18 Dec 2021

You Have the House, Now What?

When buying your first home, everyone has a list of what they want the house to consist of; how many bedrooms, if there is a garage included, if there is an en suite and a garden, and the size of the rooms. The issue that most people find is they will need to compromise on at least some of the features of their house, either due to location, budget, or an unrealistic expectation compared to their budget. 

Bentleyville, Pennsylvania continues to be within our delivery range in western Pennsylvania, and we proudly serve all addresses, homes, businesses, and other locations in and around the borough of Bentleyville and the 15314 ZIP code in this corner of the state.

So, now that you have found the house you are going to buy and you find that it does not quite meet everything you wanted, you move into the realms of home improvement. Home improvement can feel very overwhelming when taking on a project as (literally) big as a house, so we have created a list of the first 5 projects we think you could make a start with. 

Project 1 – Pick your Focal Point

Providing your home is in a good state of repair, we recommend you make a start with the room you will be spending the most time in. There is nothing worse than spending a long day at work to come home and sit in a room you hate. However, if your rooms are not functional, we advise you make a start on those rooms so you have a kitchen that you can cook in. 

Our first tip is not to start multiple projects at the same time. Working from one project to another will ensure that you get each project completed and do not have a home full of half-started DIY tasks. This also will benefit you if you have stretched yourself to buy the house and money is a little sparse for the first few months in your new home. 

By starting in the room you will spend the most time in, you will feel accomplished every time you are in that room, which will in turn help to motivate you to complete further home improvements.

Project 2 – Redecoration 

Redecorating means different things to different people; redecorating could be stripping wallpaper, sanding floors, or just hanging new curtains. Whatever redecorating means to you, we recommend you take this step before you become too settled in your new home, and preferably before you have unpacked every room. 

Having rooms that are not unpacked can make it easier to move items to get the decorating finished. If you decorate then fully unpack, you do not have to move that heavy bookcase made heavier with books or take all of the books back off the bookcase to get in behind it. 

If you have been lucky enough to buy a home with the décor already to your taste, congratulate yourself on a big time-saving. 

Project 3 – Flooring

There is no point in getting new carpets before you have painted or wallpapered a room. This is just asking for your new carpet to be spoiled within days of being fitted. Therefore, we recommend you have new carpets or flooring fitted after the walls are finished. Flooring is also a bigger job, so again, try to do this before you fully unpack to save yourself lifting and carrying individual items and instead boxes and crates. 

Whether you choose carpets, laminate, or wood flooring, you can pull a room together by having the right flooring in place. We recommend you spend the time to browse and get the tone that you want in each room. Flooring is a costly and often an inconvenient change, so ensuring you have the right flooring in place is an important step in improving your home.

Project 4 – Accessorize Your New Home

Once the big projects have been completed in each room, the next thing is to pull it all together with the perfect accessories. You could choose an overall theme for your home, or you could choose complimenting themes for different areas of your home, but whichever you decide on, less is more. 

Accessorizing your home is also a great opportunity to look at the items you have brought with you and declutter as you unpack to ensure you make the most of the space you have in each room. 

Project 5 – Outdoor Spaces Bring Joy

When you tackle the outdoor space of your new home will depend on the season you move into the house. If it is the middle of winter and you live somewhere with snow, it is not the best time to start planting a lawn. 

Making the most of your outdoor space will depend on the space you have and what you are going to use it for. We recommend you make both of those considerations the main part of your choice. If you move into your home at the beginning of summer and plan to be outdoors every day, then definitely make this project 1 as it will be the place you will spend most of your time.

Although the order in which you tackle your home improvement projects may differ from the order, we have set out, these are the projects we recommend you tackle when first moving into your new home. Getting through all of these tasks will give you a more settled feel in your house to decide if there are any new projects you want to tackle. 

Planning Makes Perfect

Top Tip: Make sure you have a set plan of how you will approach each home improvement task you want to get to and when will be the best time to make a start. Do not begin a big outdoor renovation in the winter months.