Well, when it comes to remodeling we can't always afford to gut the place.  There are some rather affordable methods however for making what you already have more efficient space wise.  Look for wasted space which can be used or rearranged for more utility and appeal. 

For example, a friend of mine had a small kitchen and dinning room.  He removed the wall separating the two and installed a support beam where the wall had supported the floor joists.  Then he found 12X12 ceramic tiles on sale and tiled both floors, which tied the whole project together very nicely. 

My wife and I lived in a small place when we first married.  Our kitchen had little storage space.  There was a rather good sized coat closet in the dinning area near the kitchen and rear exit door.  So, I removed the pole and shelf and installed a straight coat rack consisting of a 3ft. stained 1X3 with 6 coat hooks, on one side.  On other wall I made floating shelves  which enabled us to use the closet for coats and as a pantry for canned and dry goods.  Floating shelves are made of hollow core doors.  They are easy to install and are quite strong. 

(http://www.wikihow.com/Build-Simple-Floating-Shelves)   

If you are looking to install an entertainment center or bookshelf, look for lost space such as removing a wall beneath a staircase.  Small rooms can also be combined in older homes with othert small or rectanglular rooms.   Don't forget to consider that removing a wall may require installing a support beam.  In any event, you may want to investigate the possibilities yourself with a hammer and prybar, before getting any estimates on your idea.