Are you considering the best way to go about renovating your home in Seattle?
One of the best ways to increase the value of your Seattle-area home is through strategic renovations. There are many older homes here, and they are all very expensive due to the high value of the land, so having a home that is nicely updated to modern standards is important to enjoying it while you live there, and also getting the best price when you sell it.
So whether you’ve bought a new home, and you want to make it look even better and feel more comfortable – more “you,” or you’re looking for a new home you can renovate and rehab as your special project, when it comes to the actual renovation, you need to keep a few things in mind. So here’s a beginners guide to renovating your home in Seattle.
Formulate a Plan For Renovating Your Home
Before you ever pick up a hammer or paintbrush, you need a good plan for renovating your new home in Seattle. Are you going for a simple paint and carpet refresh, or are you trying to pop the top and add another floor? A kitchen or bathroom remodel can be pretty standard, if disruptive for a while. Consider how much time and money you have and whether you are going to do the work or hire it out. Ask your real estate agent to help you find a designer and a contractor to help brainstorm and formulate the plan. Find out how by calling (206) 578-3438.
What Type Of Home Remodeling Project Will Fit Your Neighborhood? Take A Look At Homes In Your Area
Then you need to put pencil to paper and work out a reasonable budget for your renovation project. The amount of money you have will impact what projects you can choose to take on, and what types of materials, or “finish level” you can shoot for.
When renovating an expensive home in Seattle, look at how other homes for sale in your neighborhood are finished. Granite or quartz countertops, hardwood floors and professional paint colors are common.
If you’re renovating a rental, stick with less-expensive materials, but still bear in mind the market standard, or your home may not be attractive to tenants either.
At the end of the day, if the renovated house is one you plan to live in for a long time and aren’t worried about resale value, what other people do or suggest is not relevant. You should focus on what you will most enjoy in your own home.
You need to know exactly how much you can spend on each phase of the renovation and on each room. It’s better to err on the side of caution here. You definitely don’t want to get part way through the renovation and then have to put it on hold because you ran out of money.
Now let’s examine some tactics to achieve the look you want while still remaining within your budget.
Home Renovation Tip #1 – Use Mirrors in Small Rooms
Remember your goals when you’re renovating your new home in Seattle – if you’re not doing a major remodel, there are plenty of things you can do to refresh or expand the space you have.
You don’t have to start knocking out walls to make all your rooms bigger. Instead, you can make small rooms appear bigger by strategically placing mirrors in them. It’s an effective trick architects have used for hundreds of years. However, your feng shui consultant would urge you to be careful … mirrors should not reflect anything negative (like a mess) and should be used with caution around doorways.
Home Renovation Tip #2 – Install Larger Windows
Keep in mind, too, that a big part of a pleasant indoor living experience is being able to see the outdoors from inside. But you can’t do that very well when the windows are tiny in your house.
Installing larger windows will afford a better view of the outdoors, as well as letting more light in to make rooms feel more spacious. Even if new windows aren’t within your budget, you can still achieve something of the same effect. Just paint window trim in a lighter shade than the rest of the room to maximize the light coming in.
Home Renovation Tip #3 – Small Changes for a Big Difference in the Bathroom
Renovating your new home doesn’t necessarily mean a major bathroom overhaul either. New fixtures and a new toilet seat, along with re-grouting cracked or mildewed joints, can make your bathroom look and feel new.
Then all you need to do is get a new shower curtain and some new bath mats. Real estate and renovation experts agree that the most important place to concentrate your efforts in the bathroom is the tile – if not new tile, then scrubbed and re-grouted.
That being said, i have seen some very LOUD paint colors in bathrooms – which can be overwhelming in a small space. I suggest going for a neutral paint color and bring in extra color via your towels, shower curtain and extra decor items.
Home Renovation Tip #4 – Concentrate on Cabinets and Countertops in the Kitchen
Refinishing cabinets and installing new hardware will work wonders to brighten up an old kitchen, as well as adding storage space to get the clutter out of sight. If your cabinet doors can’t be sanded and stained, consider painting them. If that won’t work, consider leaving the cabinet “boxes” in place and just getting new doors for the front of the cabinets.
Open shelving is very cool and trendy on websites like pinterest and houzz, but open cabinets are not very practical for storing a variety of kitchen items. Open your cabinets and look at your shelves – is that what you’d like to be looking at every day thanks to an open shelving concept?
Besides the cabinet faces and hardware, nothing dates a kitchen and makes it look older than cracked, stained or faded countertops. Replacing the countertop(s) is probably the most noticeable change you can make in your kitchen. Everyone can see and appreciate that new slab of marble, quartz or granite.
Home Renovation Tip #5 – Rugs for the Bedrooms
New light fixtures, new rugs, and some wall accents can do a lot for a bedroom. With new rugs, you can have a new floor without the effort and expense of installing new flooring. Experts suggest layering the new rugs to divert your eye from unattractive tile or carpet.
Keep in mind that renovating your home in Seattle is not the same as remodeling. Renovating isn’t as extensive or deep – it doesn’t involve major structural changes and is thousands of dollars less expensive.