15 Ways to Ready a Summer Home on the Cheap

So, you bought a vacation home — congratulations! But after saving and scrounging to pull off your dream, it may be that there isn’t much left over for actually furnishing said vacation home and making it, you know, livable. Once you have the nonnegotiables (working plumbing, wiring etc.) taken care of, it’s time to make your place your own. Here are 15 budget-friendly ways (including a few worthy splurges) to get your holiday cottage ready for summer, so you can get busy doing what’s really important: relaxing.

1. Skip window coverings in the public spaces. If you have a great view, why cover it up? Unless the sun is a problem, save yourself a few bucks and skip the window coverings in the living room, dining room and kitchen.

2. And while you’re at it, skip the rugs. It’s easier to clean bare floors, and they feel cooler in summer anyway. Cha-ching! More money still in the bank.



3. Use a picnic table in the dining room. Embrace the easygoing summer vibe and use a picnic table in the dining room. Paint it a bright, summery hue, like aqua, cobalt or lemon yellow.


4. Paint cupboards and remove doors. Instead of springing for new cabinetry, work with what you’ve got. A new lick of paint can transform old cabinets. And removing the doors from the upper cabinets (while not for everyone) can make a small cottage kitchen look bigger — and make it easier for everyone in a large group to find what they’re looking for.

5. Stock up on thrifted dishes and glassware. Fill those empty cupboards for a song by scooping up white dishes and clear glassware at yard sales, junk shops and flea markets whenever you see them. It’s far cheaper to buy pieces one or two at a time, because most people are looking for a set, so singles typically get priced way lower. Your “mismatched” set will still look cohesive (and perhaps even more charming) in subtle variations on white.



6. Rip out carpets and paint floors. Painting, rather than refinishing or replacing, worn floors is much easier on the budget. And if your home is by the beach, carpeting is not such a hot idea anyway — all of that water and sand tracked in will damage new carpeting quickly. Add a little pizzazz with nautical racing stripes on your stairs, painted stair risers or stenciled floors.

How to paint an old wood floor | How to paint stripes on a floor


7. Make displays of useful items instead of spending on decor. Almost anything — a pile of wood, a basket of table linens, a row of coffee mugs, a wall rack of glassware — can become a decorative statement when carefully arranged.

8. Embrace hand-me-downs and roadside finds. If you can get something free, whether from your own house or from a relative, a friend, or the curb, count your lucky stars. If your own house is a little overstuffed, shifting a few pieces to the summer cottage will improve both homes at once. When picking up roadside freebies, avoid upholstered pieces (which may harbor bedbugs) and anything that may contain lead (like old painted furniture), especially if you have little ones in the house.


9. Knock out a wall. Summer homes are often small, but they don’t have to feel cramped. Before you spend major dough expanding the footprint of your petite vacation home, check with an architect to see if it’s feasible to knock out a wall to open up the main room instead. It’s worth the effort and cost if it makes your vacation home look twice the size, and you can avoid expanding.

What to Know Before You Tear Down That Wall


10. Keep furnishings simple and spare. Stuffing a vacation home full of furniture and knickknacks sort of defeats the purpose of having a serene place where you can get away from it all — and going light on the furniture will save cash, too. If it’s not functional, leave it off your list (at least for now).


11. Refresh the space with new textiles. Fresh rugs, towels and bedding can go a long way toward making your summer home feel complete. They don’t need to be fancy — just fresh.

12. But skip the bed frames. Mattresses stacked on a simple platform can be just as attractive as a fancy bed, once they’re dressed up in pretty linens. And skipping the expensive bed frames adds up to big savings, especially if you need enough beds to sleep a large family and guests.



13. Make minor updates. A new showerhead, kitchen faucet, screen door, or toilet seat doesn’t need to cost a fortune, and can make a huge difference in the way things work on a daily basis. Look for bargains and set a price limit for each item before you go shopping.


14. Use more of the budget on the outdoors than in. If you spend more time outdoors than in your home while on vacation, it makes sense to splurge on this area as well. Spending on the things you will most appreciate — bigger decks and a screened-in porch top the list — is well worth the investment, even if it means waiting longer to renovate a bathroom or expand the kitchen.



15. Keep your eyes on the view. Still have a long way to go before your summer place feels like the dream getaway you envisioned? Pour yourself a glass of something cold and delicious, head outside and gaze at the view (not at the unfinished kitchen or junked-up living room). Now take a deep breath of that ocean or mountain air. Isn’t this what you dreamed of all along? Focus on all you have already achieved, sit back and enjoy the view.

More: Budget Decorator: Shop Your Home for a Whole New Look

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