Photo: A fresh coat of paint in the kitchen adds value and a like-new appeal. Some decorators believe that “food colors,” like this veggie-green, make the most sense in a kitchen. Courtesy of interiorpik.com
It’s springtime – a time of renewal, warmer weather, hope. Whether you’re looking to cheer up your surroundings by sprucing up your home, up its selling price on the market, or boost the value towards home equity, the season is right for some relatively inexpensive and easy improvements that will help on all fronts.
Curb appeal is a huge factor in the salability of your home. You can have a million-dollar interior, but if the front stoop is broken, there’s a clutter of trash on the porch, or the hedges are in dire need of a trim, you won’t get a single potential buyer to even slow down when passing by. On the other hand, it’s an easy, cheap fix to clean up the front yard. If you can’t be bothered to replace the loose shingles or slap on a fresh coat of paint, at least you can get out your pruners, mow the lawn, move trash out of the way, or plant a few seasonal flowers.
Just as clutter is unattractive in the front yard, it’s also a major no-no inside the house. Have a spring cleaning day and get rid of your junk. Not only will you will feel better, but potential buyers will be more able to visualize the space with their own things in it.
Storage is key, both for your own comfort level and for the value of your home. A custom closet can be added to a room for around $1,500. This is a drop in the bucket, considering that it can upgrade your home by several thousand dollars — by giving you an additional bedroom. You can split a large bedroom into two or change a study into another bedroom merely by adding a closet. This will take less than a week to do.
Professional carpet cleaning is a simple update that doesn’t cost very much. If the carpeting is threadbare or stained beyond repair, area rugs will add appeal.
A fresh coat of paint on the interior of your home has a way of making things seem cleaner and more modern immediately, and at a very low-cost. Color choices are key, as buyers are more likely to be attracted to muted or neutral colors. Another school of thought argues that warm, intimate colors like muted reds or pinks are best in the bedroom, while “food colors” like soft greens and yellows should go in the kitchen.
Whatever color you choose to paint your kitchen, experts tend to agree that it is the room in which to start your renovations, if you have to limit your expenses to a minimum. Up-to-date, new appliances are the ideal solution, but if you can’t afford them, the next best thing is to add new sink faucets and/or hardware to cabinets. Smaller countertop appliances, other than the ones you use daily, should be removed from sight. It’s always better to free up space – it makes your home look roomier.
If you have mismatched large kitchen appliances, sometimes new doors can be added so that everything is coordinated and seems more deliberate, select. Cohesion in the kitchen will make a big difference in a home’s resale price. A little-known secret is that many dishwasher panels are white on one side and black on the other – so merely unscrewing a panel and flipping it over to coordinate it with other pieces will make your appliance like-new.
Lastly, the bathroom is a very important area of focus. Here again, a paint job is super-easy, given the small surface area to cover. If you can afford new fixtures, they will go a long way, as will something as simple as an upgraded toilet seat, a bright new shower curtain, or coordinating bath towels. Sheet vinyl can be placed over the existing floor. Fresh flowers (or better, live tropical plants, which benefit from the shower’s steam) add a lux feel – and are a nice way to treat yourself. Even if you’re not selling your home, you and your family deserve to be comfortable in it, and that (renewed) comfort needn’t cost a fortune.
eugenie@theforumnewsgroup.com
This butcher block countertop was made by following an online do-it-yourself guide. The cost (not including elbow grease) was under $40.
Photo courtesy of diycozyhome,com.
