up since then. If you search for “bathtub refinishing companies”, most cities should have companies that specialize in this service.

Fireplace Room updates

BUDGET: $100

Besides redoing the floors, we didn’t have to spend too much to renovate the fireplace room. This room is a great example of the power of paint. We painted all the walls and brink Sherwin Williams Pure White. Painting the brick around the fireplace was one of the best decisions that we made for this room. It made everything look so much brighter!