Do you look at your home and think it needs updates, but the thought of the time, money & energy required to make the updates prevent you from doing the work? You don’t need to tackle the whole house at once, instead think of one space at a time. Additionally, there is no need to do a complete overhaul of the space – there are little things you can do that go a long way. Here are some things to think about.
Take a step outside:
- Mailbox. This is sometimes the first thing people see when they pull up to your house. A new mailbox, post, and set of house numbers is a relatively inexpensive & easy fix that will clean up the image of your home.
- Landscaping. You do not need entirely new landscaping, but cleaning up weeds & overgrowth and putting down some new mulch will polish up your outdoor space. Don’t stop at just cleaning up the yard & garden – tackle your driveway and any walkways too if you see grass or weeds growing up through cracks.
- Front door. Give your home a facelift by replacing your front door or even just repaint it if it’s in good shape. Consider a fun pop of color that complements the rest of the paint colors of your house for a statement door. If your budget allows, updating the door hardware will increase the curb appeal even more.
Inside:
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Lighting. If you have the budget to swap out some tired, old lights for more modern fixtures, this goes a long way in my opinion. You could address one room at a time and you don’t have to spend hundreds on each light – I’ve seen many pretty lights for under $20. Electricians usually charge an hourly rate so try to get an estimate for how many lights they can replace in an hour or two. If this is outside your budget, simply swapping out your light bulbs can give your home a much more comforting feel. Get rid of those bright, fluorescent lights and put in soft white bulbs.
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Touch-up paint. The general wear & tear of life puts a stress on baseboards, doors, and walls. If you don’t want to completely repaint a room, consider just touching up the paint – hiding imperfections with a fresh brush stroke of paint. Now is the time to patch any holes or fill in any dings. Make sure you choose the right finish paint and you don’t use a gloss paint on what was initially an eggshell.
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Fixtures. If you have outdated or run-down knobs on cabinets, handles on doors, towel racks, or even vent covers, all of these are easy to swap out. Replacing these give you an opportunity to let your personality shine through, while also making your space look more polished.
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Blinds. If your home still has aluminum blinds or temporary paper blinds you threw up for a quick fix years ago, consider replacing them. New window coverings can really modernize a room.
Decor:
- Furniture. If you are disappointed with how worn some of your furniture looks, sanding & painting wood pieces for a fresh new look is always a great option. This is an area where you can try out something different & have fun with it. I almost tossed an old, weathered Adirondack chair a few summers ago, but decided to bring it back to life & painted it a bright blue to match some of my other patio furniture.
- Decor. Throw pillows, comfy blankets, candles, baskets to hold clutter, throw rugs, artwork for the walls, a statement wall with a peel-and-stick wallpaper, real or fake potted planets, table lamps. All these are simple, easy ideas to update a space and make it more enjoyable to live in. I personally love shopping affordable decor Target and Joss & Main.
If you found this information valuable and are interested in seeing my inspiration for home updates & decor, follow my Pinterest page: https://www.pinterest.com/ecgoltz/
***Real Estate Tip***
If your home looks as though it needs updates to you, a potential buyer will see the same thing. Making some of these indoor and outdoor updates could potentially help with the resale of your home. Feel free to reach out if you’d like to run your thinking by me.
