5 budget kitchen upgrades you can get done in a weekend

It's the weekend — congratulations, you made it!

If you don't already have plans, like a coveted dinner booking or catching up with friends, take it as a sign to tackle a low-cost kitchen upgrade.

You might think that doing any kind of kitchen renovation is a task that's not only expensive, but time consuming too.

There are some really simple tweaks you can make to your kitchen to give the space a refresh that won't break the bank and can be done in a weekend.

The best part is even beginner renovators can give some of these ideas a go at home.

Pick up a paint brush

When it comes to making a big impact on a budget, paint is your new best mate. There are so many parts of the kitchen you can change with a new lick of paint too. From the walls to your cabinets, pick which element needs a refresh and get to work.

READ MORE: Everything we learnt from Ronnie's painting masterclass on The Block

Maybe a fresh coat of a gutsy dark grey paint on your walls is exactly what your kitchen needs to take it to the next level this weekend. If you have an older-style kitchen, paint the inside of your kitchen cabinets for a refresh.

Change your hardware

For a small investment and around an hour’s work, you can make a decent change to the look for your kitchen by changing the hardware.

The handles on your cupboards and drawers can all be replaced, meaning you can change up the look of your kitchen with new hardware. Go for pops of brass or brushed gold hardware, paint your existing handles to give them a new life in a new colour.

It's an easy way to experiment with new colours and materials without completely gutting the kitchen.

Create a kitchen garden

A hit of green never hurt a kitchen in need of an update. The level of commitment here is totally personal — you could go for a full blown vertical garden wall. But if that seems like too much of a commitment, go for a herb garden on your window sill or even just a couple of little pots of your favourite herbs.

READ MORE: How to grow your own lettuce at home

Go open plan

Not a full gut your kitchen and make it open plan, but making the space feel more open through open shelving.

We've all got a special dining set, or glasses or something that deserves to be put on display — so why not make it happen. Adding open shelves to your walls will up your design game.

If you're not keen to add the shelving, or have the room for it, why not try removing shelf doors off your kitchen cabinets? It'll cost you nothing and only requires a couple of hours' work.

The best part is if you really dislike your handy work just put the doors back on next weekend.

Update your appliances and accessories

Not to push you into irrational purchasing or anything, but the easiest way to create a massive impact in your kitchen instantly is by upgrading your appliances.

However, not all of us can drop a hefty wad of cash on a whim, so the next best thing is dressing your bench with a slick new kettle or toaster, or perhaps a new holder for your cooking utensils will do the trick.