Your bedroom should be a sanctuary of relaxation, whether you’re staging your home to sell, or planning on staying put. But it’s also one of the trickiest rooms to spruce up.
Since you probably store most of your clothing and personal items in your bedroom, it can become a cluttered mess in the blink of an eye. Because it’s not seen by many people (hosted any dinner parties in there lately?), many of us rate bedrooms a low priority for decorating.
However, beautifying your bedroom doesn’t need to be an arduous task. In fact, you can make a world of difference in less than an hour. Need some direction?
We reached out to several real estate and interior design experts to walk us through an array of bedroom improvement projects, with a range of budgets and time constraints in mind.
If you have 5 minutes
Five minutes isn’t a lot of time, but it’s definitely enough to give your bedroom a quick sweep. Throw dirty clothes in the laundry hamper, and hang or fold and put away any clean clothes.
Kasia McDaniel, a home stager with Blue Diamond Staging and Design in Carthage, NC, recommends dusting and decluttering your nightstand.
Cost: Free
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If you’re staging your home to sell, “remove as many family photos and personal items as possible,” says Jennifer Ward, a professional home flipper and founder of House Buying Mamas in Indianapolis. All the agents we spoke to stressed the need to create a neutral atmosphere, something like that of a hotel, so buyers can envision themselves and their possessions in the space.
Cost: Free
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If you have 30 minutes
Half an hour is just enough time to upgrade any tired, outdated, or dinged-up hardware in your room.
“Focus on door handles and closet door handles,” says Brooke Grasley, founder of Restore Décor and More in Joliet, IL. “You could also replace and update light switch and electrical outlet covers.”
Cost: Door handles run upward of $18, while light switch and electrical outlet covers typically cost upward of $5.
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Ali Wenzke, the Chicago-based author of “The Art of Happy Moving,” recommends removing your TV and any other large electronics from the bedroom.
“You don’t want a buyer’s eyes to go straight to the TV,” Wenzke says. “You want to evoke a feeling of relaxation and intimacy, and TVs tend to do the opposite.”
Cost: Free
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If you have 1 hour
A full hour provides you with enough time for a major overhaul and ambiance reset.
A bedroom without draperies can make the room look exposed and naked, but outdated or cheap-looking drapes can be even worse. Professional stagers and seasoned real estate agents recommend replacing your blinds and old curtains with new ones.
“If you have an hour to spare, new curtain rods and curtains can dramatically improve a bedroom’s aesthetic,” says Grasley. Sticking to the same color scheme, preferably a neutral one, and avoiding busy patterns is wise.
Cost: Rods and curtains start around $75 a window and go up from there.
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Another great project that can be tackled in an hour or less? Lighting.
Andra DelMonico, lead interior designer for Trendey in Wesley Chapel, FL, advises taking out a builder-grade, flush-mount ceiling light or fan and replacing it with a chandelier for an elegant look. If you have crown molding surrounding your bedroom, add LED lighting to create a gentle ambiance.
Cost: $100-plus, with an additional $50 to $100 per hour for a licensed electrician.
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If you have 3 hours
In three hours, you can focus on making the big-ticket item—the bed—look its best, and also still have time to curate the space around it as well.
10 Best Bedroom Improvement Projects Based on How Much Time You Have appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com®.