Posted June 21, 2010 by Michelle Myers

Spicing up your home on a low budget

 So I was watching Good Morning Texas today, and John Gidding from HGTV's, Curb Appeal: The Block was on. If you haven't seen his show on HGTV its a must. He is always giving tips and great ideas on how you can dramatically change your home for LESS! He had a few simple tips today that he shared with everyone that I would like to pass on!

 

1. Curb Appeal: When thinking about selling your home the first thing buyers are going to see is the front of your home. So you need to have great Curb appeal.  GET THEIR ATTENTION! Slap on a great color to the front door. John says adding color to the front door makes people feel welcome. He recommended Sea Breeze or Red Hot by Behr. You can also get inexpensive numbers to put on your door from Home Depot or Lowes. It will definatly make your home stand out, but in a good way! 

2. Dining Rooms: He said besides the kitchen and the master bedroom/bath this is one of the other important rooms in the house. Its one of the first places you will see when buyers walk into your home. So it needs to feel inviting. If you are currently using it as an office, don't. You can always find tables and chairs at a garage sale on the weekends for cheap. Buy some paint and and re-upholster the chairs. Also,make the table look like you are getting ready for a party. It will only take about 5 min to set out all the plates and glasses out. Not only that the buyers will love it!

3. Kitchen: Cabinets look like they need a new look? Sand them down, clean them off with a towel, put on a layer of primer and then paint! Voila! As far as the hardware, if it looks a little dated you can go and get new ones that look cool and contempary,even if your home is modern it will all tie in together. If you do have the extra cash but don't want to spend a lot of money on  flooring, appliances or even counter tops. Go to your local Goodwill or you can negotiate prices with Home Depot and Lowes! ( Especially on Sundays) 

4. Bathrooms: Take out the flat mirror that is in there. Then go to your local flea market or antique store and buy a vintage mirror or two to add to the bathroom. Again, add a coat of paint, something tranquil. You want to make it a place or relaxation. 

5. Clutter & Accessorising: If you have clutter, get rid of of. No one wants to come into a house where there is stuff all over the place. Go to The Container store, Target even Wal*Mart and buy those inexpensive plastic storage boxes and put everything away and keep them in the closet (neatly of course) Accessorising can be done on a low budget as well. Have a lot of books? Use them! Don't have any books? Use your cook books from the kitchen. If they don't go with your color palate in the room, get some construction paper, cut it out to fit the books and there you go. Simple! Adding flowers is always a plus too. Make sure you always use odd numbers. 1's, 3's and 5's. Keep in mind you always want to stay with similar shapes.

 

John also said,' Don't get overwhelmed with everything". It might take just a day to do some of these tasks but just have fun. Another way you can save money is if you have an American Express or Visa card you can use their points at Home Depot or Lowes and you can use those towards buying some of the items! I hope that you can use some to these tips when getting your home ready to sell. Even if your not in the market to sell its always nice to have your home looking good no matter the occasion. If you would like to know more about John Gidding you can go visit his website at www.JohnGidding.com