Kim and Kanye are house shopping again. Well, actually, they're land shopping. The duo was spotted this week touring a 10+-acre lot in Bel Air. In the middle of renovations on the multi-million-dollar L.A. estate they have yet to move into. Out of space already, are we? Ahhhhh... the problems of the rich and infamous.
Even if you're not quite so rich and have yet to become infamous, you can live like a star. Namely, you can live like Kim and Kanye--on a real person's budget.
1. Make the most of what you've got
Kim and Kanye don't have to settle for anything. But when you get done wondering what that must be like, consider this: not wanting for anything might actually leave you... wanting.
Not buying it? Well how about this: There is pride and joy and a sense of accomplishment involved in home improvement. And these days, it's easier than ever to take advantage of the resources out there to transform your existing home into something TMZ worthy.
Give yourself a celeb kitchen by replacing your countertops with solid surface. Yes, this is a big purchase, but it's also got big impact. You can shave off more than a few dollars from the typical granite cost by looking online in your city for "Build Direct," "Builders Warehouse," and "Contractor Specials." Some granite yards may also have remnants you can pick up for pennies on the dollar. The kitchen backsplash is another place where a small amount of money can make a huge difference. Check out this white marble backsplash tile from Wholesalers USA that costs $15.97 a sheet and is easy enough to do as a weekend project. For a couple hundred dollars and a bit of sweat equity, you could have a kitchen you won't want to leave.
Take a cue from New York-based home stager Cheryl Eisen, a former designer of "spaces for high-end real estate companies, (who's) spilling the beans on how you can spruce up your home décor without draining your wallet and create a focal point from bold art. Even better, create the art yourself, like she did here. Not an artist? Buzzfeed has 39 Easy DIY Ways To Create Art For Your Walls.
2. Choose a private location
Yes, you could choose to buy or build a massive mansion like Kim and Kanye are apt to do and add a big gate and a big moat and a bunch of uniformed guards right now, but then what would you have to aspire to? Maybe you just want to start just a little more modest. But that doesn't mean you can't still have a private space that feels like a million bucks.
Buying new? Make sure you ask to see the site plan to determine where your exact home will be built. You don't want to find out later that there's an elementary school being built across the street when what you're looking for is solitude.
Buying in an established neighborhood? Spend time there at different times of the day, night and week. This will help you get a better feel for what the neighborhood is really like and how much noise and traffic there is.
3. Relocate
How about if you're buying land and building custom? This offers the greatest potential to create precisely what you want. You choose your exact location, your setback from the road, the direction you want to face. It can also be the priciest option depending on where you live. If you want an acre in the small Midwest town you grew up in, that might be doable without much fuss. If a piece of beachfront property in Malibu is what you're after, well, you might as well be Kim and Kanye.
Our general perception of buying land and building a custom home might well be a 10-acre mountaintop property that costs $1 million for each of those acres. But it's true that in many parts of the country, building a custom home can be comparable to buying in a more established, upscale neighborhood, depending on location. If you don't already live in one of those parts of the country, you could always move to a place like, Texas, where the land (and the jobs) are plentiful, cost of living is low, and the real estate market is leading the nation. Everybody's doing it, says TIME in their recent cover.
Many of today's master-planned builders selling homesites for custom homes also allow you to choose any builder and build on your timeline. So if a property and a custom home are in your future, you could always buy the land now and build your dream home later.
4. Make smart buying decisions
If you are thinking of moving to a new city or state, carefully consider your options. Examine and cross-reference lists like Money magazine's Best Places to Live, Best Places to Retire, and Best Places to Raise a Family against their list of Best Places Where Homes are Affordable. The unique thing about this list is that it also considers tax rates, lifestyle, and other factors that identify where incomes can go the farthest, so people don't end up with a home and no livelihood to support living in it.
5. Be a copycat
Have you fallen in love with a designer or celebrity space? Such as, Kim Kardashian's former living room, perhaps? It's not as hard as you think to reproduce the look affordably.
Kardashian's couches are most likely custom and probably cost more than your car. But you can get the same sleep look with a pair of discount couches with clean lines like these from TRIBECA HOME. Bring in a rectangular wooden coffee table like this $205 option from Wayfair, a large, cozy rug like this 9x12 shag from Amazon, and a round mirror, like this $25 one from Overstock, and voila: Kardashian luxe on the cheap.
Then, add a few accessories to bring in color or personal style. Throw pillow will provide an extra layer of interest and also help you add texture and color. Kim and Kanye may go for something like this $400 animal print pillow. You can counter with this leopard print pillow for less than 10 percent of the cost.
Whether you are looking for a new home, looking to buy land, or just want to inject some new life into your existing space, a celeb look could be in your future. With a few tips and tricks, you'll soon have an abode that impresses -- without the Kim and Kanye paparazzi invasion.
