Wouldn’t it be great if we could take the corners of our house, pick them up, and snap them clean like a freshly washed bed sheet? It would be nice, but then we’d be living in an unreal “Tim Burton-esque” world. Good news, though…refreshening your home, with good planning, can be done easily in a weekend.
This past Tuesday, designer Taniya Nayak of Designed to Sell discussed ideas for sprucing up your home without having to do any major renovations. Check out these tips:
#1. Paint is the #1 easy fix to create a fresh and new feel to your home. Refer to design magazines for updated colors. *Budget tip: Check out this Habitat ReStore listing on DiggersList for inexpensive colorant, or go to your local DIY store for “oops! paint”. If the color isn’t exactly what you want, purchase a quart of paint to mix and create one on your own, or ask a color consultant @ a DIY store for help.
#2. Repair/Replace/Install baseboards and/or mouldings to add an updated detail throughout your space. In a previous blog “It’s in the Details”, I mentioned how important these features are to selling your home. It’s funny how we often wait to make these improvements for others and not for our own enjoyment. Go for it! You deserve to have nice mouldings! *Budget tip: Check out these postings on DiggersList for clearance prices on mouldings-Habitat Restore and Global One Forest Products.
#3. Install/Replace window treatments. Out of these five steps to refreshening your home, installing and replacing window treatments is probably the most time and cost consuming. However, there are many options and styles of window treatments that can do the trick. Additionally, dressing your windows can be very creative and updating to the look of any space, as well as making way for a cleaner look and smell all around. *Budget tip: If you need to replace your drapes, I found a great deal at IKEA, click here.
#4. Replace the hardware on your kitchen/bathroom cabinets to give them new life and a surprising facelift! This is a fantastic fix and really works! *Budget tip: I found a set 8 cabinet knobs from $18.99-$27.99 at Target. Good deal!
#5. Clean, Clean, Clean! It may seem obvious: to refreshen is to clean! However, I’m talking about those areas in your home that rarely see the rough end of a scrub brush:
*Rugs & Carpets-rent one of those “Rug Doctors” and get in a quick workout…this is a huge step to eliminating old odors and stains from foot traffic, holiday parties, and everyday living. For tougher jobs, it might be a good idea to hire a professional. *Budget tip: save $25 for new customers, click here).
*Windows and Screens-a little “elbow grease” can go a long way to refreshening your home. Wash your interior AND exterior windows, take off your screens and scrub with warm, sudsy water, then…let the sun shine in!
*Clean window treatments-As I write this blog, I’m thinking to myself, “Hmm…I need to take my own advice here!” If replacing your window treatments is outside your budget (monetary or time), cleaning them is the next best thing. By simply taking down your drapes/curtains/sheers and washing them (either at home or dry cleaning) and wiping down your blinds, you’ll take off years of dust, odor, and (eh, hem!) cobwebs from your home.
*Home siding/Walkways/Driveways-Don’t forget your “curb appeal”! You may have given you and your neighbors the “green thumb’s up”, but that beautiful landscaping can be marred by all the dirty, grimy hardscape (including dulled paint and doors) surrounding it. Pressure cleaners are the easiest and fasted ways to wash away hardened, weathered grit and dirt. *Budget tip: see “rugs and carpets” budget tip link.
We’ve endured one of the craziest winters to date (over a billion tons of snowfall-wha!?!), so with spring just peaking around the corner (and defrosting to boot!), refreshening your home is just the ticket to making way for the sun and welcoming the new season.
