Ready to sell your home, but worried that it might not show well? There’s no need to spend a lot to make your home look chic and expensive. From painting unattractive vinyl or wood flooring to replacing outdated light fixtures, Redfin offers these quick do-it-yourself upgrades that can help make your space look new and on trend.
Paint the floor
Make an old room look like it belongs in a beautiful new house by adding a fresh coat of paint to old unattractive flooring. Try using porch paint rather than regular wall paint, since porch paint is designed to handle foot traffic. You also might want to give the floor a unique look by using tape to create stripes, squares or diamonds.
Redo outdated light fixtures
You can find inexpensive lighting options online and at your local hardware store. To save money, go for simple, modern fixtures that won’t go out of style anytime soon and that will match many decor styles. If you can afford to splurge a little, a small but chic chandelier in the dining room or bedroom will add a pop of elegance.
Add window dressings
Even if your current blinds work just fine, hang window dressings anyway. Get stylish curtain rods and pretty curtains that match each room’s décor, and be sure to hang them uniformly. Dressings should extend about a foot above your window, and at least a few inches past each side. Some people hang their curtains right at the ceiling for a dramatic effect.
Put up crown molding
Crown molding hides the joints between your walls and ceilings, and can make your room look and feel more valuable from the outset. The subtle detail also looks beautiful above bland window frames, and can add an element of elegance to your window dressings. Try painting the crown molding a different color than the walls and the ceiling to make it stand out. Many go with white, but wood stain also looks gorgeous.
Paint your white fridge metallic
If you can’t buy new appliances, get some metallic paint at your local hardware store and paint your white refrigerator’s doors, handles and sides. You can choose paint that mimics stainless steel, or get creative and choose another metallic tint that matches your kitchen’s existing decor. Brightly colored refrigerators also are popular this year.
Paint the garage to create a faux carriage door
If your garage door needs a new coat of paint anyway, take this opportunity to spruce it up and give it a new color. You also might want to paint your garage door to look as if it has windows. Lay out rectangles with painter’s tape along the top of your garage door; cross them with tape to create a window-pane pattern; and then use shiny black paint to fill in the small rectangles. You can even add hardware as a finishing touch.
Frame the television
Find a large frame and simply place it on the wall around your TV. You also might want to consider framing some of your favorite artwork in thin frames that resemble your television’s existing plastic frame and then hanging that artwork around your television so that it looks like another part of the wall art.
Cover old floors with laminate
If you don’t have the budget for real hardwood floors, try laminate flooring as a temporary, much less expensive option. You can place the laminate on top of your old floor for a totally new look.
Try your hand at wallpaper
Wallpaper is an ideal way to add some personality to your walls and to make your home look more expensive.