When you find the perfect home, you will probably make some changes in the décor since not everyone has the same tastes in colors and textures. Painting the interior, changing carpets and flooring and updating fixtures such as the showers, sinks, tubs and toilets are all updates many people make when moving into a new house.
Curb Appeal
If the house had a plain front door, upgrade to a door with sidelites. If the door is plain white and another color matches your home, you might change to another color at the same time. Adding a decorative door makes your home look more inviting and adds more value to the property as a whole.
If your home does not have a porch or a decorative entryway, adding one also increases the value of your home and makes it more inviting to your guests. A porch also allows you to decorate for the holidays, gives you a place to put shoes and boots if they are muddy or dripping with snow and ice melt. And, it allows you to do one of the most relaxing activities on the planet: Porch sitting. Whether you sit on the porch with a good book or a good friend for an in-depth discussion, you will find yourself relaxed and less stressed.
It’s the Little Things Inside
If you want to make the interior more luxurious, change the crown molding and the baseboards. You can choose from many designs. The taller the crown molding, the more luxurious it looks. Most baseboards are just flat boards, but you can find them with a beveled cut or other cuts that make them more decorative.
If you plan on replacing the flooring, replace the baseboards at the same time. That way, you won’t have to worry about damaging them when you remove them since you are putting another type there. Painting the baseboards and crown molding before you install them makes the job much easier – if you plan on doing it yourself.
Look at some of the new generation vinyl now available if you are looking for something that looks great, but is easy to maintain. It looks like real tile or wood – depending on what you choose – and it is very easy to keep clean. And, when you are ready for different flooring, it’s easy to remove and replace. Vinyl is also waterproof, so you don’t have to worry if the kids spill something on it. If you install it without gluing it down – as a floating floor – it’s even easier to replace when you decide to change the flooring.
A little paint in the trendiest colors, new flooring, exterior paint, a new front door is sometimes all it takes to make an almost-perfect luxury home into the perfect luxury home.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
