There it is, right there in front of your joyful eyes – the dream home.
You haven’t had to put a lick of paint on it, there’s been no need to purchase new furniture, and every room is instilled with the fresh scent of cookie dough. But your new property isn’t as clinical as a showroom. Instead, it’s lived-in without being messy. In short, it’s yours.
That’s the dream of every first-time property buyer…
…Now here’s the reality.
There it is, in front of your reluctant eyes – a, erm, fixer-upper. It’ll need more attention than your own children, is crammed full of the previous owner’s junk, and contains the pungent aroma of wet cat and WD-40. But you’ve scraped enough cash together to afford a house, so frankly you’ll take what you can get.
If all of this is sounding a little too familiar, fear not. We’ve assembled this list of design tips to turn your disappointing first-buy into somewhere that’s approaching liveable.
- Bin it!
We’ve all done it while we’ve moved house. Whichever piece of furniture we despise, we leave it behind for the next owner to ‘enjoy’. In reality, they’ll probably bin your manky old tat as soon as they clap eyes on it.
And we recommend you do the same. If your property is over-flowing with items you don’t need, then get rid of them before they become a permanent fixture in your home. Find a skip hire service in your local area and get binning.
In some instances, an elderly or vulnerable person may have been the previous resident of your new home. If so, then sites like We Buy Any Stairlift can be used to remove larger mobility aids like stairlifts. And they’ll even pay you money for the stairlift itself. You can’t say fairer than that.
- Safety first
Once you’ve got stuck into overhauling your home, it’s easy to overstretch your DIY skills. One minute you’re putting up a shelf, and the next you’re convinced that you’ve magically gained the expertise of a fully-qualified electrician.
But be careful. For one, poor DIY can reduce the value of your home. For two, undertaking home maintenance is beset with safety hazards. And for three, mucking up a DIY project could cost you a bucket-load when you have to call in a tradesperson to fix your mess. So, know your limits and hire a professional when necessary.
- Have a vision
Wandering from one room to the next in your new home should feel as natural as breathing. But if your colour scheme is inconsistent and your selection of furniture looks like it was chosen at random, walking through your house will feel more like the opening section of Saving Private Ryan.
So, have a vision. Make sure that each room flows logically into the next, and that the items you populate your home with are matching and luxurious.
Do all this, and your new home will go from ‘fixer upper’ to ‘fixed up’.
That’s our list! What makeover tips do you have for first-time buyers? Let us know in the comments below.
This is a collaborative post.