Having a home that feels like it belongs fifty years in the past is not a pleasant feeling. The sense of drab that comes with worn-out paint, faded curtains, and aging furniture can be depressing. And owners of such homes often cringe at the mere thought of what it will cost to transform their homes.

But this doesn’t have to be the case, says Innovative Property Solutions. Even if your home currently looks and feels like a museum, you don’t have to spend a fortune to turn it around. That is because we have selected some simple remodeling tips to take your old outdated home from drab to fab. All you need to do these projects is a little money and tons of imagination.

  Here are our top 10 tips on how to modernize your old-fashioned home

1.   Clean and de-clutter

The first step is to give the home a deep clean. Giving your home a deep clean is far different from the regular cleaning you are accustomed to. Deep cleaning involves reaching the unreachable places in the home, dusting walls, and airing the home completely. In the process of cleaning, you should also de-clutter. Get rid of those odd bits of things you rarely use. Throw them out, give them away, or sell them.

2.   Create a consistent color scheme

Washed-out paint is synonymous with an old-fashioned home. Repaint the entire home with a consistent and well-coordinated color scheme. For the sake of consistency, use colors that belong to the same family throughout the home. Neutral colors will make your rooms feel larger and airier. They will also be easier to blend with existing and new décor. They also work well with different accent colors.

3.   New and modern lighting

Nothing says old like those old boring lights in your kitchen, bedroom, and living areas. Old lighting and fixtures provide insufficient light, and they are an aesthetic disaster. When changing lighting, focus on improving luminosity and aesthetics. There are three layers of lighting you need in the home; ambient, task, and accent lighting. These layers should complement each other seamlessly.

4.    Change your old furniture

As you start to do these upgrades, aspects of your home, such as your furniture, will start to feel out of place. New lighting and fresh paint will make old furniture appear even uglier. There are two things you should do with furniture. First, replace them, but if you are not ready for that expense, you can opt to change the furniture fabric, and give the wood a fresh stain. Second, change the arrangement of the furniture to create space and free movement.

5.   Replace curtains and carpets

Along with furniture, give some attention to your curtains and window treatment.  Curtains should be updated to blend with the new look of the home. They should be chosen for their ability to let the sunshine into the home. More natural light in a room makes it feel bigger, airier and inviting. While replacing the curtains, do not neglect to update curtain rods too, as well as, carpets.

6.   Highlight doors and other features

Not everything in your old home needs to be changed; some older features add charm and character to your home. Examples of these are doors, door handles, and ornate cornices. Such features should be enhanced, not removed. Doors, for example, can be painted to make them stand out. The same treatment should be given to other features of the home, such as cornices, which could be painted in a glossy finish. If the doors have genuine handcrafted handles, they should be polished.

7.   Update fixtures

Old and worn fixtures can throw a home twenty years into the past. But updating them to modern versions with attractive finishes, and styles will immediately transport that same home into the present. That is because fixtures are naturally magnetic; they catch people’s eyes and emphasize or dampen a room’s style and design.

8.    Replace the appliances

Old, oversized, and clunky appliances that are prone to malfunctioning are expected in an old house. This is why replacing old appliances changes people’s perception of the home. When replacing your household appliances avoid designs that are similar to what you are replacing. Instead, go for sleek new machines that work better and will also brighten the space and make it look modern.

9.   Update old outlets and switches

This is another update that feels completely insignificant and even unnecessary. But imagine the incongruity of those old outlets against the modern paint design and sparkling new appliances. Old light switches, plates, and outlets will look totally out of place against the new look and style you are creating in your home. They will clash with the overall design and you should update them.

10.   Take it outside

Your remodeling efforts should not be limited to the interior of the property. Small changes to the exterior of the property will update its appearance in a major way. Outdoor elements you should pay particular attention to include improved outdoor lighting, repainting the front door, and doing minor landscaping of your lawn.. And that is it for our top ten easy tips for modernizing your outdated home. We had fun compiling them; we also hope you have fun implementing the ideas. Cheers!