Make a Dramatic Change and Spend Less

Start with fundamentals when considering a remodel.  Look at the ceilings, walls, and floors first. This is the basis for your home rehab project. If you have an acoustic ceiling, consider either repainting it a bright white or hiring someone to remove and replace it it with a smooth pattern. Don’t forget to paint on a high-grade primer before your paint coat!  Next, look at the walls and consider a neutral color that will go with a brighter and more natural mood and will go with any designs and decorations. Make repairs to walls that have dents, nicks, or holes so they look like new again. Next, continue with the floors: are the flooring and baseboards in good repair?  If they are, re-paint the baseboards a nice white color to make everything look brand-new again. If you plan to remove and replace the floors, consider porcelain tiles, because they are inexpensive per square foot and stay looking new much longer than carpet does.  If you will be installing carpeting, choose a dense pile that is somewhere between brown and beige so that marks from food and drinks won’t show much and the carpet will be resilient against crushing for a long time.

Making Your Main Rooms Shine

Renewing your kitchen and bathrooms are the wisest fixes you can put into your home. If the cabinetry is structurally sound, consider either repainting the existing cabinets or buying new doors.  If you will be refacing them, get a good Bosch drill and remove the hardware from the cabinet doors to free them.  If needed,  you can purchase new cabinet facing from your local do-it-yourself store. To save even more, use the cabinets you have and refinish them. Again, detach the doors from the cabinets and then apply a paint stripper to the existing finish and use a scraper made from hard plastic just for this purpose. Once all of the finish has been removed, sand the cabinets once over with a detail sander using medium-grade sandpaper. A last sanding should be performed last with a fine-grade sandpaper after that. Rub the cabinets with a cloth to remove the dust and then spread a wood conditioner to the cabinets. To conclude, stain or paint the wood and complete it with 2-3 clear coats to protect the finished product from exposure to moisture.

Upgrade to Get the Grade

Upgrading your decorative items is a simple, but dramatic way to make your surroundings looking sharp. There are great deals at estate sales, second-hand shops, or on the Web which will save money.  For even increased savings, create your own piece of furniture. You can make a beautiful headboard, for example, with nothing more than two extra-large posts of wood, a lathe (you can lease this from someone), and a large rectangle of plywood.  Cover the wood center portion with some batting, fabric, and modern upholstery tacks for a new headboard that is sure to impress!

It doesn’t matter whether you’ve recently moved into a home that needs TLC or if it’s your existing house. Either way, these great tips for getting the best-looking house will help your living quarters look brand-new without spending all of your savings in the process.