Assess Your Home With a Fresh Perspective

February 4, 2003

Take a fresh look at your home from the same constructive perspective that a realtor might and learn to give it a clean well-maintained look.

Get a fresh start on the look of your home by looking at it with a fresh perspective. One way to begin this constructive analysis is to look at your home the way a realtor might. A realtor would tell you that what sells is a clean, well-maintained property. And even if you have no plans to sell, this approach can help you begin to make your home look its best.

Does your home have curb appeal?
Let's begin with the outside of your home; it is, after all, what everyone sees first. Consider: What do visitors see as they pull into your driveway?

• Are the gutters clean and secure?
• Are garbage, mower, toys, and hoses properly stored?
• Does the driveway need resurfacing?
• Do cracks in the walkway or foundation need repair?
• Are shrubs well-maintained? Do they show off your home's best features?
• Is the front entrance inviting? The doorknob polished? Would a wreath be attractive?
• Is there room in your garage for your cars? Work toward a neat, orderly garage that stores only the things you use regularly. Get rid of the rest.

After you've completed your assessment of the items on the list, you'll have a plan to tackle the projects that need work. Giving your front door a fresh coat of paint and new hardware can be a quick and easy way to revive the entrance to your home.

		Look at rooms with a fresh eye. Enter each room as if for the first time. How does it make you feel? Stressed? Calm? Cheery? What changes can you make to achieve your desired feel? If a room holds a piece of rarely used furniture, would the room appear larger, more functional without it? Tackle one room at a time. Ask a friend for help, or pay for an hour or two with an interior designer.
Get rid of the clutter. Every room can look cleaner and more spacious when the clutter is removed. A typical rule of thumb? If you can't see your room's baseboards or you see piles of things, your room is probably cluttered. • Kitchen: The items you typically store on your kitchen countertops can still be accessible when stored in cabinets. No room in the cabinets? Get rid of the gadgets and utensils you haven't used in a year or more. Remove the magnets and papers hanging on your refrigerator for a cleaner, sleeker-looking kitchen. • End tables: Keep tables clear of knickknacks. Your room will look best if tables are reserved strictly for a lamp and a book or magazine. Store other items out of sight. Put CDs, videos, and board games in drawers or cabinets. Left in the open, they contribute to a cluttered look. • Sink tops: Your bathroom will look its best without the toothpaste, contact lens solution, and hairbrush in plain view. Encourage family members to put items away when they are finished using them, and the bathroom will look cleaner, and be easier to wipe down. • Windowsills: Is your windowsill a dumping ground for mail, notes, small toys, and coins? Put these items where they belong. Reserve the windowsill for a plant or a child's (small) art project.

Purge the closets.
You're accustomed to your closet, but before you open that door, take a second to look at it with new eyes. Is it stuffed full? If it is, keep this in mind: When closets aren't stuffed, they feel bigger, items are easier to find, and you'll actually feel less stressed. Get rid of anything that hasn't been worn in more than a year. Move out-of-season clothes to storage bins in the attic. Deep walk-in closets might benefit from a chest of drawers where you can easily store and locate things. Install hooks inside closet doors for frequently worn items.

Lighten up.
If you've removed all the clutter, and your room still seems cramped, try paint. You can make most rooms appear more spacious by repainting the room white or off-white. If a white room is too boring for you, bright lights can always help. Replace lights with higher-wattage lightbulbs. Fresh paint is also a recommendation you would receive from a realtor. It brightens the room immensely.

With our fresh way of looking at your home, you can be on your way to a fresh look for your living spaces.

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