S/O Inexpensive ways to upgrade house

amother

Wed, May 18 2022, 12:00 pm

Hi all,

I'm inspired by this thread, and also live in a home that is incredibly outdated, but am struggling to figure out what is current and what is outdated... planning to move within the next year and would like to update but want to do it in a way that will appeal to buyers too. The guys will do DIY stuff that I ask, but I don't have the budget for a designer. Please post pictures or links to modern but lower cost so that I can get an idea as to what is current:

light fixtures and lighting in every room of a house
door knobs for exterior doors
cabinet knobs
draperies
kitchen cabinetry (for colors and styles)
bathroom tiles (for a tiny bathroom)

also, any tips on how to make an unfinished basement (cement wall and floors, low ceiling of beams pipes etc) look and be more functional without finishing it? tried carpeting once in an area where it doesn't get wet, but humidity in the basement made it a disaster...

Gratefully,

Ima who is hopelessly clueless of all things style

ra_mom

Wed, May 18 2022, 12:04 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

SNIP

also, any tips on how to make an unfinished basement (cement wall and floors, low ceiling of beams pipes etc) look and be more functional without finishing it? tried carpeting once in an area where it doesn't get wet, but humidity in the basement made it a disaster...

For an unfinished basement, the best is tons and tons of lighting and an empty clear and clean space so they can see the possibilities in their mind.

amother

Peru

Wed, May 18 2022, 12:12 pm

I would say that it might be worthwhile for you to hire a designer for a consultation- not necessarily to do the whole job though.

I did when I bought my house (which is 75 years old and was redone last in the 1980s) and she gave me tons of useful information- links for items I needed, ideas of what to update without doing massive construction. She also helped me pick paint colors which I think takes experience to do well. It was a very worthwhile resource. It cost me about $200 altogether I think.

SuperWify

Wed, May 18 2022, 1:38 pm

I don’t know how big your budget is but a fresh lick of paint and a new flooring makes all the difference.

Last edited by SuperWify on Wed, May 18 2022, 1:48 pm; edited 1 time in total

amother

Tomato

Wed, May 18 2022, 1:41 pm

An amazing place for resources is houzz

Before I post kitchen here are some quwstions;
Are you putting in new kitchen cabinets, painting existing cabinets, or just replacing doors?
What kind of countertop do you have?
what kind of backsplash do you have/ will you be replacing?

For Basements;
Polish floor + paint ceiling black. If you can drywall thats even better , but you can also just paint the bricks high gloss white.
Decor/ storage should be industrial and rustic
with drywall

Photo by Meadowlark Design+Build - More basement photos

with paint

Photo by Chux Reconstrux - Discover basement design ideas

Décor inspiration

Photo by Fabian Genovesi - Neil Kelly Co. - Look for basement design inspiration

amother

Wed, May 18 2022, 2:45 pm

amother [ Tomato ] wrote:

The pictures are amazing, thank you!

I have access to a low cost construction store so we can replace the cabinets etc (which is needed as it's so old and falling apart)... Countertop is broken, backsplash cracked and damaged. Sad to think how we've been making do with a house that I would be ashamed to show as is, we really need to fix it up a bit. What kind of countertops/backsplashes do you think are current (nothing too expensive, but even just colors would be helpful)...

amother

Tomato

Wed, May 18 2022, 3:45 pm

Kitchens since you are going for resale - best resale value is probably boring all white,

Photo by InHance Interiors - More kitchen ideas

or white uppers with charcol or oak bottoms.

Photo by SR Design Group, Inc. - Search kitchen design ideas

Photo by MBB Design Studio - Browse kitchen photos

Photo by Stonington Cabinetry & Designs - More kitchen ideas

Even though those have been overdone and are starting to go "out" its still probably safest for resale
Talk to realtors in your area to see if changing the kitchen will increase the value of your home - it can add up and it may just add value equal to the expense
Also the guy in the kitchen store will be able to tell you what is popular in your area

gamanit

Wed, May 18 2022, 3:59 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

also, any tips on how to make an unfinished basement (cement wall and floors, low ceiling of beams pipes etc)

Sheetrock the walls. Homerenovision on youtube has tutorials from A-Z and it's not that difficult to do yourself and not that expensive. It'll give you a huge return on investment when you sell it. Put down some vinyl flooring- again Homerenovision has tutorials explaining the entire process. The ceiling and depending on how low it is you may want to sheetrock over the pipes instead of hiding them and just add a lot of lighting and clean the beams up nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/c/Home.....ideos

SuperWify

Wed, May 18 2022, 4:25 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Very simple DIY for the backsplash- you can do a white classic subway tile but use a peel and stick instead of a real tile.

Here’s some ideas: https://www.houzz.com/products.....-tile

Amarante

Wed, May 18 2022, 4:53 pm

I will be a voice of dissent.

If you are moving in a year do not spend money on updating it.

Clean it really well - if necessary, hire a cleaning crew.

Declutter - declutter - declutter. What you can't declutter pack away away from your home so it looks as if you have ample storage.

Fix anything that is obviously broken or wonky because prospective homebuyers will assume that if you neglected maintenance on obvious small stuff you probably also neglected more expensive maintenance.

Get rid of anything that looks shabby - better to have no drapes than have ones that are sagging and dingy looking. If necessary you could get cheap shades so that there is some kind of window treatment.

Change lighting - especially in kitchen - so that rooms appear bright and well lit. That often means getting better bulbs or installing a relatively inexpensive new kitchen fixture if the original one is still there.