We have a couple important updates that I want to touch on before talking about home improvements and resale value. 

1. This is important for those of you who have worked with us in the past or are planning to work with us, we are discontinuing flat fee services. Consultations will still be offered with the first 90 minutes being $350 for any consultation type, but additional time beyond this will be billed at our regular hourly rate. 
2. We are discontinuing the Waldron Designs "shop". Shopping through Waldron Designs is still possible, but we want this to be a personal, tailored service like our other services!
3. We require that all projects have a budget and a clear set of expectations before we begin our work together. We understand that it is difficult to develop a budget, and we will help you do this during both the phone and initial consultation.

I have made my first ever YouTube video. I have to be honest... I get nervous and uncomfortable in front of a camera (strange considering my acting past), but I gave it a whirl and learned a couple lessons (get a tripod, turn the camera on it's side, and turn down the background music), but it's a good start... I think.. you tell me! 

Major improvements simply do not put money in your pocket.

We always hear that a kitchen remodel will improve the value of a home. Well, of course it will! But, will it improve the value more than you spent? Nope! You are still out money, so make it something that you will get to enjoy, not something that is done just to sell it.

So, how SHOULD you improve for resale? Well, first of all, hire a stager. This is their area of expertise. Next, look at the minor improvements that make a major impact.

1. Paint, paint, paint, paint.

I can't say this enough. If you're going for resale, look at LIGHT colors to brighten up the space and help it to feel more spacious. Paint the walls, the old kitchen cabinets, repaint the trim. Do you have ugly electric baseboard heat? Use a heat-safe appliance paint and spiff those right up.

3. Flooring

Replace any vinyl with tile if you can. Trust me, for 1 year or 5. It's worth the sanity of simply having nice floors. Designers and homeowners around the world may hate me for this, but my philosophy is "there's no excuse for vinyl" (unless it's vintage and awesome).Update the old flooring. Honestly, don't bother refinishing wood in my opinion. People see wood and see potential. The imperfections there can be looked past. We have nasty old carpet in the upstairs of our house, so we've been ripping it out one room at a time and painting the old wood (not in great shape) below it- a great, inexpensive solution!

4. Lighting

Swap out old light fixtures to be more modern and BRIGHT.  There are affordable, decent looking fixtures at Home Depot that won't break your budget, but will significantly modernize a space.

5. Basic repairs

This may seem like a no-brainer, but fixing up those little things, look around at the "jewels" of the house and replace them as-needed (door knobs, cabinet pulls, faucets). Keep it simple, rather than going crazy with personalizing. We're talking about resale after all, meaning... not for you.

Please note that the links above are affiliate links and we may earn a commission from their sales. 

Also, remember that most furnishings can come with you, assuming your style transitions well to other homes, so have fun with your furnishings and if you aren't loving your home, at least work on loving what it holds!