Homeowners

Fall Back in Love with Your Home This Valentine’s Day: 3 Ways to Rekindle the Spark

After a while, that mid-century-modern charmer you fell in love with over listing photos can start to feel more like a never-ending series of tasks than an eclectic treasure. Even that stately Colonial, which you thought would be your forever home, may start to seem a bit boring. 

“Sometimes even the houses we adore can start to seem rather uninteresting,” said Edwardsville, Ill.-based real estate agent Carissa Kristoff of Berkshire Hathway HomeServices.

This Valentine’s Day, it’s time to rekindle the spark—with your home. Your property is more than its flaws. With a little effort, and some well-planned improvements, you may be able to fall back in love with your abode.

Below are three ways to reignite your passion for your home.   

1. Make small changes to your home

If your relationship with your home has turned stale, consider making a few simple switch-ups to see if that does the trick.

Kristoff recommended rearranging your furniture. Consider moving your sofa to the other side of the wall, rotating your bed frame, or even ‘shopping’ your own home decor to swap pieces around the home as needed.

“It's like looking at your house from a different angle, free of cost,” she said.

Australian interior designer Angelique Kreller, of Yabby, likes to refresh a space by bringing in things like houseplants and rugs. These installation-free additions can add texture, color, and a better connection with nature.

These tweaks are also fairly affordable. You can pick up multiple houseplants for under $100 or even get them for free through friends or Facebook groups. You may also be able to snag a used rug from a flea market or thrift store for a low price.

2. Consider remodeling your home

If you feel like your home needs a bit more of a facelift, you may want to look into a remodel or renovation.

Focus on spaces that are frequently used and may need a bit of love, like a primary bathroom, kitchen, or outdoor living space.

It’s better to spend money on areas where you’ll notice the improvement the most, rather than dropping a few thousand dollars on remodeling that rarely used guest bath.

These types of bigger updates can come in all sorts of price points.

Replacing countertops in the kitchen might go a long way into making it feel new again without spending more than a couple thousand dollars.

Or you can splurge on the big-ticket updates. A garage or basement conversion, or the addition of a screened porch or swimming pool, can make even the most tired homes sparkle a little brighter.

Of course, if you’re planning a major renovation, you may need financing. Homeowners may want to consider a cash-out refinance or a Home Equity Line of Credit (HELOC) to get the funds they need to help them appreciate their homes again.

3. Make smaller home updates for big impact

If you don’t feel like making a major investment quite yet, but you still feel like your home needs more than a new rug or furniture setup, find a middle ground. This can mean adding smaller updates throughout your space.

“Several little, deliberate adjustments can utterly transform your perspective on your surroundings,” said Kristoff.

These can include adding new handles to cabinets, swapping out dated faucets, or replacing countertops in the kitchen. You may also want to consider painting rooms or putting statement wallpaper in a bathroom or bedroom.

Another low-effort home improvement is updating your home’s lighting, especially in spaces that feel dark or way too bright. Install bulbs with softer, warmer light and add a few new fixtures for better ambient lighting.

“If you want to go even further, change to smart bulbs that enable mood adjustments with only one tap,” said Kristoff.

When it may be time to walk away from your home

Unfortunately, no matter how much work you put in, you may be unable to make it work for you.

If your home isn’t large enough to accommodate your growing family, it’s too large for you now that the kids have left home, or you can no longer afford your mortgage payments or maintenance costs, it may be best to move on.

It can be painful to say goodbye to the place where you’ve made so many memories, both good and bad, but sometimes it’s inevitable. Often, it’s a better use of your time and money to find a new place that meets you where you are in life and fits your needs.

As the old saying goes, it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all.