Lots of homeowners want their houses to look like a cable TV show renovator just opened the door of their newly redone house. It can be so, however, with a little weekend work, a few supplies, and lots of imagination. For homeowners on a budget, we've found a few inexpensive solutions to upgrading your home. Visitors and buyers see the outside of your home before they ever step through the front door. It makes sense to begin your upgrades with the outside of the house. These upgrades aren't too expensive.
1. Paint the Front Door
A pop of color attracted you to your house, so why won't another pop of color attract visitors or buyers? The color should be welcoming and warm such as sunshine yellow or barn red. Paint the trim a neutral color like gray or white.
2. Add Plants
Placing pots of plants on the steps of the front porch and hanging baskets of flowers from the roof over the front porch pleases the eye of visitors or buyers. Pretty plants and flowers make a house feel more homey.
3. Place Outdoor Furniture
Even if it's only a table and a couple chairs, visitors and buyers want to see an outdoor living space. You don't have to pop for a fire pit or plant an expensive garden. All you need is a couple pretty pots of flowers or greenery, a table and chairs, and you're good to go.
4. Go Back In Time
If you can find a vintage carriage house lantern or other antique lantern lighting fixture, grab it. Authentic lighting fixtures are making a comeback; but more than that, it's a fashion statement. It's a symbol of a simpler time, a more friendly and secure time. Visitors and buyers will appreciate it.
5. Paint
Any room will benefit from a fresh coat of paint. Breathe new life into tired old white, beige, and gray neutral colored walls with wainscoting of a different color or a darker shade of white, beige, and gray.
6. Put Up Crown Molding
Putting up molding adds elegance to an otherwise drab room. Putting it up, though, is no picnic, right? Wrong. No longer do homeowners and DIYers need tricky saws or remodeling experts. Just go to your nearest big-box store for molding you can cut with a handsaw. It's glued in place using a special compound.
7. Switch Out Light Fixtures
Trending today is pendant lighting in kitchens and chandeliers in other rooms, including bathrooms. They don't have to be expensive, just fresh and new. Even just changing the lightbulbs for LED or other energy efficient bulbs will help you save money in the long run.
8. New Kitchen Cabinets
A coat of paint goes a long way, even in the kitchen. You can try repainting your cabinets, or if you want them to look even more professional, try refacing them. You can easily search “find cabinet refacing near me” to find local contractors and compare prices and finished products.
9. New Kitchen Floors
Homeowners with older kitchen floors may want to consider replacing the floors. There are cheaper options depending on what material you pick to have put in. Compare the different prices of the materials and figure out what look you want to achieve to determine what flooring you want.
10. Replace The Hardware
Faucets, pot fillers, even the vent above the stove can be replaced with fresh new hardware. It will make the kitchen look brand new. If it isn't in the budget, paint them.
11. Update Bathtub Area
Older homes with outdated tubs can be refreshed by a new tub or simply fixing up the area. Replacing hardware with new fixtures isn't too expensive., or even getting a new shower rack can make a big difference. Be sure to re-caulk the bathtub and shower for an even newer feel.
12. Put Molding Around Windows and Cabinetry
Different kinds of molding can be built around windows and cabinets to gain different effects. Windows with molding look newer and fresher. Cabinets look elegant with molding built around them.
