Builder grade home makeover. When you type in builder grade on Google the first thing that pops up after it is makeover. Apparently we’re all out there trying to personalize our builder grade homes. And that’s amazing!
Maybe that should be a new HGTV series: Builder Grade Home Makeover!
Builder grade homes are what 95% of America lives in. (I don’t really know, I’m just guessing here 😂) Many of us live in cookie cutter neighborhoods where one house doesn’t took much different than the house next to it. Builders care less and less about building beautiful, unique homes and place more stock in how many they can throw together and make a profit. Which leaves us with a space we want to make our own, and not feel like we’re walking into what could also be any of our neighbors houses.
Our house plan is very 90’s, but at the same time I truly do love it. When I first saw it my heart did a leap, and when we walked in to check it out . . . well it was just love. So much potential. So many projects I could do. You can read all about finding our home here.
I’m sure there’s something that spoke to your heart when you purchased your home as well. Maybe it was the little porch out front, maybe the big backyard, maybe it was the master bedroom or the fact that it had that extra bathroom you really wanted. Whatever the reason, you’re here, and now it’s time to make that space your own.
Builder grade home makeover coming at you!
With big dreams you skip off to the home improvement store with lots of ideas and a budget you think is decent. Except you start checking prices, new flooring, lighting, the works, and suddenly you get very sad. And you realize why the builder used the products they did . . . because the nice wood floors and that amazing tile you wanted for your bathroom . . . well girl that stuff is pricy!
And you throw a little pity party. (It’s okay to admit, I sure did!) and you wonder if you’ll ever be able to take this space and make it what you’d always dreamed.
And you know what, it is possible! But, your expectations may need to change just a tad. Let me explain.
It doesn’t all have to be expensive. Let’s paint!
Maybe the tile can’t be replaced right now, but it can be painted! Maybe you can’t trim out the windows with new moulding, and that orange wood is mocking you each time you walk by. Paint it! Are you sensing a theme here? Paint is your magic wand. It’s your POOF! Let’s make a big impact at a smaller price point! I love Sherwin Williams (get on their email list for coupons!) and also have been using Behr recently with really good luck!
Put some lipstick on that pig!
Heard of that phrase before? You can’t make a pig pretty by putting lipstick on it? Maybe not, but it sure would be distracting to look at! So . . . put some lipstick on your pig (room) that you struggle with. I know, it’s not the makeover you envisioned, but until you can gut and remodel, find some decor that speaks to you and get to work on that space. Look at it as a challenge, like someone bet you couldn’t it and you’re out to prove them wrong.
I was told I wasn’t a runner when I was younger, so I grew up and ran a marathon, not to prove to them I could, but to prove to myself I can do anything I set my mind to! Get the same fire under you for your home, and make it work!
What to invest in when it comes to decor
There are a few items that always make a room look better, no matter what. Put these on your list and get to shopping. You’ll have that room looking fresh in no time.
Plants
There’s just something about a plant that brings life to a room. Fake, real, or a mixture of both. It all depends on you. But trust me, a little pretty green in a pot goes a long way. Maybe a fiddle leaf would look great next to that shelf you have. Maybe those draping succulents would look amazing sitting next to a few candles on the end table over there. Get creative and bring some life into your pace.
My favorite places to shop for fake plants are T.J.Maxx, Hobby Lobby when they have their 50% off plant sales, and Amazon.
Lamps
Lamps light up a room friends. literally. There’s nothing less cozy and welcoming than a dark room. Lamps add soft light in different areas of the room, which gives it eye appeal. T.J.Maxx always has a great selection of lamps. I also love Hobby Lobby for unique lamps. Whey they are on sale it’s such a deal! A mixture of floor and table lamps are great to incorporate into any room.
Rugs
There’s just something so soft and welcoming like a plush rug between your toes. Rugs add contrast, visual appeal, and help create separate spaces in larger areas. They are so fun, come in almost any design you can imagine, and they are one of the staples for a room refresh. Wayfair has some amazing deals on rugs, as well as Well Woven, and if you live close to a Costco they also have some amazing deals!
Books
I’m a big nerdy book lover here so I may be biased, but having a bookshelf, some books on an end table or thrown into your decor immediately brings to mind grabbing a soft throw, snuggling up in a overstuffed chair and letting my mind drift away into another world. I instantly feel more at ease and relaxed.
Wall hangings
Know that echo that you can hear in some rooms when you talk? Time to add wall hangings in there! Maybe it’s abstract art, maybe it’s a framed drawing from your child for a family picture of your great great grandma. Walls are made for beautiful things to be hung from them. So get brave and put some holes in those walls! They patch up if you ever decide to move. I promise!
A builder grade home can be a dream home
These are just a few ways to upgrade your home. For more tips, check out my free ebook 5 ways to update your home on a budget!
It is possible. With patience, persistence, some creativity and thinking outside the box you can make the home of your dreams a reality. Or at the very least up the resale value when you sell your home to go in search of your dream one! Whatever the end result, you don’t want to spend years in a house you just consider okay. Home is where we relax, recharge, where we spend some of our most special times, gathered around family, holidays, BBQ’s with friends, birthday parties. You want your home to be a haven and oh so cozy. So get busy making it that way! No excuses!
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