You’ve finally done it. You found the home of your dreams and made the leap into becoming a homeowner.
The journey isn’t done quite yet.
John Sedlarik, a broker and team leader at The Sedlarik Group Realty, said it’s important for new homeowners to put their own personal touch on their new home.
“It’s very common for someone to come in and want to put their touch on the house,” Sedlarik said. “If you don’t like the colors, you’ll definitely want to paint. You need to give it your own touch also if you don’t like the flooring and walls. That way it feels clean and new to you.”
While cosmetic changes are the most common updates new homeowners make, there’s also bigger ticket items that may need replacing.
Here’s a look at the top five things a new homeowner may want to buy and replace.
Things to Buy and Replace for Your New House
From flooring to appliances there are a number of changes you can make to your home to make it feel like your space.
- Replace paint and wallpaper. Not digging that green living room or that wallpaper from the 1960s? Take it all down. A fresh coat of paint or taking down wallpaper and painting can really refresh the look of a room. Choosing a color that matches your overall theme will also please your interior designer side.
- Remove flooring or refinish hardwood floors. Not a fan of the shag carpet? Tear it out. You can replace the flooring with new carpet or add wood. You might even be lucky enough to have original wood floors hiding under the carpet. If there is hardwood underneath, you can rent the equipment to refinish them yourself.
- Buy new appliances. Were you hoping to have all stainless-steel appliances in the kitchen or a front-loading washer and dryer? If the appliances are outdated or not what you want, you’ll likely end up replacing them. When buying new appliances, look for ones that are Energy Star rated. Energy Star appliances can help you save money and make your home more energy efficient.
- Install a programmable thermostat. Are you comfy in your new bedroom and realize you need to get up to adjust your thermostat? If you install a programmable thermostat you could make the adjustments from your bed. Another benefit of the programmable thermostat is it can help make your home more energy efficient as you can adjust the temperature for when you’re not home or when you’re sleeping.
- Upgrade your home’s insulation. There are more than a dozen signs and symptoms your home needs new insulation. Feeling drafts around your home and the inability to maintain a constant temperature are just a few of the signs that also make your home uncomfortable. While traditional insulation like cellulose and fiberglass are options, they won’t create an air barrier. That means you could still feel drafts and have cold room. Foam insulation creates an air barrier that will keep the outside temperatures out of your home, while your treated air keeps you nice and comfortable.
Things New Homeowners Need to Buy
Were any of these things on your to-do list?
Now that you have read through these tips to really make your home your own, it’s time to get to work.
John Sedlarik, broker and team leader at The Sedlarik Group Realty contributed to this article.