8 Top Tips for Refreshing Your Home

As 2019 draws to a close, now is the time to start thinking about all that one wishes to accomplish in the new year. Goals might include self development, diet or lifestyle change. But for many of us, ‘new year, new home’ is at the top of the list.

Our homes are so important to us. They are the sanctuary we so desperately look forward to after a particularly rough day at work, but they’re also where we watch our families grow. Children are born, they grow up and we grow older too. Your needs may change but your home will always remain a reflection of who you are. The home shows your style, your personality, the kind of family you are and what you like to do. It holds many memories and quite often people don’t want to part with a home that has been so cherished.

Despite this affection for the home, it’s easy to get bored with the space around you. Whether you live in a modern newbuild or a Victorian property, a little change is always welcome. There are certainly ways to redesign your beloved home to suit your needs – rather than the upheaval of moving house, simply because you’re fed up of the same shade of magnolia.

If you feel it’s time to make a few adjustments, here are our 8 top tips for refreshing your home: 

Adding an Extension: Maybe you need room for a home office, or the family is growing and you need an extra bedroom, or perhaps you’re dreaming of a spacious kitchen dining room. If your property offers the potential for an extension or has a garage or cellar suitable for conversion, it will give you the space you dreamt of and add a lot of value to your home.

Advantages of a basement: Besides adding usable space to your home, a basement conversion can help to significantly increase the value of your house. Perhaps you’d like to create a den for your teenagers to disappear too, or even a suite for yourselves. Whether you’re making the space a living area or for sleeping, you will most likely want a bathroom on your level so you’re not forever up and down stairs. Because basement bathrooms are typically located below your sewage line, you’ll need a sewage pumping system. You can get sewage pumps in a variety of sizes and styles from places like JT Pumps.

Loft conversion: If you’re in need of more room but don’t have the land for an extension – lookup! A loft conversion could be just the answer you’re looking for. By using even a basic loft conversion to add a bedroom or two there will be more room to breathe for everyone. It’s also a great way to escape from the rest of the house, put your teenagers up there or create a master suite.

Creating a utility room: Fed up with seeing constant laundry and mess around the home? Need somewhere to hide your ever growing ironing pile? Having a utility room allows the homeowner to perform chores that would otherwise create mess and clutter in other parts of the house, primarily the kitchen, so their popularity has grown especially along with the rise of open plan living.

Lighting; there are so many ways to bring light into your homes. Conservatories and orangeries have long been the preferred option for adding natural light to your home, but now lantern roofs can give you a whole new range of possibilities when it comes to transforming your home.

Fresh walls: A lick of paint goes a long way. Whether it’s just a fresh coat of neutral to allow your furniture to really stand out, or a bold feature wall, roll up your sleeves because you’re about to get messy. Fresh paint will really make a difference when buyers view your house.

Accessorise: Often we might fancy a change in the living room and although it’s tempting, it may not be acceptable to buy a new sofa once a quarter! But what you can do is update your accessories. Accessorise according to the holidays and seasons. We’re talking cushions and throws, little pops of colour that change the whole dynamic from bright summer pinks to deep, autumnal burgundy’s.

Declutter: Nothing makes a house feel new again than a good old-fashioned clear out. Be brutally honest, if it’s not being used and you can live without it, let it go. By clearing out unnecessary junk and clutter from the house, you’ll notice the difference immediately.

If you take on board these tips you’ll be making your home more sellable but most importantly creating a space you truly enjoy living in. You’ll be sure to fall in love with your home all over again.