Congratulations, first-time home buyers! You’ve completed your closing. All the documents have been signed and the movers have (hopefully) placed your things in the correct rooms of your brand new house! Are you currently looking around your property, thinking, “Where do we start?” You aren’t alone. This moment of uncertainty is very common when purchasing a new (especially your first) home.
There are so many benefits of spending even just a weekend working on a few DIY projects:
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Sense of accomplishment
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Learning a new skill
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Spending quality time with the family
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Saving money from hiring outside help
Ready to begin the adventure of transforming this space into the safe haven you’ve always wanted? Read 23 Legal’s quick guide to simple DIY projects for new homeowners to start making this house truly feel like home…
Start by Making a List
Ready to make your dream home to feel like a reality? A great way to make that happen is by adding trim, unique accents, and personal touches. Whether you bought a “fixer-upper” or a modern home, when starting new DIY projects, be mindful of the project’s complexity.
We recommend starting with smaller projects that require only a few steps and don’t require hiring a professional. Save the larger projects that require a significant amount skill and effort for once you are settled in your home. An excellent way to stay on track with your DIY projects is by creating a list. This list can be organized by specific rooms, areas, and goals. Do your best not to make your list feel endless. Adding too many jobs too soon can leave you feeling overwhelmed! Tackle one step at a time with smaller tasks and watch your confidence grow as you make your way through the list…
Curb Appeal
When creating your list, don’t forget to consider the outside of your home! Attorney Ben Weaver finds that taking pride in beautifying your home’s exterior is the quickest way to become integrated within your new neighborhood. Curb appeal is a fun place to start with DIY projects. Remember, it will be the first thing you see when you arrive home after work every day and the first impression on visitors. You want it to welcome you as much as anyone else who comes to your home for the first time!
Front Door: Spark joy into your property by painting your front door and window frames. This colorful project can be less time-consuming and inexpensive than a complete repaint of the property. Find exciting and complementary colors for front doors and windows here…
“The front door is usually the first thing people see when entering your home. Make a great impression with a bright, welcoming front door color.” HGTV
Mailbox: The mailbox is an underrated location for DIY projects considering how frequently we visit them! Picture this: On a sunny Sunday morning, you grab a cup of coffee and walk out to your custom mailbox that has you written all over it. It’s the perfect compliment to your personality and looks stunning next to your new home
If you have children and want them to feel involved in creating a home atmosphere, this is a fantastic way to do just that! You can buy a plain white mailbox and let the painting begin, everyone adding their own design. You may not even need to purchase a brand new mailbox. Another option is modernizing the mailbox with little details that match your home more or have fun with a themed mailbox to support your favorite sports team. The possibilities are endless. These creative DIY mailbox ideas are sure to give you additional inspiration.
Indoor Details
It takes time to get well acquainted with your new home. Big decisions like taking down walls and fully renovating your kitchen should be well thought out…before pulling out the sledgehammer! Start brightening up rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom with minimal updates.
Small Details: This includes things like changing fixtures and cabinet handles. Little touches can go a long way! Update the finer details of your home such as spouts and holds. Projects like these are excellent for both aesthetic and function. If the sinks are leaky or not to your liking, replace with more efficient, modern faucets. Lowes gives you a step-by-step guide to replacing your kitchen faucet here.
“A simple white kitchen is made instantly glamorous by the addition of brushed gold knobs and pulls. Pro tip: Measure the width of your existing cabinet pulls before ordering. Also, be prepared to sand and touch up small dings and scratches that may occur while removing old hardware.” HGTV
Toilet Seats: The bathroom is a perfect example of a small space that can get DIY’d quickly! If the previous owner of your home had an outdated toilet seat, the whole toilet doesn’t need a makeover, just the seat. Replacing a toilet seat cover is a fast way to spruce up this space.
Home Depot shares how easy it is to install a new toilet seat: “Installing new toilet seats can be a quick and easy task. Whether you need to swap out an old, broken seat or want to give your bathroom a fresh look with a new one, learning how to install a toilet seat is a matter of addressing a few simple steps.”
Personal Decor: The entrance of the home or a hallway in-between rooms is a lovely place for a gallery wall. Consider this area as a segway between rooms that shouldn’t be overlooked. Gallery walls can be custom symmetric framed images of a memorable moment in your life. Or anything that you find frame-worthy! You can mix this area up with pictures that inspire you, bold words of affirmations, and even the first letter of your last name. It’s up to you to get your design juices flowing in this fun way of displaying moments and thoughts that mean a lot to you. The DIY Playbook has a simple guide to creating your very own Symmetrical Gallery Wall!
Bonus…
Backyard: Don’t forget about the backyard! Adding twinkling string lights can transform any backyard into a peaceful spot for family meals and wine nights with friends. String lights are a great way to set the mood and light up a dark space.
Organization: Adding simple shelves will keep your home clutter-free! “A simple yet highly effective DIY and decorating task is putting up shelves to free up surface space in any room. It’s often the easy tasks we delay doing most, but we say don’t delay because the results are totally transformative. Watch our easy guide for how to put up a floating shelf.” Ideal Home
Remember to Have Fun and Share Your Personality
While being a homeowner is a serious thing, remember to enjoy the adventure! Don’t have to be hard on yourself if your DIY project doesn’t turn out perfectly or just as imagined. Your new property is hopefully your forever home, and that means you’ll have plenty of time to work on it. Try to make the most out of this exciting chapter in your life. DIY projects can also be a great ice breaker to meet your neighbors! Ask them for helpful tips. Your new neighbors might be more than happy to share their experiences.
We should mention that most DIY home projects don’t require permits; however, as you start making headway through your to-do list, some projects may need zoning permits. Unsure about which projects require permits or aid from local authorities? Feel free to contact your local real estate attorney Ben Weaver to make sure you’re covered legally before making any major changes.
We hope you enjoy making these simple DIY updates on your home to make it truly yours!
Please feel free to contact us for assistance or with any questions you have. Click here to read 5-star client reviews!
Why Choose 23 Legal
23 Legal offers Real Estate and Estate Planning legal services to individuals, families, community associations and small business owners throughout Chicagoland. We know how intimidating “the law” can be. In fact, when most people think of law offices, they think of stuffy leather chairs, huge wooden desks and pompous lawyers who charge outrageous fees. That’s not us! We believe in 1-to-1; the same lawyer should work with you all the way through. Whether you have an estate planning issue, family trust concern, or you have a legal problem in regard to a new home, business, real estate or remodel, you need a lawyer who cares. That’s where Ben comes in! We are great listeners; more than that, we are lawyers who believe that our clients always come first.
