Would you love your home just a little bit more if you made some changes to it? That’s not a surprise. By the middle of 2024, 61% of American homeowners had done a little home improvement sprucing up. In other words, they felt the same way you do.
Of course, it’s one thing to say your wishes out loud, such as for a bigger master bath or updated kitchen. It’s another thing to take the first step toward renovating. Plenty of people drag their feet when it comes to improving their surroundings. After all, around-the-house projects can be costly and time-consuming. Nevertheless, you can’t reap the rewards if you do nothing but dream.
Here’s the good news: Getting started on all those updates can be easier than you might have imagined. Below are a few tried and true tips to help you ditch your home revamp hesitance and add a dash of character to your palace.
1. Hire a licensed professional to complete your first job
From fixing a leaky faucet to installing exterior stone pavers, you probably have a job that you can’t do yourself. To push yourself into dream home makeover mode, find a few licensed and insured experts on a site like Angi. Interview two or three, get bids, make your choice, and watch as your project moves from “to do” to “ta da!”
Don’t be surprised if this experience with a professional gets you motivated to do other fixer-upper chores. Improving your home tends to be swayed by the domino effect. The more upgrades you make, the more you want to make. And you can do them solo or with assistance from a prof.
2. Clean and declutter your house from top to bottom
Few activities make you feel as accomplished as giving your house the old “spring cleaning” scrub-down. Start on the upper floors and work your way down. Leave no window dirty or toilet unscoured. As you tackle each room, aim to reduce any unclutter. For instance, you might want to carry garbage bags and donation boxes around to make it easier to let go of unwanted stuff.
Unless you’re a total neat freak, you’ll probably be shocked at how much nicer your home looks. At the same time, you may have noticed some problem areas that you hadn’t known about before, like discolored grout or ripped carpeting. Those problem areas might be a good place to start your updates.
3. Begin your efforts in a busy room
Have you ever cleaned out your garage or basement only to feel a little empty inside? The issue is that you probably don’t hang out there all the time. Consequently, you don’t get to enjoy the fruits of your labor. That’s why it can be so rewarding to begin updating a highly-trafficked part of your house first.
Some of the busiest places in most homes include the kitchen, family room, and bathrooms. Laying new flooring in your den or adding a mosaic tile backsplash behind your sink gives you something to look at daily. Additionally, it allows you to begin to see the benefits that come when you add some special touches to your home.
4. Map out your project from beginning to end
Are you worried that you’ll abandon your renovation before it’s finished? Put measures into place to avoid living in a half-done home. First, write down all the steps you will need to follow to see your project through. For each step, include the people, tools, and materials needed. You also may want to estimate a budget so you have enough cash at the outset.
By planning your facelift, you’ll be less apt to let it slide when you get to the middle. Give yourself bonus points if you enlist family or friends to help. Having other people holding you accountable for reaching your end goal will curb your appetite for procrastination.
5. Freshen up the outside of your home
When most homeowners think about renovating or remodeling, they concentrate on their interior spaces. However, landscaping can be a wonderful starting point. Not only will you add tremendous curb appeal but you’ll be moving around outdoors, too. Nothing beats the energy that comes from breathing fresh air as you improve the appearance of your property.
You don’t have to do much to make a dent in the way your house looks from the street. Just painting your front door black can boost real estate value by 2.9%. Mulching flower beds and around trees, raking leaves, and planting new shrubs can have an immediate effect on the exterior of your home. Best of all, you might get a thumbs-up or two from impressed neighbors. Who knows? You might just earn a reputation for being the go-to homeowner on the block for fixer-upper suggestions.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could go to sleep and wake up to a refreshed home? Though that’s not realistic, you can end up loving the house you’re in. Start with one job and let your imagination soar. Before long, you’ll feel more comfortable revitalizing your home for the benefit of you and your loved ones.
