Give Your Home a Facelift

Improving the "look" of your home can not only make it more attractive and comfortable but it may also increase the market value of the property.

The wisest improvements in any home are those that bring it up to the standards of other properties in the immediate area. If most properties have garages or carports, central air and fireplaces, these are well-worth adding. Other good improvements that enhance the exterior of your home are adding terraces, wooden decks and fences that increase privacy. Shade trees, shrubs and landscaping that is easy to keep up also add value.

Very specialized improvements, unless strictly for your own enjoyment, are not a good idea because the money spent may not be returned through added value. Saunas, home gyms, green houses and dark rooms are examples of personalized improvements that have limited demand and, as a result, little added value.

Making your home more attractive doesn't always require major improvements, changing the colour scheme, repainting, paneling, hanging new wall coverings and installing new lighting and flooring can help give your home the facelift it needs without breaking your budget.

Take stock

Before you begin any improvements, take stock of what you have. Try tow work any new colour schemes withing the furnishings you want to keep. For continuity and to create spaciousness, maintain the same colour scheme through the living areas of the home, varying only the accent colour from room to room. Also stick to one style, whether traditional or contemporary. Personal spaces such as bedrooms and bathrooms can depart from the overall style and theme.

Get free advice

While planning your home's facelift, take advantage of free advice available from paint stores, wallpaper outlets, fabric shops, picture framers, furniture and craft stores. Take home samples whenever you can and take your time. Scale, size and colour are dramatically different in a store setting. Samples may appear completely different in your home

Paint it all

When it comes to home decorating, colour is your best friend. Colours can visually enlarge or reduce the size of a room; heighten or lower a ceiling. And there is nothing that comes in more colours than paint One of the best ways to update your home on a tight budget is to use paint Paint can transfer dated cupboards and vanities to.