Picture this:  You are on the hunt for a new home when you come across a house in your ideal location.  This house checks all the boxes on your list of requirements.  When you tour the home in person you are disappointed.  The flooring has seen better days.  You aren’t into the brightly colored walls, and the backyard has overgrown bushes and trees.

In reality, many buyers will walk away from a property like this.  However, buyers with a little experience will recognize that this house just needs a little work cosmetically to turn it into their next home. When you are ready to start your search for a house in Locust Grove, keep an open mind about things that are easy to upgrade.

Why you shouldn’t say no to a house because of flooring

New carpet or fresh luxury plank vinyl flooring are simple changes that can upgrade a house.  While carpet is best installed by a professional with proper tools, oftentimes homeowners can do a little work ahead of time to decrease the cost of the job.  Pulling up the old carpeting and removing any staples or old tack strips on the floor can save some money when it comes to the installation bill.  Luxury plank vinyl can be completed by a homeowner with a little diy experience too.

Even if you don’t want to do the work yourself, flooring can be a comparatively inexpensive upgrade that can make a home feel new and fresh.  

Why you shouldn’t say not to a house in Locust Grove because of wall color

Like flooring, fresh paint on the walls is one of the least expensive home upgrades that a homeowner can do.  While hiring professionals can up the budget, painting walls yourself (or with a group of friends that you’ve bribed with food and drinks) is a simple task.  

If the layout of a home works for you, then don’t walk away from it because you don’t like the paint color.  Changing paint colors can help to lighten dark spaces and make everything feel fresh and new.  

Why you shouldn’t say no to a house because of old appliances

When it comes to appliances, I think they really used to make them to last a lifetime.  Yes, while the appliances currently in the kitchen may not meet your aesthetic goals, they do function.  If the appliances don’t, purchasing new ones is a part of homeownership that everyone has to do eventually.  Walking away from a home that meets all your needs because you don’t like the refrigerator seems a little silly.

If you are thinking about completing a bigger kitchen upgrade at your house in Locust Grove, living with what you have and seeing how everything flows and what changes you would like to make in the kitchen to improve functionality can take some time.  Saving the new appliance purchase for once you have finalized plans means you purchase appliances that fit the new redesigned space.

Why you shouldn’t say no to a house because of the lighting

Somewhere in every house lives the construction grade hallway light that has never been updated.  If you are touring a house and don’t appreciate the style of the hanging pendants or think that a room is lacking in lights, then you can change that as the homeowner.

Light fixtures are pretty easy to change as a weekend project.  You can also consider adding ceiling fans to rooms or look into recessed lighting for spaces that lack natural light.  

Why you shouldn’t say not to a house with an overgrown backyard

If the amount of space in the backyard is what a buyer has been searching for, then it is important not to let some overgrown bushes deter them.  While it may take a weekend of work to clear out the yard, the results will be satisfying.  Trimming trees, removing overgrown bushes, and mowing the lawn will transform the space into additional usable areas at your house in Locust Grove.

The one area I would urge a little caution on is trees that are growing close to a home.  While best evaluated by a professional, these can be expensive to remove.

While it can take some imagination to picture the room you are standing in as a freshly painted space with new flooring, having the ability to do so can open up more possibilities on your home search.  Usually homes that are a little dated are also priced accordingly, so you may even be able to purchase a home for less than its newly upgraded version down the road.