DIY home renovation ideas

From tiles to brick work, save money with these home renovations hacks.

HOUSTON – If you decide to renovate your home, it might look like an overwhelming task, but it can definitely be done.

“It’s something that you have to be passionate about. If you set a budget, you are going to go over it. If you set a time limit, you will go over it. That’s a given. So, once you got that in your head, just have fun,” said Dana Tyson, host of Sunny 99.1's morning show, who stopped by our studio with her son, realtor and home builder Bobby Tyson. They recently restored a 1922 historic east-end home. The project took them two years to complete, but they decided to do the work themselves and save a bundle.

“It was a home that we would drive by, and it was literally falling down. My husband literally said, ‘Well, just tear it down,’ and Bobby and I conspired. We had a different idea. We thought, 'Let’s do it,"' said Dana Tyson, who shared with us some renovation hacks they did while remodeling their home -- including highlighting the door hinges.

“When you are restoring an old home, you are going to see paint over historic hinges. I went to Hobby Lobby and got gold leaf paint for $5.99 and used my fingers and just put it on the hinge, and you are going to bring that hinge to life,” said Tyson, who recommends this technique to get that high-end retro gold finish.

The fireplace was an important part of their home renovation project and they did it without spending a fortune. That’s why the mother-son duo also shared tips on how to tile a fireplace to look like the historic brick and how to get a high-end look for a hearth for less.

To see their home renovation hacks, see the video above.