Now that it’s spring, you’re in the mood to update the look of your home. But you don’t want to invest a lot of time or a lot of money to make it happen.
Remodeling magazine’s annual Cost vs. Value Report tells you which home improvements deliver the best payoff when it comes to resale value. But before you think about the next owner, what about enjoying life in the home you have now? The good news is there are lots of small, less expensive projects that can help you get the most enjoyment value out of your home.
Homeowners often make two major mistakes when they redecorate, and one is remodeling for resale, rather than for themselves, says Spike Carlsen, a contributing editor at The Family Handyman magazine, which has lots of do-it-yourself projects on its website. And when homeowners do remodel, Carlsen says, “they remodel for guests. It’s great when they have 10 people in the house, but it’s not great for how they live.”
Keep in mind that some projects you can do yourself and others are best left to professionals, but even some of those are point and pay, says Carlsen, the author of five books on carpentry, including the new “Cabin Lessons,” a memoir of a family building project. You may not be able to change your faucets, for example, but hiring someone to do that is unlikely to be difficult.
If you’re going to do a project yourself, make sure you have the right tools. An electric screwdriver, for example, makes an enormous difference if you’re assembling furniture from Ikea or elsewhere. Some projects require a hot glue gun, and others might benefit from an electric drill or electric sander. If you don’t want to buy tools, check out rental options. Do the math on each tool. Are you going to use it once or once a year? If so, buying secondhand could be a good idea.
Projects that improve your kitchen and bathrooms are often worth doing. “You spend a lot of time in these rooms, and that’s where you can see your money go far,” says Olga Adler, an interior designer who operates Olga Adler Interiors in Westport, Connecticut, and Delray Beach, Florida, and publishes the design blog StyleTipsy.com.
And small projects can make a big change. “Changing a chandelier in the dining room can make [the room] go from really dated to fabulous,” Adler says. “When you swap your chandelier and your window treatments, you’ve got a new room.”
Paint is probably the top change that delivers a new look. It’s important to use the right paint and the right way. If you put latex paint over oil paint, for example, it won’t stay long. Good brushes also make a big difference, says Hooper Patterson, an interior designer in Wilmington, North Carolina, who publishes the design blog Birds of a Feather.
“Don’t skip the primer step,” Patterson advises. “It really does make a big difference in how the paint looks and how it lasts.”
Ideas are easy to track down, as decorating and remodeling projects are everywhere. The Internet has become practically a catalog of DIY remodeling and decorating ideas. Some of the more popular sites are Pinterest, Houzz and HGTV, plus décor blogs and sites abound. If you’re looking for step-by-step instructions, you can probably find a video on YouTube or elsewhere. Just type your project into a search engine, and you have everything you need.
Adler likes Houzz, which allows you to create vision boards for each room in your home and collect photos of rooms or products you like. “If you’re precise in your keywords, you can find exactly what you’re looking for,” Adler says. “It’s just so much faster than if you were to go to CVS and buy 20 decorating magazines.”
You may also find some useful apps. Patterson likes the apps that turn her iPhone into an instant level. You can also find apps that help you design or lay out a room, as well as apps from Pinterest, Houzz and similar sites.
Here are 10 remodeling projects to do now:
Paint. “Paint is just numero uno,” Carlsen says. Not only do brushes and quality paint matter, but so does technique. “A good professional painter will tell you that preparation is a good half to two-thirds of the job,” he says.
Change your cabinet hardware. You can do this in the kitchen, in the bathroom and on furniture pieces such as dresses and built-ins. “Treat it like jewelry, and it makes a big impact,” Patterson says. The job is usually simple and requires only a screwdriver.
Update your kitchen. Many steps short of a full kitchen renovation can still make a big difference. Consider painting old cabinets or adding new doors. “That updates the kitchen pretty quickly, and for a lot less money than replacing the cabinets,” Patterson says. You can also change or update your countertop. Patterson created the look of Carrera marble on a butcher block countertop that had been painted black at a beach house. “It was just dark and really heavy for the space,” she says. In her home, she covered an ugly tile backsplash with mirrors for less than $100. “It looked like a brand new kitchen,” she says. “That was a cool, quick fix.”
Install new lighting or plumbing fixtures. New faucets and light fixtures can significantly modernize a room, but smaller changes make a difference, too. If you have a chandelier that you like or you can’t change the one you have, switch the candle-shaped bulbs for round ones. “It changes the look of the chandelier instantly,” Patterson says. You can also change the lampshade or cover an old one using hot glue and a fabric remnant.
Refresh your bathroom. A new shower curtain, towels and rugs instantly freshen a bathroom. You can also take other steps short of a gut remodel, such as changing the vanity or refacing the bathtub.
Redo your entryway. “The easiest thing you can do that immediately changes the way you see your house is the front door,” Adler says. If you can’t replace your front door, you can paint it. Consider changing the light fixture, replacing the mailbox and installing new house numbers. If the space is right, add some potted plants as well.
Improve your outdoor space. Options include adding a patio or deck or sprucing up the one you already have. Adding low-voltage lighting is another easy project, plus you can add landscaping. “I love outdoor projects for DIYers because you leave the mess outside,” Carlsen says.
Change your window coverings, throw pillows and other accent pieces. These days, less is more when it comes to window coverings, Adler says. “The heavy drapes are really out,” she says. If your larger furniture pieces are neutral colors, you can add splashes of a new color with pillows and other accents.
Wallpaper an accent wall or inside a bookcase. “Wallpapering an accent wall is a great way to go overboard with pattern,” Patterson says. You can also paint the accent wall.
Get rid of excess furniture and clutter. We often think of projects that add storage space, and there are many creative ways to do that. But first take a hard look at what you’re planning to store and see if you really need it. Removing half the furniture from a room and clearing off surfaces can give the room a new, clean look at no cost.
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10 Easy Remodeling Projects Every Homeowner Should Tackle Now originally appeared on usnews.com
