Your home is ready for a real makeover, maybe it’s even overdue. But where to start? Like everything else in life, start with the basics first.
Thomas Halstead Designs in Hollywood, California, has been giving expert guidance to his clients throughout the entire design process, whether it’s enhancing the environment or a complete home design. Here, he offers just a few tips on how you can make some basic changes to your home that will increase not just its value, but its comfort and livability for you and your family.
There are some jobs that will need a professional service, like carpeting or installing a new roof. Even just replacing the gutters is something it’s best to leave to the pros. But there are plenty of things you can do yourself. In the end, it will probably be some combination of you, plus the pros but you’ll need some of the groundwork done first.
Make a list, check your budget, then decide what you want to do and where to start. Take before and after pictures and keep receipts for all the repairs and upgrades. It’s important to document them for tax purposes if you decide to sell your home.
Paint
For exterior paint, it’s best to choose a neutral color. It’s not only pleasant for you, but since exterior paint lasts about 10 years, if you decide to sell in the near future, it will be the most pleasing to potential buyers. Besides neutral colors, blues, whites, and earth tones are also good choices. For interior paint, earth tones do well there, too along with, grays, and off-white. Blues and greens are good for creating a relaxing atmosphere.
Floors
Hardwood flooring is popular for a reason, it’s versatile, and looks good with almost any style of decorating. Laminate is also popular since it’s sturdy and less expensive than wood. Tile is always in fashion and is something you can install yourself. Uncarpeted floors are easier to keep clean, so if you have pets, or if allergies are a problem, go with area rugs instead. Carpeting is nice, however, in the living room, bedrooms and guestrooms. Wool is still the best choice for carpets since it’s resilient, soft, and warm.
Organizing and Decluttering
Box up everything you haven’t used in the past two years. That includes clothes, small appliances, toys and games, dishes, linens, tools, all of it.
Next, have an upscale yard sale. Make it look like an actual store with real labels placed on the items you’re selling. Use an online label maker to make them as fancy and fun as you like to really catch the eye of browsers. They’ll think they’re getting something unique and special. Label-making templates are free and easy to use, so let the kids design their own too. Play some coffee house music and offer homemade treats. You’ll have reduced the stress-causing clutter in your home, and have some extra money to show for it.
Lighting
Light creates mood, enhances the decor, and adds an ambiance to any space that can be felt immediately. According to The Lighting Research Center, light in a home should be comfortable, easy to control, and energy-efficient. Light plays such an important role in the lives of everyone in the home including their health, it’s wise to take the lighting in your house seriously. Consult with an expert to make sure the lighting in your home is adequate for everyone’s physical and mental well-being as well as showing off your decor to its best advantage.
Landscaping
A beautiful front yard fence frames your home and gives it a unique look, especially if it's the traditional white picket fence of the American dream home. A tall backyard fence adds value to your home for any future buyers with pets. It’s possible and can be fun to do your own landscaping. And, by doing it yourself, you’ll keep the cost down too.
These are just a few tips to consider when remodeling your home. But the basics are the same as is the goal, to make your home as healthy and happy a place as you can because, in the end, there really is no place like home.