Your staircase is one of the most used and viewed parts of your home, so being happy with its appearance is important. An old-fashioned or tired looking staircase can quickly become an eyesore and can also lower the value of a property.
However, due to budget constraints, a full staircase renovation often isn’t an option. This is common when moving home – your new property might need some immediate love and attention to bring it to your taste. However, having just spent a lot moving home you may not have the spare cash to rip out and replace the staircase.
Here are seven spend-saving ideas to consider when looking for a low-cost solution to your updating your staircase:
Replace the banisters and spindles
Swapping old-fashioned balustrades or dated spindles with more modern equivalents can really refresh the look of your staircase. And it can be done with minimal disruption.
For more dated staircases, consider adding metallic elements such as black metal spindles, they can change the entire character of your staircase and make a real statement. You should also consider using glass balustrades in place of wooden equivalents, not only does this modernise your property but they greatly increase the amount of light flowing through your home.
Replace the handrail, baserail and newel caps
Replacing features such as the handrail, baserail and newel post caps will also transform your staircase and again can be done with minimal disruption. And for the keen DIYer, this is something you could tackle on your own once you learn about each part, what its function is, and how they all work together – saving yourself further expenditure.
Uncover the wood
Perhaps much of the natural timber of your staircase is partially hidden, for example underneath an outdated or thoroughly worn stair carpet. Rather than replacing the carpet, you could consider losing it altogether and going for wooden treads – a solution that works well in both modern and contemporary settings.
Remember the wood will need treating to give it a longer life – we stock a range of Treatex hard wax oils which both protect and enhance the natural beauty of wooden staircases.
Repaint or refinish
Possibly one of the more popular ways of giving a staircase new lease of life is to repaint or refinish it. There is so much opportunity here - with different parts (such as handrails, balustrades treads and risers) to paint, different colours to paint in and different finish options available to you.
Everyone will have their own ideas, but one style we’re a fan of is using contrasting colours, such as black and white, to create a real bold look that’s sure to turn heads.
Before repainting or refinishing, remember to take the time to sand down all the surfaces first to remove existing paints, varnishes and oils and then primer the surfaces. This will ensure that once your new paint and finish is applied, you’ll get a more durable finish.
Clad with new risers and treads
A tread shouldn’t just be something you put your feet on – it should also form part of the impact you want to make through your staircase. If you’re not happy with the current style, another cost-effective solution to updating your staircase is to clad your stairs with new risers and treads.
What’s more, it’s cost-saving as you often don’t need to take out the existing stairs as the new treads can sit on top of the current ones.
Cover the treads with carpet
Earlier we mentioned bringing out the wood on your staircase, but if you prefer the softness of carpet under foot, a new carpet can work magic on a staircase – be it replacing an existing carpet or covering wooden treads.
If you fancy a bit of both, you could lay a modern runner carpet down the centre of your staircase and finish the visible wooden sections to your taste either side of the carpet.
This can be as cost-effective as you want it to be, but we’d always recommend going for a high-quality carpet with a durable underlay. Over time you’ll certainly get your money’s worth.
Revamp the space under your stairs
One area that is often overlooked for improvement is under the stairs, usually because it’s a small area typically with a cupboard of some form or cluttered with coats and shoes. With a bit of creativity, the space under your stairs can be transformed into unique and value adding part of your home.
