Got a Fixer-Upper? Here’s How to Make Your First Home Your Own

Inspiration

Buying a new house is exciting, but buying a fixer-upper is something truly special. Especially if it’s your first home, finding a property that needs a little TLC is a great way to save some money up front. Also, because you’ll likely be redoing everything from the kitchen and bathrooms to the paint, you can customize every aspect of your new house. As you dive into your list of DIY fixer-upper projects, here are a couple of ways to make your first home your own.

How to Make Your First Home Your Own

Put Your Best Foot Forward (with Updated Flooring)

Many fixer-uppers come with beat-up flooring. If your new house has carpet, it’s a good idea to peel it back to see what’s underneath. (If the carpet’s in bad condition, you’ll be replacing it anyway, so don’t be afraid to remove a corner and take a look.)

Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have hardwood flooring — either hiding under raggedy carpet or already displayed for all to see. If it’s damaged, you may have to replace at least sections of it.  But if it’s only worn and scuffed, you’re in luck! Hardwood flooring can easily be sanded down, re-stained, and refinished. This gives you the opportunity to choose whatever stain color you’d like.   Stain color is an important choice since hardwood floors play such a large visual role in any home.

Another way to make your first home your own is by replacing old and discolored tile. Whether it’s in the kitchen or the bath, there are ways to do this that are both beautiful and affordable. Today’s selection of ceramic tile includes choices that look like wood or natural stone. If you plan to splurge a bit, real natural stone floors look gorgeous.  But natural stones do require a bit more upkeep because you have to reseal them every few years.

Personalize Your Paint

Perhaps one of the most immediately visible ways you can make your first home your own is by updating the paint color. Nothing transforms the exterior of the house like giving it a nice sand-down and repainting.  You’ll be surprised at how new and refreshed your house looks with the exterior paint redone.

After you’ve honed your home-painting skills on the outside, it’s time to move indoors. Paint is a fantastic (and low-cost) way to customize each and every room in your house. It can turn a drab kitchen into something that’s sunny and cheerful, as well as making a white, sterile living room into a place that feels warm and welcoming.

Choose the Right Color

Especially if it’s your first painting project ever, you’re likely worried about avoiding making mistakes when choosing a color. Think long and hard about the message you’d like to convey when people walk up to your home, as well as the way you’d like people to feel when they spend time in various rooms. Yellow is a warm, energizing color, for example, and blue is soothing and calming. Red is super-stimulating; so much that design experts recommend using it sparingly when painting a home.

To choose your paint colors confidently, ditch those tiny chip-sized paint swatches you get at the store. No; we’re not recommending that you test out paint colors directly on the wall! Instead, paint up a SureSwatch with any color you’re considering. You can move it around on different walls, in different rooms, or even place it on the side of your house or on your front door. SureSwatch is a huge help when you’re trying to make your first home your own with a new paint job.

Fixer Uppers Can Be Fun

No matter what kind of updates you make to your fixer upper, go boldly and have fun with it. A home in need of TLC is a blank slate for you to enjoy, and the process of fixing it up is a journey that you’ll recall with fondness for years to come!


Want more tips on how to make your first home your own? Check out our blog!

Find SureSwatch at Home Depot, and Ace Hardware.

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