Out-of-date décor will seriously deteriorate the appeal of your property. If you’re looking to sell, it can make the difference running into the thousands of pounds – but even if you’re intent on living in your home for decades to come, it’s worth pushing it to its fullest potential.
Modernising your interior can be a process that could potentially go on indefinitely. It’s therefore worth thinking about where your priorities should lie, and how you can get the most for your money in each particular room. Let’s run through a few common targets for modernisation, and how you can get the best from them.
Hallway
First impressions count for a great deal. The first part of your home that visitors will see is your hallway. This applies whether you’ve invited guests over, or if you’re showing the house off to would-be buyers.
Minimal furniture and an airy, light colour scheme will help you to create a sense of space. This might be especially important if you don’t have much natural light coming into the hallway. Think about where you’re going to hang coats, and store shoes. Often, getting in a cupboard that can cover these things will reduce the sense of visual clutter.
Kitchen
Arguably, kitchen upgrades provide the greatest return, both in terms of functionality and resale value. This goes double if you’re using the kitchen as a combined dining area, and a social hub. You might replace all of your cabinet doors and countertops, or swap out aging appliances for shiny new ones.
If you’re on a modest budget, you’d be amazed at how much of a visual return you can achieve by simply swapping out aging brass and bronze handles for silver and chrome ones, or by repainting wooden cabinets.
If your funds allow, however, it’s often worth getting a full grey kitchen facelift – the colour is about as modern as it gets, and will pair nicely with a range of coloured accessories.
Decluttering
No matter how modern your décor is, a lot of clutter is going to undermine the effect. It’s therefore critical that you find a place in which to store all of the extra items that you’ve picked up over the years. This might mean going through it all, putting the superfluous junk into a few different piles: stuff to be sold, stuff to be given away, and stuff to be binned.
But there are certain items that you’ll want to hang onto. Keep them out of sight and out of mind with the help of the right storage solutions. This might mean converting loft or garage spaces so that they can take on more, or it might mean finding clever hidden storage solutions throughout the house. Ottomans, bedside tables, and made-to-measure wardrobes might all fit the bill.
