So you’ve scoured available houses for sale on the market and finally settled on one. Congratulations! The closing fees are paid, the moving truck called and now all you have to do is fix the house up to make it yours. The renovations you decide to do in a new house all depend on the condition of the property, your budget and your timeline. But there are a few widespread renovations that most homeowners decide to embark on as a matter of course.
Here are four common renovations to do after moving into a new home:
1. Painting
The house is likely to have been painted in an all neutral palette (a common seller tactic when staging), or perhaps each room has a coat of a wild neon colour (when sellers don’t bother to paint at all!). Neither is likely to work for you. The best way to make the place feel like your own is to add a colour palette suited to your own taste. Painting is one of the most cost-effective renovations, and has a low bar for doing it yourself — no special know-how needed. While you’re at it repair any cracks, fill holes, and sand down any roughness on the walls. Or, perhaps you’ll consider wallpaper, a major trend right now.
2. New carpets or floors
Something that really changes the whole feel of the house is the floors. You’ll almost certainly want to replace or get rid of any old carpeting; odours and dirt can hide in it and your rooms will feel so much cleaner and fresher by simply replacing the whole thing. If you have flooring you may want to rip it out and put in your own. New flooring, or at least sanding down and staining the current ones can change the entire look of your place for the better. Laminate flooring and engineered hardwood have brought us a range of affordable options that’s gone beyond the boring medium brown stain floors of yesteryear. Consider wide white planks or a chevron pattern for a California feel.
3. Landscaping
Curb appeal is everything. Your front yard may already be in good shape since the seller likely fixed it up before listing it, but you’ll likely still want to trim shrubs and add flowers of your own. Fix any cracked paving and modernize the patio slabs while you’re at it. Try to pick a low-maintenance design that will bode you well in the years to come.
4. Easy kitchen update
You may not be ready for a full kitchen update, so do a baby one for now. Instead of demolishing and gutting, simply replace or paint the kitchen cabinets, get new countertops and choose a new backsplash. Those three items can stave off an extensive kitchen renovation for years.
You may be lucky enough to not have to embark on all of these renovations, but most homeowners find they need to at least do one of these. If your house is 100% move-in ready, then count yourself fortunate. Instead you get to spend your time unpacking and shopping for snazzy new decor. But for those of us whose homes need a little spiffing up, this guide should help you understand the usual upgrades other homeowners are facing.
Zoocasa is a full-service brokerage that offers advanced online search tools to empower Canadians with the data and expertise they need to make more successful real estate decisions. View Vancouver houses for sale and real estate listings across the country at zoocasa.com or download our free iOS app.
