What do you do if you have HGTV-home dreams but don’t have extra money to spend?

You may not have Joanne Gaines’ budget, but there are plenty of ways to make your house look expensive on the cheap. 

The key is knowing how to make it magazine worthy without spending a fortune.

You can make your home look expensive with little or even no money at all. 

1. Don’t Clean. Declutter

Don't clean. Declutter

Cleaning has become synonymous with hiding items in drawers, closets, and under the bed.

Hiding is not cleaning.

Essentially, a clean house comes from having a functional home – one where everything inside has a place and a purpose.

A functional home possesses only items that make your life better and easier.

Pick up an item in your home and ask yourself, “Is this item making my life better or easier?”

If it’s not, then sell it, donate it, or throw it away.

Spend an afternoon decluttering a closet, your garage, or basement and get rid of items that no longer serve a purpose in your life.

Your home will naturally become cleaner and satisfyingly more functional.

And, it will feel expensive because everything you own now has a purpose. 

Too many people waste money filling their homes with more stuff.

They mistakenly believe having more equates to having money. Instead, their homes look cluttered, cheap, and messy.

Look at any home magazine, and you’ll notice an absence of clutter.

Less is more when it comes to home decor. 

If It Doesn’t Bring You Joy, Say Good-bye

Have you ever gone on a cleaning binge and been frustrated at how much you have amassed … and how long it takes you to clean?

If so, then you need to read Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing to learn how to declutter and organize your space. (or read our 5 Marie Kondo hacks roundup here)

This book has been life-changing for so many that Netflix even gave Kondo her own series.

Kondo’s guiding principle is that if an item does not spark joy, then you shouldn’t have it in your home.

Plus, in her book she gives tips on how to organize the things that do spark joy in a way that will make your house look expensive.

2. Get Organized (and Organizers)

Get organized. (And organizers)

When you think of an expensive-looking home, you think organized.

The closets are not bursting with stuff.

The pantry is organized.

Closets and drawers have purpose.

Expensive-looking houses are well-organized.

Everything has a purpose, and everything has a place.

And there is no junk lying around or hidden.

If you want your house to look expensive without spending money on pricey home decor, get organizers for everything:

Using organization systems, such as closet systems with shelving for clothing, bags, and shoes, immediately makes a home look nicer. 

3. Keep Dishes out of the Sink

keep dishes out of the sink

A quick and easy way to make your house look cleaner and classier is to keep the dishes out of the sink.

Make it a habit to always put dishes straight into the dishwasher after meals rather than letting them pile up in the sink. 

Invest in an Under Sink Organizer to store and organize your dish cleaning products rather than having them sit on the counter. 

4. No Shoes Inside

no shoes inside

If you want to make your house look expensive and stay that way for years, then you need a “no shoes inside” rule.

Yes, some people may find this burdensome, but when you really think about it, it’s not.

No shoes inside means no tracking dirt around your home.

That means less mopping.

So it’s less work for you and your home stays cleaner. 

Picture that magazine spread again.

Do you envision shoes all over the floors? No!

Shoes are hidden or placed on a shoe rack.

It’s worth investing in a quality shoe rack, especially one that looks sophisticated and matches your decor.

5. Get a Fun Handheld Vacuum

Get a handheld vacuum

Let’s be honest, when cleaning takes too much effort, it gets put on the back burner.

For example, if you have a full-sized vacuum that you have to take apart to get into small spaces, then you probably have dust bunnies in your corners and under your furniture.

(No judgment here, we’ve been there!)

This is because it takes too much effort to do a quick cleanup, so you neglect the task. 

Instead, get a convenient hand-held vacuum to do quick pickups of dust bunnies.

6. Invest in a Personal Coffee Maker

invest in a personal coffee maker

Having a Keurig coffee maker makes your house look expensive, and it also saves you money in the long run.

First, making coffee at home will save you a ton of money versus hitting the Starbucks drive-thru day-in and day-out. 

You can save even more money when you invest in reusable K-cups.

Instead of using one K-cup for each cup of coffee and sending it to the landfill, simply fill the reusable cup with your favorite ground coffee.

Using your own coffee typically costs three times less.

Plus, reusable K-cups are better for the environment. 

7. Always Buy Products That Make Your Life More Functional

Always buy functional products

Before you purchase anything, ask yourself, “Will this make my life better?”

If it won’t, don’t spend money on it.

For example, would your life be easier if you had a coat rack?

If so, then get a coat rack.

But, if you don’t have many coats or you already have a designated coat closet, then pass on it for now. 

As you shop, remember, inside expensive-looking homes everything has a purpose and a place.

If what you want to buy doesn’t serve a purpose or make your life more functional, pass on the purchase.

8. Add Curtains

Add curtains

Curtains can instantly upgrade a room! But if done incorrectly, they can make your space feel dark and drab.

Use our pro designer inspired Curtain Tips to hang curtains to make your home look bigger, brighter, and more expensive.

See it here: How to Hang Curtains to Make Your Home Look Expensive

Bonus Hack: DIY Home Decor

Looking to spruce up your home?

Instead of spending a fortune at Pottery Barn, make your own home decor DIY dupe!

Give your place a distinguished or rustic feel with these 11 Dollar Tree DIY Home Decor Crafts!

Also See:

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