If your home feels dated or tired or you aren’t happy with how it looks, there are many things you can do to give it a new lease of life. Some options are easier than others, and some may take a bit more cash to implement, but you shouldn’t have trouble finding something to suit your time and budget.
Here are 5 simple ways to transform your home.
Give Your Home a Deep Clean
It may not be the first thing that springs to mind, but you may be surprised at the effect a deep clean can have on a home. Dealing one room at a time, clean everything from top to bottom. A cleaning checklist is a good idea as it will ensure that you don’t miss anything and you can see your progress as you go.
Although a combination of vinegar and water should be sufficient for areas that require light cleaning, you may need to bring in some heavy-duty cleaner for more stubborn stains. Sugar soap is perfect for cutting through grime and grease, and you can go wrong with a magic eraser for areas that have been marked or scratched.
Once you have finished cleaning, you may be shocked at how different each room looks and how much more welcoming your home looks.
Get Rid of Clutter
If you have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years, your home may look messy and disorganized. That’s why decluttering is such a simple yet great way to give your home a much-needed makeover. One of the best parts is that by selling things you no longer want, need, or use, you make some money in the process!
Sort through every drawer, closet, and cabinet and set aside anything you don’t want to keep. Throw away or recycle anything that’s broken or beyond repair, give what you can to charity, and sell anything you feel is of value or could fetch a decent price. Using one of the many online selling platforms is probably the quickest and easiest way to sell unwanted items.
If someone arranges to collect your items and you are concerned or worried about the safety aspect of them visiting your home, you can search online for more information about them.
From criminal records or if they had gone through criminal record expungement to social media profiles, you should be able to find out a bit more about their background before they arrive – which can help put your mind at rest.
Freshen Things Up
Decorating is probably one of the easiest and most common ways to give a home a makeover. A fresh coat of paint can jazz up any room regardless of size and is a relatively cheap option. If you aren’t sure which colors to go for, many paint manufacturers have color-design apps that you can download to any smart device. Upload a picture of your chosen room, and you can play around with different colors to see what your walls will look like before you even pick up a paintbrush!
If you decide to go down the paint route, don’t focus solely on the walls. Painting your ceilings and any facings, baseboards, and internal doors will make a big difference and enhance the finished look.
If paint doesn’t appeal, why not consider wallpaper instead? It comes in thousands of different patterns, textures, and shades, so you are bound to find something to suit your tastes.
Be Clever with Storage
If you have rid your home of clutter but still have loads of belongings lying around, the issue may be that you don’t have adequate storage or aren’t using your space wisely enough. For example, if you have an abundance of wall space, why not erect shelving to display many of your belongings? From one-piece shelving units to floating shelves, there are many different choices to suit an array of tastes.
Another great option is to purchase furniture that has storage built-in. If, for example, your bedroom has very little closet space, consider an ottoman bed and utilize the floor space underneath.
Perhaps you have a small and cluttered hallway with zero storage and are getting sick of finding a plethora of belongings that your kids have abandoned after a hard day at school. A simple bench that doubles up as a storage unit could transform the area and make it easier to store everyday items such as hats, shoes, and school bags.
When your home feels disorganized, it can affect your frame of mind, so look for storage solutions that will help to make your home feel tidier and less chaotic.
The Exterior
It isn’t just the interior of a home that can be transformed – the outside can too! Over time, driveways and pathways can build up lots of dirt and grime and get pretty badly stained. Giving them a good clean with a pressure washer can completely change how they look – and will freshen up the exterior of your home in an instant.
If you have boundary fences to the front or rear of your property, wait until spring arrives and give them a fresh coat of stain or paint. A similar situation applies with exterior doors – wash them down and, where necessary, apply a coat of paint to give them a new look.
If your lawn has seen better days, you may benefit from reseeding it but, if you aren’t too sure of what you are doing, it makes sense to employ a gardener and have them tend to it instead.
If you want an even easier option, you could always have artificial turf laid instead. It isn’t the most environmentally friendly alternative but, if you are struggling for time or gardening isn’t your thing, then it might be a good choice. Some of the cheaper options tend to look rather fake and can be hot underfoot when the sun comes out so, if you have small children or pets, it makes sense to go for one of the higher quality ranges.