So You Bought a House, Now What? Here’s What Amy Did.
You’ve heard it said a million times: your home is your biggest investment. It’s true. At least for most people who have the luxury of owning their own home. If that’s true for you and you’re like me, you’re always wondering how to protect your investment. What do I do to improve it so that it’s livable and enjoyable for me now but will increase its value for resale later. Let me tell you, that’s not an easy question. It takes balance and experts to help answer that question.
When we first bought our house, it was as much house as we could afford. Actually, it was a little uncomfortable in the payment department when we bought it, but we knew it wouldn’t be long before that changed. Our house is a little ranch-esque home in Monticello Park, which only those who live here even know this area has a name. Next to Beverley Hills and just above Del Ray, we are the affordable little sister neighborhood with the quirkiest and coolest mid-century homes this side of Hollin Hills. If you know me, this house wouldn’t have been my first choice, but it had a lot of space and could fit the two heirloom pieces of furniture that I own and love. Yes, I bought the house to fit my antique furniture.
The house had terrible windows that were energy inefficient and just plain ugly. Throughout it were walls of this weird pale yellow and the kitchen was cut off by these cabinets hanging over a peninsula that made the kitchen feel claustrophobic. Knowing that all of these things could be changed, we put in an offer, and it was accepted.
The first thing we did was take down those upper cabinets. I’m fortunate because my husband is extra handy in such departments. He was able to get them down and patch the ceiling. What a difference that made! A quick fix and it was already livable. The second thing we did was paint. What a transformation paint can make! t’s also inexpensive if you do it yourself. However, if time is money for you then consider hiring someone. We went from weird pale yellow to a lovely pale gray throughout and then went dark for the three bedrooms. Paint is one really good way to put your stamp on a space for a little sweat equity.
The biggest “first investment” we made was new windows. It just had to be done. Now, the one thing we didn’t do, was consult someone when we replaced the windows! If I had it to do over again, I would have asked a trusted interior designer to take a look and give me some advice. They would have been able to look at my style, listen to my vision, consider what is important aesthetically, and then meld those things together to start me on my way. Windows are not cheap, so you want to be sure you aren’t going to regret anything later. Bring in the experts as soon as possible.
We did that later when we wanted to remodel. When resources are limited, you want to plan the best course of action. To do that we asked a realtor friend for advice. She came to the house, and we talked about the neighborhood, what we want out of the space, what we could afford, and what the market would bear now and in the future. The question was do we keep the same footprint but improve it on our limited budget or do we go all in and invest with an addition. Ultimately, we opted for door number one and couldn’t be happier with the result.
When it comes to an investment like a new home, realtors and interior designers are essential partners. Their wealth of knowledge and expertise can help you make the right choices. On March 13, Red Barn Mercantile is teaming up with fellow Stylebook contributors, Britt Patterson of The Patterson Group and Kristin Try of Kristin Try Interiors, to bring you an expert panel on how to make those right choices. We are asking the questions that everyone wants to know, like, “Where do we put our money while still infusing our personal taste and style?”
Register to join us on Wednesday, March 13, if you are thinking of buying, selling or improving. You’ll be glad you did!
