Easy Updates

September 13, 2017 / Tips, Easy Renovations, Home Renovations, Maintenance

Are you getting ready to sell your home or need a change? There are many easy updates to get your home looking refreshed from floor to ceiling. The main areas to focus on when selling a home are the kitchen and bathroom. Most people spend a lot of their time in these areas and having a pleasing aesthetic can really make your sale. Although these are the best areas to focus on, there are many things that can be done to refresh your home.

Let’s get started with these 10 easy updates.

1. Fresh Paint. One simple way to completely change and refresh a room is a new coat of paint. A coat of the same colour can refresh tired-looking walls, but, if you’re already painting why not go all in? Paint that room that colour you’ve always wanted. When thinking of re-sale it is always best to use soft neutrals as they help a new owner picture their own style.
2. Re-Caulking. By re-doing old, cracked, dirty caulking you will clean up the overall look. When caulking is left to fail, colonies of mildew start invading. Water can also get behind it and cause water damage to the drywall or warp framework. If you’re caulking an area that will be painted keep in mind that silicone caulking cannot be painted.
3. Bathroom Vent Fan. Speaking of mildew, a poorly functioning ceiling fan does not create proper air circulation. This leads to mould and no one likes mould in their bathroom. If you don’t have one, or it’s not working well this would be a good investment. If you are noticing mould spots in your bathroom this is the culprit. You can bleach, prime and re-paint but it will always come back if nothing is done with the ceiling vent fan.
4. Crown Moulding. Add some elegance to your main living areas with a bit of crown moulding. This can be painted to match the ceiling, trim or you can add a transition colour. The possibilities are endless. Crown moulding can also be added to cabinets to create fresh edges and a new dynamic.
5. Cabinet Painting. Before you throw away those old cabinets and prepare to spend a small fortune, consider painting them. With proper preparation and technique, you can have those cabinets looking new again. You could paint them a solid colour or a faux finish to really mix it up.
6. Scrub that grout. Dirty looking grout can really detract from an overall look. There are many cleaning products that help make grout look sparkling clean again. If all else fails, there is always grout paint which can be applied after cleaning.
7. Add a backsplash. This not only adds colour and new style to your kitchen, it makes clean-up a breeze. Food and water splatter will be easily wiped away instead of scrubbing your walls.
8. Popcorn Ceiling. Getting rid of ceiling texture can be a bit of a headache, but it’s worth it! Unpainted ceiling texture is the easiest to remove as it is water-soluble and can be dampened and scraped off. If the ceiling has already been painted, it turns into a much more laborious process.
9. Add new hardware. Over time, your fixtures and handles become outdated and worn. Change your cabinet handles, shower head, faucets and door handle to add an instant upgrade.
10. Install a barn door. These are great for tight fits! If there are too many doors in an area these can really help. They work for any interior door, from closets to bathrooms. These are also a nice upgrade from pocket doors.

Although these can all be done yourself, you can make these projects even easier by calling a professional.