It’s important to take every home improvement project one at a time. On the one hand, you have to determine which repairs or renovations are necessary and upgrade the house's condition, health, and aesthetic. On the other hand, given your schedule and budget, you have to weigh the pros and cons of beginning a project. It’s certainly a lot to think about, especially if this is your first time undertaking DIY home improvement projects. If you’re unsure of what to do or where to start, we’ve created a list of DIY home improvement tips you can use to elevate your home today.
Deep clean
If there’s one easy way to improve your quality of life at home, it’s by doing a deep clean. Not only will sanitizing the house make it a healthier place for you and your family to live in, but it can also boost your home’s resale value in the long run. Start with cleaning areas of the house that get less attention, such as the molding, detail work in light fixtures, and the back of storage spaces and closets. Afterward, turn your eyes to any surfaces that collect dust in high-traffic rooms, such as television stands. Keeping your home clean is a great way to save on costly repairs that can crop up later.
Declutter
Decluttering is similar to cleaning but is perhaps even more critical because it makes a bigger impact on the home's visual appearance. Start with the home’s busiest rooms, such as the living room, kitchen, and sitting areas. Clean up any stray pieces of paper, financial documents, odds and ends, and children’s toys and store them in an often overlooked area, such as the attic or basement closet. In the kitchen, ensure all shelving and cabinets aren’t overloaded.
Replace your rugs
Rugs, carpets, and runners most likely get some of the heaviest grime amounts in the entire house, and yet homeowners rarely replace them until it’s too late. In fact, a rug replacement is one of the easiest ways to revamp interior spaces. Do a walk-through of the house and look at the edges of each carpet and rug to see if there is fraying. During this time, you’ll also want to gently lift up the legs of your furniture to determine whether they’ve left an indentation in the material. Clean or replaced rugs can give your home a new lease on life and provide guests with an immediate source of rich colors and textures to marvel at.
Buy new towels
It’s true that buying new towels is one of the cut-and-dry ways to please open-house guests and any buyer interested in your home. But this DIY home improvement tip also applies to homeowners who aren’t planning to sell any time soon. Since towels aren’t a permanent addition to the house, some might question why they should purchase high-end towels. Deluxe towels are, on the contrary, a relatively low-cost addition to your home that can boost your quality of life and enrich your self-care regimen.
Organize bookshelves
If your display shelves are drooping from weight, it may be an excellent time to reorganize your books and other items. Not only will this make your living rooms more delightful and spacious, but organized bookshelves will make it easier to point out the books and trinkets that make your home unique. If decorating and rearranging furnishings isn’t your strong suit, you can always meet with an interior designer or your agent if you plan on selling soon to get more in-depth insights.
Add mirrors
Mirrors are one of the best interior design elements homeowners use and for a good reason. Mirrors can multiply the amount of space in your house, and usually for a small investment. One strategy many designers incorporate is lining up small mirrors at the end of long hallways to create a sensation of depth or offsetting larger mirrors in spacious entertainment rooms to catch more natural light and reflect color in accent pieces from across the room. When adding mirrors to your home, be sure to line up mirrors on either side of your vanity, bathroom, and bedroom to create an open, spacious feel.
Replace window drapings
Like with rugs and carpets, many homeowners don’t realize their curtains need to be cleaned until it’s too late. It’s essential to swap out your drapings regularly. They regulate the amount of natural light entering the house, so it’s important to pick ones that suit your design style and personal preference. Experiment with drapes of several different textures like muslin, cotton, and silk and layer curtains on top of each other to make interesting designs and create dimension to the space.
De-personalize your decorations
Our last DIY home improvement tip is one that’s essential to selling a home in particular. De-personalization, though a seemingly complex word, is actually quite easy to accomplish. In basic terms, it means you’ll want to remove as much evidence of you and your family living in your home as possible so buyers can better visualize what their life could look like there.
To successfully de-personalize your home, you’ll want to store away any political or religious imagery to make buyers feel more at home. Then, ensure you have no personal data or paperwork on display. Finally, clear off any tables displaying family mementos or items that have special meaning to you or your family. Instead, swap them out with decorative books, a floral display, or mildly scented candles.
Get in touch with a local real estate agent today
Now that you have these eight DIY home improvement tips in mind, you are well on your way to creating a home you love. If you have any questions or comments to share, or you’d like to learn more about how to buy or sell Central Ohio real estate, reach out to the top-rated experts at The Nth Degree Team for more information.
