When you purchase a new home you envision tons of ideas on how to make the space your own – from cosmetic improvements like painting and flooring to major renovations. But how do you prioritize your honey do list? Get the most value for your money by choosing projects that combine benefits, adding to your home’s style, comfort and energy efficiency. Here are our top 5:
Redecorate – Simply rearranging your furniture can dramatically change the feel of a room, making a smaller room feel open or a large room feel more intimate and cozy. A fresh coat of paint will make the walls look like new and window treatments will add a touch of luxury to your home.
Update Appliances – The kitchen is the heart the home, and a huge selling point … or detracting factor. Investing in new, Energy-Star appliances will give the space a fresh look and can also save you money on electric and water bills. Kitchen updates often return more than 100% of the cost.
Add a Backsplash – Backsplashes are a great solution to protect your walls from water damage, food stains and scratches and will give an updated look to your kitchen and/or bathrooms. There are so many different tile and stone styles to choose from or you can use other materials like faux tin ceiling and wine corks. Check out Pinterest for some great DIY ideas.
Install a Ceiling Fan – Not only will a ceiling fan cool rooms in the summer months, but if you reverse the spin direction, the fan blades will push warm air back down to reheat rooms during the winter. Ceiling fans come in all sorts of designs and colors so it should be no problem to find one to fit your style and give your cooling and heating systems a bit of a break.
Plant Perennials – Is your landscaping lacking? Boost your curb appeal with colorful plants and flowers like peonies, daffodils, lilacs, or hostas. Perennials will come back year after year, and often continue to grow, so you don’t have to buy replacement plants.