I live in a desirable in-town neighborhood of Atlanta, a mere two blocks from running paths, parks, restaurants, and stores. The three-mile distance from my home to the middle of downtown belies the suburban-feeling, tree-lined streets and houses with front lawns. But even here, where the real estate market has been red-hot for more than a decade, “For Sale” signs are lingering from season to season. Only those who have to move are choosing to do so.
Here, and in nearly every corner of the country, however, people still want to increase the value of their homes. The economy may deter you from major renovations, but there are simple and inexpensive upgrades that will make your house more appealing to future buyers, and—most importantly—more pleasant for you to inhabit. Here are the most accessible home improvement maneuvers that someone even as un-handy as me can easily tackle.
Re-Glaze Older Bathrooms
When we moved into our first home, the bathrooms looked pitiful. We considered the staggering cost of renovating both bathrooms, and quickly decided to just live with the rust. But we did a little digging around and discovered we could get two bathtubs and sinks re-glazed for less than $1,000—and end up with a shiny, new sheen in the bathrooms. There are re-glazing companies in all corners of the country, so a quick Internet search should acquaint you with one in your neighborhood.
Freshen Up Walls with New Color
This is a personal one. We moved into our current house under the gun—I was almost eight months pregnant, and the wall colors were the least of my worries. I waddled into our new home and decided to be content with its current state. But two years later, the dark and dreary army green paint covering the kitchen walls, and the reddish-purplish paint on the dining rooms walls was starting to rub off on my psyche. We had family coming in town—it didn’t hurt that two are artists from New York City—and chose cool blue colors, with white accents, for those dark walls. The entire family painted for a day, and our home was revolutionized from a dark, dank cave to a fresh, cheerful abode. If you don’t have artists in town to help pick out the paint colors, most paint company Web sites (like Behr) have sample rooms that you can test your colors on. The cost of a few cans of primer and paint, some brushes and rollers, plastic covering for the floor and blue tape for the edges should be no more than a couple hundred dollars.
Accent with Wallpaper—Yes, Wallpaper
It sounds so 1980s, but picking out wallpaper for one wall of a room can provide a funky, tasteful—and up-to-date—look for your house. While in town, our family artists picked out wallpaper with yellow flowers and red birds (it might sound hideous, but as they said, it’s “very 1920s art deco cool”) for the far wall of our kitchen. Consider putting a swatch of natural grasscloth wallcovering in your library, or this Avignon toile for your half bath. (Word to the wise: don’t use a wallpaper border. You really will be dated.)
