Budget-Friendly Shutters: Cost-Saving Options for Your Home

Adding shutters can be a great way to enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home’s exterior. However, traditional shutters made of wood or composite materials can be quite expensive, especially if you need to cover a lot of windows. If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to add shutters to your home, there are several cost-saving options to consider.

Go Faux

One of the most affordable shutter options is faux shutters made of vinyl or PVC. Faux shutters look very similar to real wood or composite shutters, providing the same decorative effect for a fraction of the price. Vinyl and PVC shutters are lightweight, low maintenance, and durable. They won’t warp, crack, or peel like wood can.

Faux shutters typically cost between $20-50 per shutter, compared to $100 or more for wood shutters. Even high-end vinyl shutters with added details or a textured woodgrain finish cost far less than real wood. If you opt for basic rectangular vinyl shutters in standard sizes, you can likely find options for under $30 per shutter.

When installing faux shutters, choose options with sturdy hinges and fasteners designed to withstand weather and wind. Carefully measure your windows and only install shutters sized appropriately for each window, rather than trying to make a few generic sizes fit everywhere. This will help the shutters look more authentic.

Consider Shutters Selectively

Another option for reducing costs is to be selective about which windows actually need shutters for aesthetic reasons. Do all windows on the front of your house need shutters, or would flanking the front door with shutters provide enough visual interest? Are there certain windows that are accentuated with trim details, making them more important for adding shutters?

Rather than trying to put shutters on every window, focus on adding them to windows that are most prominently seen. Use less expensive alternatives like drapes or blinds on other windows. Shutters on your front-facing windows will still enhance curb appeal. Strategically choosing which windows to add shutters to can help keep costs down.

Go Smaller

Traditional shutters usually match the full width and length of a window casing. However, smaller-sized shutters can also look nice, at a lower price. Having shutters sized at about two-thirds of your window height helps retain the illusion that they are operable. Smaller vinyl or PVC shutters are often available at big box stores for very reasonable prices.

Using smaller shutters works best on homes with windows that have trim or decorative surrounds. The contrast between the window detailing and the smaller shutters can be quite attractive, for a more unique look. Just be sure the shutters are large enough to still balance out the size of the window appropriately.

DIY Options

Another budget-friendly option is to make your own shutters if you’re reasonably handy. You can make shutters out of inexpensive materials like plywood, cedar boards or PVC boards. Simple rectangular shutters are not too challenging to DIY. You can add details like cross braces or cutout shapes if desired as well.

DIY shutters allow you to customize sizes and shapes to fit your windows perfectly. Make matching 9 inch wide boards for standard shutter sizes, or tweak proportions as needed. Prime and paint your homemade shutters to protect the wood and achieve the desired look. Just be sure to use weather-resistant paints and construction methods so they hold up outdoors.

Secondhand Shutters

Don’t rule out secondhand sources when shopping for shutters. Older homes being renovated often remove original wood shutters during updates. These can sometimes be purchased inexpensively from architectural salvage stores or online classified listings.

Vintage wood shutters add instant charm and architectural interest to a home, at a fraction of the cost of new custom wood shutters. Just be prepared to do some light sanding, priming and repainting to refresh used vintage shutters before installing them. Proper cleanup and prep work helps ensure they last.

Mix and Match Materials

For a cohesive look that maximizes value, consider mixing and matching costly wood shutters with budget-friendly vinyl or PVC shutters. Put wood shutters on your front-facing windows, where they’ll be most visible and appreciate the genuine material.

Then, use more affordable vinyl shutters on side and rear windows to still gain the decorative benefits on a budget. Overlap the vinyl panels when closed to hide the material differences. Mixing natural and synthetic shutter materials allows you to gain the aesthetic perks along with cost savings.

Window Inserts

An alternative to actual shutters are shutter inserts that mount directly into the window frame itself. These inserts feature panels shaped and sized like shutters that clip directly over the glass.

Window shutter inserts are very lightweight and inexpensive, since you’re only buying the visual shutter shapes, not the full structures. There’s no installation work involved either beyond clipping the inserts into place. They can quickly add the look of real shutters for much less.

Shutter Style Alternatives

Traditional shutters feature rectangular louvered panels that tilt or swing open. But other styles of shutters can also provide visual interest or architectural character at lower costs. Consider alternatives like arched shutters for a cottage look, radius shutters for prairie-style homes, or board and batten shutters for a rustic vibe.

Salvaged wood cut into decorative shapes can make custom shutters for a fraction of the price of specialty composite shutters. Or get creative painting shutter shapes on plywood to mount on your home’s facade. There are many ways to mimic the effect of expensive shutters through clever DIY methods and alternative shutter styling.

Accentuate with Trim

You can also reduce the number of shutters needed by adding other decorative elements around your windows. Attractive window trim molding, sills, aprons, or decorative surrounds help draw attention to windows even without shutters. Accent colors and architectural styling also make windows stand out.

Adding heavy trim details around windows means you often only need minimal shutters for ornamentation. Use trim and moldings to provide visual interest, and selectively place shutters for accent rather than needing full coverage. Good window design can mimic the effect of shutters for less.

Operable Faux Shutters

Most vinyl and PVC shutters are just decorative façade elements, permanently mounted to the house exterior. But operable faux shutters are also available. These function like real shutters, featuring hinges that allow the panels to close over the window for a very authentic look.

Operable vinyl shutters cost a bit more than fixed shutters but can more convincingly mimic genuine shutters at a fraction of the cost. Operable faux shutters also allow you to enjoy the privacy and light filtering benefits of real shutters without the expense. Motorized versions are also available to control via remote.

Paint Existing Shutters

If your home already has wood or composite shutters that are showing some wear, you may not need to replace them. Instead, thoroughly clean the existing shutters and add a fresh coat of outdoor paint in your color of choice.

Repainting faded or weathered exterior shutters helps restore their aesthetic appeal at very little cost. You can even paint shutters a different color than the house siding to make the windows pop. A good paint job can make old shutters look like new for much less than replacing them.

Add Exterior Blinds

Finally, consider exterior window blinds as an alternative to traditional shutter panels flanking a window. Exterior blinds function similarly to shutters, providing privacy, light filtering, and visual appeal for a fraction of the cost.

Blinds come in vinyl, aluminum, or composite materials in a range of styles, colors, and operating systems. Mount them above the window or directly to the frame. Motorized blinds offer convenient remote operation. Blinds pair well with trim details for stylish windows sans shutters.

Shutters can certainly amplify curb appeal and add architectural interest to your home. But there are also many budget-friendly ways to get the look of chic shutters for less. Following these creative ideas allows you to gain shutter style at the scale and cost point that fits your budget.