How to Modernize Your Home's Appearance

As modern homes become more popular, many homeowners are looking for ways to update their home's appearance. Whether you're just starting to look into the idea of updating your home or have already begun renovations, this article will give you 5 tips that can help you make your house feel like a contemporary living space.

Exterior Paint

Painting the outside of your house is one of the most popular ways to give your house a contemporary look. If you're looking for an affordable way to update your home's looks, painting is definitely worth considering! When choosing what color you want it painted, make sure you pick colors that are trendy and match with current styles.

New Roofing

Another way to modernize your home's appearance is by installing a new roof. If your home's current roof is old, patchy, or just not up to contemporary standards anymore, it will definitely look better with a more modern one. Modern roofs come in a lot of different styles and materials, so you have plenty to choose from. Contacting a roofer to get some estimates is a great place to start.

Lighting

Lighting can have a huge impact on the look and feel of your home. If you're looking for an affordable way to update your whole house's appearance, consider updating or adding lighting fixtures throughout. This could be as simple as adding a new lamp or two or replacing your old bulbs with modern and trendy ones.

New Windows

Windows aren't just for letting light in; they can also help you update the appearance of any room by letting more natural light into it. If you're looking to make your house look more contemporary, consider replacing aging or dated windows. This is a good choice for those who are looking to modernize the look of their home without spending much money on renovations and repairs.

Kitchen Updates

Lastly, consider updating your kitchen. If you're looking to make a big impact on the way your home looks, this is definitely one of the best ways to do it. A kitchen can be updated by replacing old appliances, such as the stove and fridge, or by changing out counters and cabinets.

Conclusion

When it comes to the look of your house, there are plenty of ways you can update its appearance without having to do extensive renovations. The 5 tips we've covered in this article should be able to give you some ideas for how you might want to start updating your home's exterior and interior.

How to Decorate a Bedroom in Vintage Style

Vintage is always in, so when you decide to decorate your bedroom in vintage style, you won't have too much trouble achieving your dream décor. However, with vintage, you can easily stray away and turn your interior into a true mess of a variety of furniture pieces and accessories thrown in together. Therefore, stick to this comprehensive guide and check out how you can easily decorate your bedroom in vintage style without going overboard.

Colors to determine the ambiance

Brown hues mixed with eggshell, white and dusky pink will make your bedroom look and feel like your grandma’s old home. Dark finishes and deep-wood tones will bring in the vintage vibe instantly. Consider jewel-toned paint or dark and dramatic wallpaper. They will help you set off antique beds, dressers, and armoires.

Wallpapers with vintage vibes

Speaking of wallpaper, you cannot imagine a vintage-style room without trademark walls covering with flowers and other whimsical patterns. Floral wallpaper in delicate pink, blue, or cream hues will be exactly what you need to make the room look like back in the 50s and 60s. A beige wallpaper with hints of olive green and jewel tones will be a good choice. Go for soft, delicate tones if you'd like to bring in a sense of serenity into the bedroom.

Look for vintage pattern bedding

Bedding is the next item on the list to consider. Aside from the walls, bedding will be the next most prominent feature in your bedroom design. So, look into some of the most authentic patterns at Wake In Cloud and make your bedroom look beautiful in vintage vibes. More florals on the pillows and covers alongside a throw blanket that will make the entire setting connected is all you need to create a vintage ambiance in the bedroom. You can never go wrong with bed linen in soft pastels and vintage-inspired prints. To make the most of your antique-looking bedroom, add a quilt that you made out of old sheets and clothes.

Browse flea markets and antique shops for unique items

An upholstered headboard, chaise lounge, antique French dressing table and an opulent chandelier alongside swag pelmet curtains are just some of the items you need to breathe vintage vibes into your bedroom. An iron bed frame is an ideal alternative for an upholstered headboard. Stop by the flea market or go to the local thrift shop and antique store to look for unique antiques that will look perfect as a part of your bedroom décor. A dingy old nightstand can be refurbished and still look old enough to look like it belongs in your vintage style room.

Invest in an array of accessories

An old bookcase with your dated hardcover books, a lamp that you inherited from your grandma and a few throw pillows on the bed are just some of the possible accessory options that will fit seamlessly into your vintage bedroom décor. If you bring your antique teapot and place it on a bottom shelf of a nightstand and add a dated oval-shaped picture frame on top of it, you’ll build a fabulous vintage style bedroom. Folky artworks, patchwork textiles and classic checked quilts are welcome as well.

If you’re trying to decorate your bedroom in vintage style, but you're not doing a very good job, stop and think how your grandma's room used to look. Throw in several items that you've gotten or inherited from the grandparents, add floral wallpapers and make sure there are dark wood tones across the room. With antique furniture and old-fashioned accessories such as lamps, picture frames and tea sets, your bedroom will look perfect and radiate vintage vibes all over.

How to Value Your Home Prior to Contacting an Agent

If you are planning to sell your home, you may want to ask an agent how much it will sell for. Before you do, there are a few things you can try to estimate the value of your home on your own. This way, you'll have a good idea of what the market will offer your home before hiring an agent to help with negotiations. Here are four steps to estimating the value of your home:

Perform Local Comparisons

Even if you live in a small community, there are likely dozens of homes just like yours. Look at what similar homes have sold for and listed over the past few months. This should give you an idea of what your home is worth in today’s market.

Compare Your Home Improvements

Knowing how much your home is worth is key to getting a fair price when you decide to sell. Before you put your house on the market, it’s a good idea to make a list of any renovations or improvements you've made, regardless of whether they were expensive or not. If buyers are looking at similar houses in your area that have been renovated, those improvements can increase your home's value. Additionally, keep records for things like appliances and floors. These upgrades aren't as visible as rooms remodeled from top to bottom but can still be part of what sets one house apart from another.

Look at Recent Sales History

The sales history of your home is an important metric, especially if you plan to sell your home as-is. Most real estate agents would advise you to choose a price range that allows for 7-15% annual appreciation, since most neighborhoods trend in that direction over time. To figure out what is possible, start by looking at the sales history of homes that are comparable to yours. You can search online with sites like Redfin or Trulia and find that data.

Perform a DIY Appraisal

The DIY route is a good way to appraise your home before an agent comes to do it. If you’re going with this approach, understand that the number won’t always be accurate but you’ll be able to get a better idea of how an agent will price your home. Go through your home and take note of the condition, amenities, number of rooms, and bathrooms, as well as any problems. Input this information on instant home valuation sites to get a general idea of how much your home is worth.

Selling your home can be stressful, but it’s important to understand the process so you know what to expect and when. These five methods will help you estimate your home’s value and determine the best strategy for selling it quickly and for maximum profit.

Next Exterior Refresh: How to enhance your home's style over the weekend

Weekends are valuable because you have more time to spend at home to freshen up the style of your home. This helps to give your home a facelift. However, if you are struggling with ideas, check out these five great tips to enhance the style of your home over the weekend.

Add New Lighting

Lighting helps to bring your home to life. When your home is poorly lit, it will look dark and dull. Adding new lighting to your home will make it look airy and welcoming. There are different ways to improve your home with lighting. For example, you can buy floor lamps and place them in strategic places like the dark corners of your home. When using lighting in your rooms, you can layer the lighting with side tables. This will make the rooms look welcoming. You can also replace all your outdated lighting fixtures with the impressive modern lighting fixtures available on the market. The use of bright lighting can give your home a facelift. 

Clean and Paint Your Home

One way to enhance the style of your home is by cleaning and painting it. Cleaning your home properly over the weekend can improve your mood and make your home more comfortable. Also, painting your home will make it look new and welcoming. When painting your home, look for places that need a touch-up. For instance, you can consider painting your ceiling or trim with a coat of white paint. Painting can help transform your home, thereby reducing the need for significant renovations. It can also help bring new life to outdated furniture. Whenever you have some free time over the weekend, don't forget to do some cleaning and painting in your home.

Decorate Your Living Room and Kitchen. 

A great way to improve your living room is by rearranging the furniture. Try setting up your furniture in a new way. Also, you can swap out some furniture from other rooms to establish a new look. You can choose to make use of a new rug, hang a few curtains, and change the decor on the bookshelves. Furthermore, the weekend is a great time to add some style to your kitchen. You can decide on painting the cabinets and walls of your kitchen. Since you will be doing a lot of activities in your kitchen, you should consider painting it with color that can hide dirt or stains better. Also, use a semi or high gloss finish to prevent unnecessary peelings. You can also add plants as decoration, they will give a lively atmosphere to your indoor look. You can just visit the closest flower shop and bring them home over the weekend. Be careful to check what kind of dirt and how much water do they need once you start taking care of them! If your living room is dark and there is not much sunlight passing through the windows, add some LED grow lights to help the plants grow healthy. 

Create Accent Walls

One of the best ways to enhance your house style is by creating an accent wall for your home. Taupe or White walls have a unique look, but adding a little pop of color can make your house look modernized. Also, you can choose to experiment with patterns, tone, textures, and more. With complimentary accent colors and painter's tape, you can create modern wall art. Irrespective of what you want to achieve with your accent wall, try to make sure it reveals your distinct sense of style. 

Change the Siding of Your Home

Changing siding can make your home stand out remarkably. Siding plays a vital role in the security of your home. It protects your home from elements like snow, ice, wind, or rain. Having poor siding will allow water to enter your home from the windows or roof, resulting in crucial damages like mildew and foundational issues. Whenever you notice air coming through the exterior of your home, then it may be time to consider changing your siding. If you don't have time for this, it would be nice to seek professional help from siding contractors. Make sure you hire a siding contractor who is licensed and insured because this guarantees that they will help you install your siding correctly. 

Conclusion

Spending time over the weekend adding style to your home is a great way to have fun and improve the quality of your home. Remember to add style to your home, add new lighting, clean and paint your room, decorate your living room and kitchen, create accent walls and change the siding of your home. Take on the challenge today and make your home look special!