I would suggest you talk to and get quotes from pros. in your local area. Advice on remodeling an entire home with limited info. is beyond the scope of this discussion forum.

What's your budget?

Based on the fact you say your house is old my guess is there are some lovely hardwood floors under the carpet. You can have someone come out and look and give you an estimate for refinishing the floors. They shouldn't charge for something like that. If you do have hardwood under the carpet then here is my suggestion:

I got an estimate to refinish about 2000sq ft of hardwood for about $3500. That is not bad but the pain is u cant have anything in the rooms where you are refinishing so you basically have to store everything for like a week and possibly not even live there. But if you have the money and ability I really think that switching carpet to hardwood would make a HUGE difference.

If you do NOT have hardwood under the carpet then maybe just replace the carpet in the house with something neutural. I have no idea how much it costs, like I said our whole house is hardwood. I would also suggest if you go with carpet to go with a stain resistant option because you don't want to have to replace it anytime soon.

Next! Add moulding! I don't believe it is very expensive to do and you could most likely do it yourself. I think home depot or lowes will cut the pieces for you if you get the measurements (measure 2ce cut once my friend). And finally paint! Do it yourself. Gallons run about $55 on average these days and you should use a primer as well. You could totally do this yourself. It isn't as hard as it looks just watch a few how to videos and you will learn some helpful tips. Also, my town has a paint recycling center. I go and find those small paint color samples that people barely touch and you can mix them together as long as they are both the same kind (like latex and latex). I mixed two ben moore blue samples made new blue, used tools I already had and essentially painted my bathroom for free. Keep in mind this way limits your color options but you can generally find neutural colors no problem. You can also get leftover paint from neighbors, family, friends and maybe freecycle as well. Some people may buy 2 gallons and only use a little of the second gallon and not need the rest. That is plenty of paint for a bathroom or office sized room. One tip here: when you use used paint you need to strain it!! You can do this by using a 50cent panty hose from walgreens or wherever and pour it into a new paint can or plastic bucket from the paint store. I duct tape the panty hose around it but I'm sure there are other ways too. Videos can be found on youtube. If you don't strain you may get little bits of dried paint or rust.

So basically if you have about 6k-7k to spend you could make a serious difference in your house. It takes money to see these results I mean nothing is really free

In the chance you meant re-decorate vs. re-model, you could try the forum to see if it's worth your time.

It can be done "cheap" and "well done" but ONLY if you are a very skilled and well able do-it-yourselfer.

Ranmarie -Yes, you are correct but that's a big "But Only" I have definitely encountered some very skilled Home Owners. What I know is that a significant number of remodeling projects require a very wide range of skills and that many Home Owners do not always recognize when they have reached their limit. Also, a significant number of these projects also require permits for structural, electrical, plumbing & HVAC alterations. Not doing so could not only have a negative effect on resale value but could also have life safety implications. In my opinion, it is only ethical that those providing advice should also make a reasonable effort to inform readers of this.

Graham

I agree with Graham.

The easy, cheap, no-permit-needed changes are to replace light bulbs with maximum rated for the fixtures, remove old window coverings, and prune back overgrown bushes around the windows. For more money, paint the whole house white and replace the dark carpet.

Add some photos if you wish.

What is your budget and what is your goal? Will you be in the house forever or only for a few years? What is the housing market like in your area? What projects can you take on yourself and what needs to be done by a professional. Are there any problems that need to be addressed (leaks, deteriorating wood, lack of insulation, old single pane windows, anything that is not visible but needs to be fixed) What parts of the house work well and what does not. Paint always freshen things up, but you need to make a long term plan of things that you would like to get done and prioritize your schedule of projects.

Yes I agree it's a big "But Only". Before any project you need to be realistic about what you can and can't do. If you have to ask whether to DIY it or not, that's probably a good indication that it's best to leave it to professionals.

"Cheap" and "well done" are virtually always an oxymoron.

Good work isn't cheap and cheap work isn't good

Good work is expensive, even if you are only spending your own time and effort. Time is money applies even if you aren't paying directly