Now that you own your first home, you want it to look amazing. Everyone wants to have the type of home where people’s jaws drop when they walk in. But how do you take an average home and turn it into THAT kind of home? The answer – one renovation at a time, and below, we’ve outlined the renovations that can transform your home from average to spectacular:
Landscaping
I realize this isn’t a home renovation the way people often think about traditional renovations, but it is the first thing you see when you pull up to a home. By tackling some landscaping work, you can dramatically increase the curb appeal of your home and in turn, the value.
House exterior with swimming pool in garden
New kitchen
This can be an expensive one. Putting in new cabinets and countertops isn’t cheap. However, the kitchen is one of those places that everyone LOVES to see new. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen so it makes sense that it’s so high on everyone’s list of renovations to do.
You can also consider painting out the existing cabinets, changing the hardware, giving the room a fresh coat of paint and replacing some of the outdated appliances. It’s amazing what these few small touches will do to transform the space if you can’t afford a full kitchen reno.
Bathroom
This is another one that can be costly if you let it. If you’re lucky enough to have more than one bathroom, at least you’ll have one that’s operational while renovating the other.
The great thing is now with stores like IKEA and Home Depot, you can usually find great deals on new toilets, vanities and tubs or showers. There’s also the option of resurfacing an existing bathtub, which saves money, and more importantly, a LOT of demolition and mess. Whichever direction you decide to go, a renovated bathroom adds a lot of value to your home.
Here are some upgrades you can do to the bathroom for under $100
Flooring
Installing new flooring can render the place unrecognizable. The cost of flooring can range quite a bit and the amount of work and demolition needed to accomplish this reno can vary just as much. Taking up old flooring sucks, and it really puts your house in an obvious state of renovation, which can be hard to live in. BUT, if you’re up for the challenge, this renovation can be extremely rewarding!
Exterior
The curb appeal of a home is so important when it comes to increasing its value. It’s also fantastic to pull up to your home after a long day of work and love what you see. It could be as simple as a coat of paint. Most people don’t realize that old stucco and brick can be painted just like siding, which changes the look of the home completely.
If the exterior product is in bad shape and need of replacement, then you’ll be in for a bigger job. While it can be some work to remove all the old siding, brick etc., installing a new exterior can truly transform the look and feel of the home.. There are so many great options today for siding, stone and acrylic stucco and you can really get creative and come up with something that looks fantastic!
Install a feature wall!
This is becoming increasingly popular. Many people are putting up barnboard or some type of rustic looking reclaimed material. The building stores are noticing too – the last couple times I’ve been to Home Depot, I’ve seen more and more barnboard type products (that they’re making in panels), designed for feature walls. The ideas are all over Pinterest, so you don’t need to look far. Doing a wall like this in the living area or around the TV can really make the room pop.
Go appliance shopping
Oh I got your attention now! Ok, I realize this isn’t a renovation, but it’s way more fun. Plus, new appliances can really make a difference in the look and feel of your home. Upgrading to modern stainless appliances can really change the look of the kitchen. The key is to find them on sale. While it might be easier to go buy appliances than it is to renovate, it’s not any easier to pay for them, so remember your budget!
Lighting
Changing out the light fixtures can make a big difference in a space., You can choose something that has more light and brightens things up (often older homes have a shortage of good lighting), or you can get really creative with the design. The options are endless when it comes to lighting.
Building stores like Home Depot have a great selection for very competitive prices. If you want a bigger selection, check out a local store that specializes in lighting, they’re bound to have some great options. This renovation can be fairly simple if you’re just switching light fixtures, but extremely involved if you’re adding new lights and need to open up walls to run wires.
Quick tip: don’t be scared off by the sticker price of the fixtures at the lighting store. Most of the time these prices are quite inflated and it’s worth asking what the best price is, as there’s probably room to move.
Paint
This is an obvious but effective one. It’s also the cheapest. Inside and out, paint can make a staggering difference on the overall look of a home for a very economical price. Whether it’s painting a feature wall, or completely repainting the home, it should always be at the top of your reno list.
Create an open floor plan
This is an aggressive move, and requires pretty significant investment from a renovation standpoint. Usually it involves taking out a wall between the kitchen and living area to create one large space that we call a ‘Great Room.’ If you’re planning on doing this in the near future, put off other renovations until this is done. This reno will affect a huge space and generally requires redoing almost everything in the space, so you want to avoid doing it twice.
Structurally, this type of renovation requires a great deal of attention and you’ll definitely want to hire a professional to remove any walls that need to go and replace them with the appropriate beams to support the roof. Please don’t just make an educated guess on whether a wall is load bearing or not. Assume it is,because if your house is more than 25 years old, it’s almost a guarantee that the wall is holding up ceiling joists or roof rafters.
Making the commitment to opening up your living space is a big decision. It will be an extremely expensive renovation, but if you love where you live and you really want to bring your home to the next level, this is the renovation to consider. Everything from watching your kids while you cook dinner, to entertaining becomes so much more accessible when you have an open concept view. When people walk in and see it for the first time, their jaw will absolutely hit the floor.
This is truly the ultimate renovation to make your home spectacular!
In Conclusion
No matter which renovation you under take, makes sure to set a budget and plan it out. Figure out whether you should DIY the project or hire a professional and get to work!
