Give Your Home A Facelift with Home Improvements

With the price of houses sky rocketing many people have chosen to stay in their existing home and give it a facelift. Home improvements can be very cost effective and give your home a whole new look.

The idea of home renovating has really caught on since so many television shows now feature home improvements showing us the before and after footage and giving us tips and ideas on how to improve our home very affordably.

The hardest part is deciding what you want to do and where to begin. Then you need to decide how much you can afford to spend. You also will need to decide which home improvement projects will increase the value of your home the most.

Redecorating your home is a lot more cost effective then buying another home. Especially if you don’t require additional room and are just looking for cosmetic changes. Perhaps your lifestyle has changed or maybe your taste buds are just looking for something a little different that what you currently have. If you are already living in a desirable neighborhood your improvements will also increase the value of your home.

You need to make a list of what must be done, what you would like to have, and what is a dream you’d like to see come true. Before you start you are going to have to set a budget. Once you set the budget you’ll know what projects from your list you will be able to complete.

You will also need to decide if you are going to go to the bank and get a home renovation loan or tack it onto your existing mortgage. Perhaps you have enough cash on hand to do the project without using credit. If the project is smaller try not to roll the cost into your mortgage because paying for it for the next 20 years doesn’t make sense.

A home can take on a brand new look simply by changing a color scheme. Bathrooms and kitchens can easily have a face lift by changing colors, adding some new fixtures, and perhaps adding a new tile or wallpaper border. If you are really going big you’ll want to refinish the cabinets and lay new linoleum.

Before you begin, choose the first room you will renovate, then make an itemized list of what you are going to do. Make sure you are being realistic and staying within your budget. Also make a note of any professional trade’s people you will need like a plumber. Perhaps you’re handy and can do most of the work yourself.

The best projects are those that make your home look better and also increase its value. If you are planning to sell ask your real estate agent what improvements would help increase the value of your home. Things as simple as better storage so that you can remove some of the clutter can make a big difference on your asking price.

Tasks such as a thorough cleaning of everything will make your house look and smell better. Do the windows, shine up the stainless steel, find a cleaner for every project you need to undertake. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference this in itself can make.

Removing clutter costs you nothing and yet it gives your home a new open airy feeling. We tend to collect “stuff” and all of a sudden we have so much “stuff” our home looks like an overcrowded child’s room. Either get rid of some of the stuff or get some shelving or cabinets to house it in. Displayed properly will make a nice feature to your room and give your room a feeling of being larger and more open.

Fresh paint always makes a home look new again. Whether you stay with your current colors or try something new it will feel fresh and clean again. If you are going to paint it’s always nice to try something different. This really gives your home a face lift.

Kitchens can be a big project to remodel especially if you are changing out the cabinets or appliances. However sometimes you don’t have to go that far. Re-facing or refinishing the cabinets will often be enough to give them a whole new look. Appliances are costly and unless your current ones are some awful 70s color or aren’t functioning properly I would hold off on this task and go for improvements that you get more value from. A new sink can make all the difference in the world to the look of a kitchen

Bathroom remodeling is one of the most important improvements you can make. A new sink, toilet, and shower can make a huge difference to the room. Try adding some new tile and perhaps some new cabinets as well. You can purchase prefab bathroom cabinets with beautiful countertops already in place. Saves you allot of hassle.

You might also want to consider changing your window dressings throughout the house. These can be come ratty and dated in no time at all especially if the sun beats on them all day long. You could try something more dramatic or stick to clean modernistic lines. You’ll need to match the window dressings up with the style of the room. After you’ve painted often your existing drapes and blinds don’t look so good. With a little bit of creativity and shopping around this does not have to be an expensive project.

Changing the flooring is also another improvement option that can make a huge difference. These days wood flooring is very popular and many people are replacing their linoleum with hardwood flooring. Take some time and consider the pros and cons of the different types of flooring then choose one that will work well and look good.

You can also save some money by changing out light fixtures to more energy efficient styles that will utilize the energy efficient bulbs. Track lighting is very popular because you can focus the lightening where it is needed. You may also want to invest in some new table lamps for the living room.

When renovating don’t forget about the exterior. Could your house use a coat of paint? How about the fence? Are the gardens all neat and tidy and is all the debris been taken care of? What about your deck? Does it need staining? Make your outside look as good as your inside!

Remodeling will not only make you feel like you’ve got a new home it will also increase the value of your home should you decide to sell it down the road. So it’s a win win all the way around. And it’s certainly allot cheaper than purchasing another house and moving.

Have some fun with your home improvement projects. Let your creativity flow and take some ideas from the television shows. You can make a very dramatic improvement and statement in your home without spending huge amounts of money. So what are you waiting for?


Deon Melchior is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory. This means that as a publisher you may reprint the articles that are included in our site, as long as the article is unedited and the author box is included with it's live hyperlinks.