How to Replace Door Hardware & Hinges

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Realtors have the unique opportunity to see homes without filters and creative angles. We see the hits and misses of updates. And, sometimes there are things we can’t unsee.  As decor and DIY bloggers we live in a bit of a blogger bubble. Would you agree? But, for many homeowners, including a few friends and family,  they have no interest in following decor trends or the top paint colors for 2020. For me, the first update I look for in a home is the condition of the door hardware. The excpetions to this include historical or homes built pre-1970’s where the original hardware adds value. But, for many of us,  I am referring to the original builder grade door hardware. Here are a few suggestions on how to replace door hardware on a budget.

One of my favorite home updates is to replace door hardware and the often ignored door hinges.  Replacing door hardware makes a big impact in a room because most homes have more than a few doors.

Our interior and exterior doors are a big part of the aestethics of a space.

And, this is why it makes so much sense to update the features that are used as often as the bathroom (that’s another favorite home update).

Don’t get me wrong I know the thought of updating door hardware is overwhelming (and pricey) and it is the last thing we want to do on a weekend.

But, stick with me; replacing door hardware makes a huge difference.

Here is the process we took to update the door hardware and hinges.

1. Break it down into manageable and budget-friendly timelines. For example, we have dozens of doors across multiple levels in our home. The  “Jack and Jack” bathroom between our boys’ bedrooms has four doors in one bathroom. That adds up to four new door handles and twelve hinges for one space.

But the only thing worse than not replacing door hardware is not replacing all the hardware. You just have to grind through the replacement process.

2. But, to manage cash flow we replaced the most popular doors first; the popular doors used everyday or in sight everyday.  We started with the entry door handles and our home’s main level.

3. Over the course of several months and weeknights, with nothing new on Amazon or Netflix, we tackled one to two doors at a time.

It reminded me of when we replaced these.

And, then one evening without much fan fare we installed our last set of door handles and hinges. It was a huge DIY box to check.

We love the look. And, like all trends, the finish of  door hardware will change (who ever thought gold hues would be back), but the quality of door hardware tends to outweigh tthe finish trends.

And, don’t forget to update or clean up those door stoppers too!

Here is a more affordable project I did to update cabinet hardware in minutes.