Stop reading beyond this, if you can pull this one off…
1. Beg, plead, cajole, wheedle, bribe – use all your powers of persuasion to get your home on any one of those makeover shows on television – Extreme Makeover, Trading Spaces, and if you’re unbelievably lucky, The Oprah Show. Once Nate Berkus steps in your door, you can bet your last buck that your home’s value shoots up to the stars and beyond!
Or else…
Small drops of water make the mighty ocean…
2. Add appeal with more storage space, be it in the kitchen, bathroom or even the garage. A place for everything and everything in its place makes for a tidier and better-looking home. Hanging wall storage systems are not going to make a significant dent in your budget.
3. Trade in those old, leaky faucets for shiny new ones.
4. Throw out those old light fixtures, brighten up your space with new bulbs that also bring down your power consumption.
5. Spruce up your cabinets with a fresh coat of paint, or, if they’re dirty, take a brush and soap to them, get those dirty fingerprints out, and get them looking as good as new.
6. Clean, shake up your carpet, get them looking as good as new again.
7. Make sure all the latches and bolts work, that the hinges are well-oiled and don’t make creaky noises.
8. Put in new blades in your fans, or just clean out the old ones.
9. Use throws in colors that match the room to cover up worn sofa and chair upholstery.
10. Get a plumber and electrician to make sure your wiring and pipes are in the right places and working just as they should.
11. Dust, vacuum, and clear those cobwebs away on a regular basis.
12. Degrease your oven, clean up your refrigerator.
13. Open windows, fresh air, and artificial fresheners (or scented candles) do wonders for a smelly bathroom.
14. Change the filter in your air-conditioner to avoid that stale, musty smell when it’s turned on.
15. Take care of those minor repairs that crop up every now and then immediately. Proper maintenance saves you quite a bit on expensive restoration and renovation.
16. If your home is cluttered with knick-knacks and furniture, put some of it away in storage. Larger spaces create the impression of a bigger house.
17. Hang a large mirror in the living room; it creates virtual space besides adding to overall appeal.
18. If you’re looking to add an extra wall, sometimes, a well-styled room divider may suffice to create two separate rooms instead of one large one.
19. Plain old cats and dogs or exotic pets – you may love them, but their inherent odors may not be acceptable to all. Get rid of those smells.
20. If you have green fingers, apply them to window boxes and hanging baskets to generate a riot of colors that add quaint charm to your home.
21. When choosing tiles, countertops, paint, cabinet doors, or kitchen appliances, go with colors that will stand the test of time even as fashions come and go. Opt for neutral, rather than flashy shades.
22. If you have a fireplace, make sure it is the center of the room. Rearrange the furniture around it.
3. Trade in those old, leaky faucets for shiny new ones.
4. Throw out those old light fixtures, brighten up your space with new bulbs that also bring down your power consumption.
5. Spruce up your cabinets with a fresh coat of paint, or, if they’re dirty, take a brush and soap to them, get those dirty fingerprints out, and get them looking as good as new.
6. Clean, shake up your carpet, get them looking as good as new again.
7. Make sure all the latches and bolts work, that the hinges are well-oiled and don’t make creaky noises.
8. Put in new blades in your fans, or just clean out the old ones.
9. Use throws in colors that match the room to cover up worn sofa and chair upholstery.
10. Get a plumber and electrician to make sure your wiring and pipes are in the right places and working just as they should.
11. Dust, vacuum, and clear those cobwebs away on a regular basis.
12. Degrease your oven, clean up your refrigerator.
13. Open windows, fresh air, and artificial fresheners (or scented candles) do wonders for a smelly bathroom.
14. Change the filter in your air-conditioner to avoid that stale, musty smell when it’s turned on.
15. Take care of those minor repairs that crop up every now and then immediately. Proper maintenance saves you quite a bit on expensive restoration and renovation.
16. If your home is cluttered with knick-knacks and furniture, put some of it away in storage. Larger spaces create the impression of a bigger house.
17. Hang a large mirror in the living room; it creates virtual space besides adding to overall appeal.
18. If you’re looking to add an extra wall, sometimes, a well-styled room divider may suffice to create two separate rooms instead of one large one.
19. Plain old cats and dogs or exotic pets – you may love them, but their inherent odors may not be acceptable to all. Get rid of those smells.
20. If you have green fingers, apply them to window boxes and hanging baskets to generate a riot of colors that add quaint charm to your home.
21. When choosing tiles, countertops, paint, cabinet doors, or kitchen appliances, go with colors that will stand the test of time even as fashions come and go. Opt for neutral, rather than flashy shades.
22. If you have a fireplace, make sure it is the center of the room. Rearrange the furniture around it.
A little, but not a lot extra…
23. Reface cabinet doors, especially those that are peeling and fading.
24. Dress up more than just your salad in the kitchen – make sure your appliances’ colors match. More often than not, it’s just a question of ordering the right colored panels.
25. Redo your bathroom floor – new vinyl tiles or sheet vinyl make a world of difference.
26. Replace chipped tiles in your shower and tub, re-grout if needed.
27. A new toilet seat is a small, but useful expense.
28. Replace your bathroom fan with a bigger one to get rid of moisture more quickly and prevent mold. T
29. Put in new towel rods and toilet paper holders.
30. Fresh paint on all your walls does more than brighten up the rooms.
31. Make the inside of your home more comfortable with dehumidifiers.
32. Glaze the inside of your windows to save on heating and electricity expenses.
33. Make sure your house is water and wind proofed. Check for broken roof tiles/slates, blocked drainpipes, and get them fixed at the earliest.
24. Dress up more than just your salad in the kitchen – make sure your appliances’ colors match. More often than not, it’s just a question of ordering the right colored panels.
25. Redo your bathroom floor – new vinyl tiles or sheet vinyl make a world of difference.
26. Replace chipped tiles in your shower and tub, re-grout if needed.
27. A new toilet seat is a small, but useful expense.
28. Replace your bathroom fan with a bigger one to get rid of moisture more quickly and prevent mold. T
29. Put in new towel rods and toilet paper holders.
30. Fresh paint on all your walls does more than brighten up the rooms.
31. Make the inside of your home more comfortable with dehumidifiers.
32. Glaze the inside of your windows to save on heating and electricity expenses.
33. Make sure your house is water and wind proofed. Check for broken roof tiles/slates, blocked drainpipes, and get them fixed at the earliest.
Going all out…
34. Replace your entire kitchen cabinetry/countertop.
35. Install a fancy island; this separates your cooking and preparation spaces, and helps you stay more organized.
36. Still using your grandmother’s cooking range? Update your kitchen appliances; treat yourself to the latest, swanky innovations available in the market.
37. Install a new bathtub, toilet, shower.
38. Plaster the bathroom walls with vinyl paper, and put in a new ceramic tile floor.
39. Add a few extra cabinets for your toiletries and medicines.
40. Purchase that Allstate hurricane insurance policy you’ve been considering for some time.
35. Install a fancy island; this separates your cooking and preparation spaces, and helps you stay more organized.
36. Still using your grandmother’s cooking range? Update your kitchen appliances; treat yourself to the latest, swanky innovations available in the market.
37. Install a new bathtub, toilet, shower.
38. Plaster the bathroom walls with vinyl paper, and put in a new ceramic tile floor.
39. Add a few extra cabinets for your toiletries and medicines.
40. Purchase that Allstate hurricane insurance policy you’ve been considering for some time.
