
50 Before And After Pics Of Impressive Renovations That Completely Transformed The Space
Your home is your sanctuary.
It’s the place you return to after a long day and where you start each morning. It’s where you recharge, share dinners with friends and family, and get to be yourself.
Ideally, it should reflect who you are, but getting it there can take a lot of work. Many people online have been putting in that effort, sharing their home renovations with the world, and the results are nothing short of inspiring.
Scroll down to see these brilliant transformations, and don’t forget to show these folks some love—they’ve earned it!
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The Chalet In The Alps
Just wanted to share the work my family and I have been doing over the last year, it's a chalet h**h in the Alps, with no water and no electricity. That's just the kitchen area so far.
DIY Powder Room Reno
We’ve been in our house for 5 years and we finally got around to warming up this hallway-like powder room on our main floor.
Renovation is a tricky art. Whether you’re relying on professionals to bring your dream to life or tackling it yourself (major props if you do!), it demands money, patience, and often comes with a few bumps along the way. Personally, I don’t think I’ve ever completed a DIY project without making a mistake I had to redo. Maybe I’m just not that good at it.
I Wanted To Share My Before And After Door Design
But many people truly enjoy using their hands and creativity to transform their spaces. In the US, for example, a 2024 survey by Frontdoor found that every homeowner has completed at least one DIY project, and 74% plan to start another in 2025. Any Pandas here working on something DIY right now?
Renovating My Workshop
This really looks good but now how will you be able to find anything?
Bathroom Reno... From Dusty Lath And Plaster H**l
Before / After Slavic Bathroom
Bought first apt with husband we renovated the whole thing but the Bathroom was worst.
Interestingly, the same survey found that nearly half of those who turned to DIY did so because hiring professionals was out of budget.
However, DIY isn’t exactly cheap either—participants reported spending an average of $1,674 per year on DIY, with $804 going toward their most recent project.
And unfortunately, despite their efforts, around 42% of DIYers end up regretting a project. Reasons include projects not turning out correctly (32%), taking too long (27%), costing too much (17%), or simply looking ugly (14%). Welp.
Boathouse Before And After
Finally Bought A House Last Year, This Was Our First Big Project
What Y’all Think?
Bought this house at the end of 2020 for $130k. House was in good condition owned by some old people. Just needed a new look. What you think?
But don’t let those numbers discourage you. There are ways to get better at DIY, and they involve more than just practice and learning from mistakes.
The first step, counterintuitively, is knowing your limits. You can’t do everything yourself, no matter how determined you are.
Jo Behari, a DIY expert and author, points out that in England, for example, it’s illegal to do gas and certain electrical work without proper qualifications. “People can die if it goes wrong,” he told The Guardian.
Don’t worry—there’s still plenty you can do yourself, like painting, decorating, tiling, or installing new taps, as long as you have the right tools, knowledge, and resist the temptation to rush.
Finally Convinced My Partner To Not Be Scared Of A Painted Ceiling Or Dark Colors 🫡
How Did I Do On My Son’s Nursery?
Our Humble House Reno - I’m So Happy With It!
We had been living in a boring white house for 8+ years and I’m finally proud to call this home!
Next, set yourself up with the right toolkit. It might feel like a hassle to buy things you don’t already have, but the basics are essentials for a reason.
Experts recommend a measuring tape, screwdrivers, hex keys (also known as Allen keys), a spirit level, a claw hammer, a scraper t**l, and safety gear like goggles (if your budget is tight, sunglasses can work for less risky jobs like sanding).
Behari also suggests using rubberized gloves: “They will improve your grip and make it easier to use tools.”
My Master Bath Reno
This was my first major renovation - finished today! I did work with a firm who could render my design for me, but I otherwise designed it myself. Style might not be for everyone but I personally love moody, cozy, midcentury vibes. The hiccups during construction definitely aged me a bit, so I def need a relaxing bath 🤣
Bathroom Change-Up
The before bathroom was there when we moved in. When the cheap vanity drawers started to fall apart, it was time to replace everything as nothing about the original bathroom was exciting, inviting or, in some cases, practically functional. Bathrooms are best if they are welcoming, warm spaces that draw you in with physical and visual elements. So that's what we did here without changing the footprint of the bathroom or any of the plumbing. The result, now that we just finished, is transformational. It went from a bathroom we tolerated to one we actively like spending time in. The only thing left to do is find the right shower curtain--but, already, there is a shower rod concealed behind the arch so once we find the right curtain that will fit in visually, we're off to the races.
Pantry Renovation, Before And After
Another key tip is knowing when to save and when to spend. Buying the cheapest materials often leads to cheap-looking results.
“Cheap paint is going to involve lots and lots of coats, so you have to buy more, and then it takes more time because you’re painting for a lot longer,” Behari says.
“The very expensive brands are not necessarily worth the investment, and you can colour-match really easily to get the same shades in less pricey paints. But make sure you use a good, reputable brand.”
Before And After Bathrooms!
Bought a house that was rented previously and just really wanted new bathrooms. We are so happy with them.
Not To Everyone’s Taste But Very Proud 100% DIY
I totally get the two biggest criticisms: wood in a bathroom and not thinking to move the hot air register, i seriously get it. Any other constructive feedback is totally welcome!
Budget Kitchen Reno
What do you guys think of this budget renovation I have done last weekend, spotlights and splashback will be done next. Is there anything else I could do to improve it further? Thanks
Research is also crucial, no matter how simple a task may seem, says Charlie White, who runs a DIY YouTube channel. Skipping this step often results in unnecessary expenses and disappointment.
Sometimes people assume that if something looks easy, it is. Don’t overestimate yourself.
Even a task that appears straightforward, like hanging a picture, can go wrong if you aren’t prepared—you could end up buying the wrong items, wasting money, and damaging the wall or the picture.
Mom And Daughter DIY
My twenty-four year old daughter bought a fixer and we’ve been fixing! I’m proud of the backsplash, as I found the tile on Facebook marketplace for $40 total and installed myself. We are having a great time!
My Backyard Transformation
I always get so much useful information on Reddit for my house renovation projects, so I wanted to share what I’ve done for my backyard.
When we bought our house there were an old shed in the backyard and some grass patch. Didn’t have a clear design in mind at that time yet but we demolished it and started digging out all the concrete patches.
After deciding on the design I started digging aggressively during the rainy winter month, and then worked on the sprinkler system.
The hardest part was the raised platform with clay pavers of course. I don’t know why I decided to have even spaces in between them like tile installation but clay pavers are not super straight, they’re rather more organically shaped which made me go insane trying to keep them evenly spaced. It was also our first attempt on hardscaping. After many painful days I’ve got a satisfying result. Two things I kind of regret are 1. Dry stacking the cinder blocks for the edges and 2. Using polymeric sand for joints. The whole platform is holding tight and nice for over a year now but during the installation the dry stacked edges were slightly shifting due to the compactor’s vibration. And the polymeric sand.. it can get messy, dusts are sticking to the surface and etc. I realize later you can just use regular sand.
Choosing plants and planting them were the most fun part! I’m still figuring out which one works better for the placement, but it’s mostly filled up nicely.
Now our backyard is the nicest part of the house while the rest are still half way through.
These pictures do not do justice to their hard work. Tap on “arrakia” on the lower left side of the picture to see a lot more detail of what was accomplished. It is beautiful.
How Did I Do?
Gutted bathroom from 1970s, it had been slightly updated since but the guts were all original.
Heated floor extends into the shower, among other fancy touches!
To stay motivated, consider finding a community, recommends Family Handyman. Connecting with like-minded DIYers, seeing what others are working on, and asking for advice can help you stay inspired.
And don’t forget to share your own results! It’s always satisfying to show off the hard work you’ve put in.
We Bought A Dated 70s Fixer Upper And This Was Our First Project. Downstairs Basement Office Is Now A Mother In Law Suite
IKEA Hack. Built In Bookcases With Shiplap Center Media Wall. Did It All On My Own!
Tried My Hand At One Of Those Slatted Accent Walls. How Did It Turn Out?
Finally, don’t toss out the scraps from your projects. Reduce, reuse, recycle. Family Handyman suggests using extra pieces of wood for bonfires or finding creative ways to repurpose your tools. You’ll save money, cut down on waste, and keep your creativity alive.
And most importantly, enjoy the process. Good luck with your DIYing!
Hard Work Pays Of, What Do You Think Of Our Taste?
We Transformed Our Old Kitchen Into A 1950s Diner :)
Bathroom Before/After
Laundry Room Renovation
Went from wire shelves and laminate flooring to tile floors, board and batten walls and butcher block shelves.
Bathroom Renovation Before/After
I prefer some of the details in the before photo tho, like the bathtub with legs
From "Sterile Subway Tile" To "Japanese Inspired Soaking Tub Room" Just Completed This 6 Month Long Renovation!
Much Better
Old Flat Renovation
Kitchen Renovation (Before And After)
I dont mind the before. Lots of sunlight. Seems cheery. The new layout is better though. Very nice.
Master Bath Glow Up 😚
Here’s Another Renovation I Thought You Might Like
Definitely an improvement. I don’t think the after picture does it justice.
I've Just Renewed My Old Bathroom :d
Before And After
I’ve Got A Good One For You
Bathroom Renovation. After, Before
First time doing a renovation. Also tried tiling for the first time. The tiles were like bananas so the leveling laser really helped
Full En-Suite Reno
I ended up completely gutting the ensuite of my new house project, widening it by 12”, recessing the floor for a curbless shower and redoing 100% of all the plumbing and electrical. I used the pre-fabbed sloped pan, cement board with Mapei AquaDefence and fibreglass mesh for all corners and edges. Installed heated floors up to the shower (not into). Pretty happy with the results, thought you guys might like to see a before / progress / after photo dump.
Been functional for 6 months now, not a sign of a leak, everything works great. Honestly wouldn’t change a thing - easily my favourite upgrade of the house so far.
Before And After
Kitchen facelift for the new year. Needed to brighten up the space.
Himalaya White Granite as it was as close as we could get to marble since we wanted to avoid marble in the kitchen.
Cabinets refinished with Milesi 2k. Perimeter color Benjamin Moore Distant Gray and island in Washington Blue.
Backsplash is Bianco Carrara Flower Mosaic.
Upgraded all cabinet runners and hinges to soft close.
Door/Drawer hardware Pennington Collection from Top Knobs.
Wife Left Me Alone For Two Months So I Redid Our Kitchen
Our whole house was a mess when we moved in and I’m doing one room at a time every time my wife has to leave for a work trip, so I spent the last few weeks doing our kitchen, which I HATED because it just felt so dark. Just have to caulk some places and will be good to go! This will be a rented property once we finish up what we want to do to it, and originally the plan was to replace the cabinets altogether, but it ended up being too far out of what we wanted to spend on the kitchen.
White(Ish) To Wood Kitchen
Like them both. Lost all the windows on the right though. Guess depends where it looked to. The new overhead light is FuN!
Refinished The Kitchen
Pocketdoor Closet Becomes Ensuite💋
I learned how to tile! AND I overcame my fear of saws! In fact, I love me a wet saw now! Progess, not perfection (someone will hate on my shower subway tile layout and IDGAF). A girl got this job done.
Before And After
Bathroom From H**l To A Godly Throne
Before / After DIY Bathroom On A Budget
Lots of firsts for me on this project.
By far the hardest part was removing the popcorn ceiling. Tried scraping, sanding - in the end I put mud over the whole thing. Happy with the finish.
I did everything myself except for the shower door install. I would have done it to save some more money, but with that side shelf window, I wasn’t going to find something prefabricated that fit.
Also yes, kept the same shower walls and just refinished them with one of those kits, which is probably frowned upon here 😅 I had done one in our old house a few years ago and was happy with the results, it will hold up forever as long as you prep well.
Anyways let me know what you think! 🙏
A New Modern Look For Our Kitchen Cabinet!
As with most things, it's good if you like it. But man I just don't understand the white kitchen cabinets. Not only do they show messes much worse, but I find the wood tones to be so much more warm and inviting.
I am so impressed by all the hard work and effort by these renovators. How much they upend their life and their family to accomplish an upgrade. Love following their efforts and sometimes dubious choices :) As long as they’re happy, that’s all that matters.
My kitchen is 80s teak cabinets and dark pine dresser, but it's not as scary as some of these
As with most things, it's good if you like it. But man I just don't understand the white kitchen cabinets. Not only do they show messes much worse, but I find the wood tones to be so much more warm and inviting.
I am so impressed by all the hard work and effort by these renovators. How much they upend their life and their family to accomplish an upgrade. Love following their efforts and sometimes dubious choices :) As long as they’re happy, that’s all that matters.
My kitchen is 80s teak cabinets and dark pine dresser, but it's not as scary as some of these