5 home purchase/upgrades I’m so glad we made!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!  Ours was so good, I was sad to see it come to an end, but I was up and at ’em super early this morning, working through my to-do list while my princess slept in!  I was talking with a friend over the weekend who is giving her entire house a little refresh – nothing big, mostly cosmetic – and she asked me if I thought any of what she was doing would help increase the aesthetic value when she goes to sell her house in a couple years.  I’ve staged my fair share of homes to go on the market in the past and while I’m not a realtor, it doesn’t take much to know that a beautifully designed and decorated home will show better than one that doesn’t. 

Whenever we’ve made any changes to our home, I always keep two things in the back of my mind: first, is this something that will help increase the appeal when we go to sell?  And second, will I get my money back when I do sell?  While furnishings, accessories and art, all make a house feel like a home, it’s changes made to the bones of the house –  millwork, flooring, tile choices, etc. – that really make a huge impact when someone walks into your home.  Here are a few purchases, investments and upgrades we’ve made over the last few years that I won’t ever regret:

Built-ins. What ended up being a necessity when I couldn’t find furniture to fit large, awkward spaces (the corner in my living room, as well as the vaulted wall in my breakfast room that made every hutch and buffet look like it belonged in a doll house) turned into the best money we have spent on our house, to date. They both look amazing, the storage space they provide is irreplaceable and the drama from the size makes for a great first impression!  I would have them made all over again in a heartbeat!

Grass cloth wallpaper.  Wallpaper isn’t for everyone, I’ll be the first to admit that, but when it flows with the rest of the house, is in a neutral color and has lots of texture, it can take an ordinary space and make it extraordinary (ESPECIALLY when you put it in an unexpected spot like the ceiling or behind bookshelves).  And besides, who doesn’t LOVE grass cloth???

Paint upgrade.  I’m all about getting the most bang for your decorating buck and paint is the one thing that can completely transform a room without breaking the bank. I always recommend spending just a little bit more for the better quality, lower VOC paint that is SCRUBBABLE because kids, guests, pets, get togethers, cocktail parties, etc. happen and it’s worth every dime when you can simply wipe it clean!

Beadboard and “Board and Batten”.  Crown molding, beadboard, board and batten, wainscoting are all beautiful and their effect on a room is definite.  The best part is that they are relatively inexpensive to install!  When we built our house, we had the builder hang beadboard in the dining room, all the bathrooms and under the countertops on the bar side of the kitchen.  I always get compliments on the fact that I ran it vertically instead of horizontally!  And after the hubby installed our version of “board and batten” in Lydia’s nursery, I ended up loving it so much that we put it in our foyer and painted the ceiling a contrasting gray/blue for a great first impression when you walk into the house!

Great light and window treatments.  I don’t know about you guys, but bright and airy spaces are so much more appealing to me than dark rooms with little natural light.  The best compliment is when windows are dressed with simple treatments – bamboo Roman shades paired with white panels are my favorite, inexpensive way to make a room feel complete (even if it’s anything but!)