Highlighting Your Home

Spending money on your home is often an investment well worth undertaking. In general anything you plough into your home adds value almost immediately so if you’re thinking of selling up and moving on, little to large changes can make all the difference.

But maybe you’re not in the market for selling and simply want to update your look and make some changes, giving your home a new lease of life.

Looking inside is often the easiest place to start. You probably spend most of your time in one room so start right there.

Begin with the décor and then turn inwards to your furniture and fittings. How are those walls looking? Are they a bit tired, scuffed or in need of some TLC? These are the kinds of jobs that you might consider doing yourself, along with reglossing those chipped skirting boards.

If you’re not in the market for a spot of DIY then bring in the professionals and get it done. Ask around for tips from friends about who to hire. You might even find someone using a trade check website that rates contractors on their professionalism and service.

Then it’s time to think style. Do you even have a style? If not why not create one right now? You might be a cozy homebody who loves curling up on the couch with throws and a pile of magazines, or you might be a minimalist preferring open space and the minimal of clutter. Either way there are some fantastic home furnishing sites for all price ranges that you can spend hours trawling through to plan your ideal look.

If you’re on a slightly tighter budget head down to your nearest seconds or charity store where you’ll be able to pick up unique one off pieces that really add a touch of bohemian character to your living space. If you’re considering donating your furniture as part of your refit, then you should be able to find a charity that will come and take your old couch and chairs free of charge.

It might be that you’re looking at the sorry state of your kitchen and wishing you had a cooking area fit for a chef. If you have love spending time cooking and baking consider giving your kitchen a boost by replacing small fixtures such as a toaster or kettle, jars and your knife set.

Re-styling your color scheme alone in your cooking area will help give your kitchen a whole new feel. To go all out break out your paintbrushes and paint pots and give dull, lifeless cupboards a new lease of life with a color makeover. Don’t forget that you can also change handles and door knobs for small but effective style changes.

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If changing up your kitchen has inspired you why not head up to the bathroom. If you love nothing more than a good soak in the tub or long hot showers, update that shower curtain or screen and match them with towels and bath mats. Add some accessories to shelves, like vases or decorative stones to breathe new life into the space you come to relax and unwind.

Then head to the bedroom for more of the same. Change up that bed linen and lay down some matching rugs to give your sanctuary a warm bedtime feel, ready to sink into new bed sheets and pillows. If there’s one thing you should spend money on it’s your mattress. There’s nothing worse than spending night after night on a lumpy uncomfortable one so treat yourself.

Sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labors but not for too long because now it’s time to turn your attention to your outside living space.

Whatever time of year it is, hot weather isn’t too far away and there’s always a great reason to start making improvements to your garden area.

Take a look at any outside doors and windows first and consider installing high quality sliding and French patio doors for a beautiful touch of elegance and more practically to keep drafts at bay during the colder months.

How has your garden furniture fared over the winter? Is it looking tired and worn out? Replacing garden furniture doesn’t have to be costly, if it’s just the cushions that need changing up, you could just have them re-covered or re-cover them yourself if you’re handy on a sewing machine.

If you have a smaller yard sit down with some gardening and lifestyle websites or magazines and start planning how you could maximize your space. Maybe hanging baskets are going to work better than large pots or flowerbeds to give you more room to lounge around on your hammock or chaise longue.

Those with a larger space will be able to plan color schemes and landscaping to help bring their garden to life. If you’re not a fan of cutting lawns or yours is in particularly bad shape then consider installing some paving or wooden decking to keep your maintenance efforts to a minimum.

There are always the little extras you can add to make your outside space as much as fun as inside. Barbecues that rival your kitchen stove, a bar for the ultimate summer garden party or fire pits for gazing into during hazy summer evenings when the air just starts to chill.

Lighting can also play a part with subtle uplights dotted around the garden or combined with heaters to keep guests toasty during your spring soiree.

If you live alone, installing security light can be a great way of feeling in control of your security and scaring off any unwanted visitors, animals as well as human.

However you plan on modernizing your home, inside and outside, start by setting a realistic timescale and of course, a realistic budget.

Chances are that making a lot of big changes right away is not something you can do but with careful planning, taking one room at a time, you’ll be delighted to see your dream home emerging from the tired décor you’ve been living with up until now.