There’s no greater feeling than getting the keys to your new home and making it into the haven you’ve dreamed of. However, years down the line, your once dream home might need some TLC and attention. Here’s how to regain that feeling you once loved coming home to.
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Does your home give you that at-home feeling?
If the answer is no, it’s probably a good idea to ask yourself “why?”. Is the garden not where you thought it would be by this point? Have your children scribbled on the wall and added their own messy fingerprint decorations? Has your dog chewed at the kitchen chairs and doorframes?
If you’re coming home from work with a sigh of dismay instead of a sigh of relief, maybe it’s time for a renovation to get your home back to feeling the way it once did. New, fresh, and exciting.
Plan and think about your budget
Before you jump straight into a renovation, it’s important to consider your budget to help get your new developments off to a strong start. It’s also a good idea to split your home up into sections and prioritise what you want to get done first, as renovations can be a time-consuming and costly task.
If there’s a particular room or area of the house that is in desperate need of a makeover, start by planning the amendments you are going to make and totting up the average costs to see what’s left over for elsewhere.
Having a realistic budget of both time and money will mean that you won’t cut corners, rush into anything, or run the risk of being disappointed with the outcome.
Find your style
Maybe you’ve already got a style in mind and a clear direction in which you’re heading, or perhaps you’re keen to update your home with the latest interior trends.
Whatever direction you’re going, it’s important to stick to a style throughout the home, or at least in one room. This means that there’s less chance of colour-clashing, mishap patterns, or you getting bored quickly.
Add your own bit of flair to each room and let your personality shine through. Having a few focal points in each room, along with mirrors and light walls will help open up the space whilst still keeping it interesting.
Go big or go…home?
If you’ve been thinking of getting a patio laid to potter around the garden, a family kitchen extension to enjoy meals with your relatives, or an outdoor pool to cool down in on those hot summer days, now is the time to do it.
Big renovations can completely transform a home, give it a new lease of life, and add value for if you plan on selling in the future.
After all, your home should be the place you feel most comfortable. With some time, money, and effort, your home can become the perfect place to watch your family grow and continue to make incredible memories in.
Try our ten recommendations to make your house the dream home!
If you feel like the house you live in no longer speaks to you, consider renovation work. Take a look at our suggestions and feel free to try as many as you want and afford.
1. Double islands
Two islands in the kitchen will make it feel more majestic and inviting. Of course, you can only do it if the kitchen space is generous enough. Have one island with storage and sink and use the other one for dining. Now that you have two islands in the kitchen, you can also change the bar’s theme with something you enjoy at the moment.
2. An impressive kitchen
No home can be defined as a dream home unless it has a dream kitchen in it. Elevated ceilings, beautiful hardware and cabinetry, beadboard walls, and a butcher block island are some of the details to have in your new kitchen.
3. A vintage leather sofa
When it comes to furniture, nothing says comfort and luxury as leather. If you can afford it, you should get a vintage leather sofa—it will become the main focal point for entertaining. Just remember to give it the proper TLC to expand its lifespan.
4. An elegant laundry room
Ideally, you have all the money in the world to make your dream home. In real life though, we lack the budget and tend to make compromises when it comes to functional spaces like the laundry room. However, you can make it as stylish as any other room in your home. A blue-and-white room with hand-painted de Gournay wallpaper sounds like something only rich people can afford, but you should definitely try it in your home too. Don’t forget to opt for porcelain tile flooring and artistic window treatment. Next time you’re doing laundry, you will have a royal feel when walking in the room.
5. Hand-painted walls
The market gives you unique and beautiful wallpapers, and you can always find models that speak to your heart the most. However, nothing will make a wall feel more personal than a hand-painted wall with a one-of-a-kind design. A lovely waterfall or a whimsical forest can become the detail your home was missing.
6. Statement wall in the shower
Dream homes aren’t about luxury, but you will feel special if you add some over-the-top elements here and there in the house. As long as you keep it minimal, luxury will make any home feel more special. Have a statement wall in the shower—there are plenty of luxury slabs to choose from.
7. A designated dressing room
No matter how much we love our family, we still need a space of our own to collect our thoughts and be with ourselves. A dedicated dressing room feels like the perfect space. With style and décor elements, you can always turn a regular space into your dressing room.
8. A garage bar
Having your bar in a house is one of the crucial elements for many dream homes. You can make it extra special and move the bar in the garage. A quartz bar counter atop painted wood pallets will make all the difference for your glass of wine at night.
9. Sunken swimming pool lounge
If you have the outdoor space generous enough, you should make the financial effort to install a swimming pool. Take it all to the next level, though, and make a sunken lounge with a fire pit too.
10. Outdoor heaven
Don’t forget to take care of the outdoor space. Ideally, you live in an area with pleasant weather year-round that allows you to step outside any time of the year. A pizza oven, stainless steel grill, a fire pit, lounge seating, and a wood deck are ideal for most homeowners. Of course, a hot tub is also in the picture.
How do you know you’ve found your dream home?
If you’re looking for a new house and don’t know if it will be your dream home or not, the following elements will come in handy. They are all signs telling you that you’ve just stepped into your dream home.
You suddenly feel happy
You get all excited the moment you see and step into the house. When you imagine yourself moving into this house, you get all hypes and feeling on cloud nine. You’re excited about sharing the news with family and friends. It’s always a good thing when you’re excited about a house.
It checks off all things on your list
We assume you went shopping with a checkout list in your hands. A house that is right for you will check most of the boxes and meet most, if not all, your preferences and requests. Even if you do need to make some compromises, they’re probably minor.
It’s within your budget
First of all, you should only look for houses below your budget so that you can have some room to grow. Don’t look at places that are more expensive than you can afford—you will be disappointed when not able to purchase one that fits the picture. Also, when writing down the numbers, remember to add home insurance, closing costs, property tax, renovation, and maintenance.
At the end of the day, even if you buy the forever home, it’s still an investment that requires significant saving and financial planning. When you go house hunting, set a realistic budget that reflects your lifestyle and don’t overspend.
It has the best location
Location is crucial to make a house feel like a dream home. You need to like the community you move into as you will live there for decades. Don’t lose practicality out of sight. Test the commute to work, access to banks, schools, grocery stores, traffic, and public transportation.
Follow your heart
If you typically get gut feelings, you will most likely get it when finding your dream home. You should listen to your gut feeling (intuition) when making decisions. If you step into you forever home, you will feel it in your gut.
Decorating ideas start flowing
Another sign that you’ve just found your forever home is that you begin imagining how to decorate it. Suddenly, you “see” the painting walls and where your artwork will go in every room. We tend to be more creative when comfortable, and a dream home is the most comfortable place to be.
Additionally, when you enter a house you instantly love, you see how the future will look like. If you don’t have kids, maybe you see yourself with kids running around in the backyard in the next five years.
You no longer want to see houses
After you find your perfect house, you’re no longer interested in other places. Suddenly, you want to stop your shopping and feel that no other house will be just as great and perfect as this one. There’s no other house like your dream home, for sure.
Frequently Asked Questions
At what age should you buy/build a dream home?
It seems that most people buy a home when they’re 29 and expand their families around 30. Aim to gain your financial independence by 32 and consider building your forever home around 37.
Will a big house make you happy?
People who live in large houses in a neighborhood with larger houses tend to see their houses smaller. The situation is different from homeowners who live in neighborhoods with houses of similar sizes. Typically, larger homes will make people feel happier, but it can all change once a larger house is built nearby.
How much should you spend on a home renovation?
When you feel that it’s time to remodel your home, you should start by setting the budget. You shouldn’t spend any more on a room than the value of the room as a percentage of your house value. Therefore, if your home is $200,000, you shouldn’t spend more than $30,000.
Is it difficult to sell a custom-made home?
It will take a longer time to sell a highly customized house than a less customized house. Typically, a personalized home is more expensive than traditional houses, and the possible buyers aren’t that many. You will have to wait until someone with similar taste and a generous budget will come along to buy your dream home.
Should you decorate your home on your own or hire an interior designer?
Regardless of your thoughts, you can have your dream home when working with an interior designer. You need to find one who speaks your language, is flexible, and understands what you want in your dream home. Unless you’re an interior designer, you shouldn’t tackle the vast project that a dream home truly is.
