Three Genius Tips to Make Your New House a Home

Written by Posted On Tuesday, 01 May 2018 09:35

It's finally done. The "i's" have been dotted, "t's" are crossed, and the closing date has happened. Your dream home is yours. Now you just have to move in and start making your new house a home. But where to start? Here are three genius tips to get you started.

 

Decorate for a Cause

One of the first things on a to-do list when getting a new home is some redecorating. The house itself is perfect, but maybe the kitchen was painted an awful shade of purple? Or you want to replace the old carpet in the living room? Being able to redecorate or minor remodeling is a great way to start making your house yours. But isn't that expensive, especially after just buying a house?

 

It doesn't have to be. If you go to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore page, you can see if they have a ReStore in your area or nearby. Habitat for Humanity ReStores are non-profit home improvement store and donation centers that sell gently used furniture, appliances, materials, pretty much anything to do with home improvement.

 

Anything you buy there costs much less than retail stores and by supporting your local ReStore, you are supporting the local Habitat for Humanity. You can also volunteer at the ReStore or donate your own gently used furniture and appliances you may not need anymore.

 

Revamping the Fireplace

Did your home come with a fireplace? Or do you want to try and make a space for one? You can do that and save energy on your heating bill during the winter with a gas log fireplace.

 

While it's not a new trend, installing a gas fireplace is becoming more popular. Wood-burning fireplaces make a good ambiance, they don't have the efficiency that gas fireplaces do. You can use either natural gas or propane, though natural gas is cheaper and more efficient than propane, and a gas fireplace heats 75% more than a traditional fireplace does. You wouldn't need to haul or stack logs and a wall thermostat can control how hot the flame burns, helping with heat output.

 

Getting one installed does cost around $2,000-$5,000, but the savings you get from your heating bill more than make up for it. In order for the job to be done correctly, you would have to get it professionally installed by a certified technician and serviced at least once a year.

 

Don't Forget the Outside

While you're deciding on paint colors and where to put the couch, don't forget about the outside. Landscaping a home, no matter the size of the yard can help make the entire place feel more like home. It will also make the place look more attractive in your neighborhood.

 

If there aren't any existing beds, it's easy to make some yourself. First, you want to plan out where you want your flower beds or garden (or both!). Next, you want to build the beds. The "no-dig" method consists of placing layers of cardboard or newspapers over the grass, covering it with fresh soil and mulch, and wetting it. The cardboard or newspaper will smother out the grass and provide its own mulch. The best time to do this is in early spring, but if you have moved in the fall you can prepare the beds in fall/winter as well.

 

Place a few bricks or stones around the beds for borders and you are ready to plant! Hint: you can get bricks or stones for your borders at the ReStore too!

 

Conclusion

Make a new house a cozy home is a constant work in progress, one that can be overwhelming. With these three tips, however, you can have a starting point and some ideas for remodeling and landscaping.

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Carol Evenson

Carol is a home renovation specialist with a background in organization and sales. She assists realtors with business management and growth.

https://twitter.com/cmill_com

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