Home Improvement Projects for First-Time Homebuyers

So, you finally bought that home you’ve been dreaming of, and now it is time to transform this new house into your idea of an ideal home. But as Five Star Management points out, all the expense and stress of buying a new home, the last thing you want is anything that will take money out of your pockets.

In this post, you will find ten easy home improvements you can do today to bring your house closer to your vision of a perfect home. You can DIY most of the projects if you are a bit handy, but they won’t cost much if you hire someone to do them for you.

1. Deep clean the home

Give the home a thorough clean to remove ingrained dirt and reveal the actual condition of the different surfaces and items in the home. Do not move that couch in until you have cleaned the floor. If there are carpets in the house, you may want to hire a professional carpet cleaner. Or if you prefer, you can rent a steam cleaner and give it a good cleaning.

2. Change your toilet seats

This is not the fanciest update and not one you would view as immediately necessary. But if there is one thing you don’t want to inherit, it is someone else’s toilet. Changing the toilet seat will give you peace of mind regarding your health and sanitation. It also offers you the chance to really clean around the bathroom.

3. Update the front entryway

The ideal would be to buy a new front door, preferably a stainless-steel front door. But you will also get good results by simply repainting your existing door. While you are at it, remember to change the door handles. For improved security, it is recommended that you change the locks to all outside leading doors, including the garage doors.

4. Replace light switches and power outlets

If your new home has enough power outlets, you will not need to add more. But you may need to upgrade the power outlets installed in the house. Old power outlets need to be replaced. Old school outlets that have no USB ports also have to go. Do not forget to change your light switches along the way.

5. Improve lighting

This is one of the most impactful changes you can make to your home. Improved lighting is not just for nighttime; it also makes much difference during the daytime. The three qualities you want in your lighting are as follows: you want sufficient illumination in all parts of the house (the right amount of lighting for a room depends on how the space is used); lighting fixtures should be ornamental and functional; and you want lighting that is sufficient and yet saves energy.

6. Refurbish your cabinets

This applies to cabinets in the bathroom and kitchen. Unless the cabinets are in bad shape, you do not need to replace them. A simple way to give a new lease of life to old cabinets is to reface them.

If the cabinet façade looks good, the next best thing is to simply repaint them. You may also want to repaint the surrounding areas to help your repainted cabinets fit in.

7. Add trim to interior doors

If the doors inside the home are standard solid panel doors, you can make them look more attractive and expensive with a small step. Adding decorative trim to doors and repainting them will make them look brand new. It costs way less than replacing your doors altogether, and you can finish all the doors within a single day.

8. Update all hardware in the home

These include door and cabinet knobs, handles and pulls, and plumbing fixtures like faucets. The impact of replacing these small items is massive. If you repaint your doors or cabinets without replacing the hardware, the old hardware will take away from the effects of the improvement. Changing plumbing hardware will light up sink areas in the kitchen and bathroom.

9. Improve your home’s energy efficiency

Energy-efficient features will cost you, but you can recoup that cost through future savings on utility bills. You want to install faucets, toilets, and showerheads with low- or multiple-flow settings for your home’s plumbing. Adding tint to windows will reduce the amount of direct sunlight in the house and help you cut down on cooling costs.

10. Change your mailbox

If the mailbox in front of your house is old, faded, and ready to fall over, it will give a wrong impression to visitors. A new mailbox and mailbox post do not cost a lot, but the effect of these small changes is almost unquantifiable. Mailboxes are small details you think people don’t notice, but the truth is they actually do.