As you become familiar with your first old house, you will find ways to correct the inperfections. This article will demonstrate just some ideas on what you can do. Most of the following ideas are inexpensive. After all, following the purchase of your first house, there is not much money left.

Your house is bare. Your furniture that more than filled your apartment now is not enough for the space you have. Rummage sales may provide some answers to your barren dilemma. Prices at rummage sales can be negotiated and you may walk away with a real find. Also, check out framed pictures at rummage sales because, you may not like the current picture, but it can be changed to something that is more in tune with your liking. New picture frames are very expensive.

Check the attic of your new old home. Did you find anything which you could use? I found the shade of a Tiffany type lamp which most people would have tossed because the shade was falling apart. I took it to a shop and had the soldering repaired, then to a small lamp repair shop where they teamed the shade with an appropriate base. Although not a stamped Tiffany lamp, it fits into the scheme of my front porch and the period of the home very elegantly. Another find in the attic was a small short, wood table. After refinishing it, I found it fit perfectly at the end of an 11 foot counter in the kitchen. I use it to house my answering machine and phone. It is absolutely amazing the things former owners will leave behind.

Another change I made was replacing the dining room light fixture to blend into the period of the house (1926). The crystal chandelier that adorns the dining room was one of the smallest ones the lighting store had available but it is perfect for the room and matches the period of the home.

Storage can be a real problem, especially in older homes. Seems there is never enough places to neatly store everything. Let’s look at your garage (if you have one). A one-car garage has immense problems when considering storage. I found big hooks at Hobo and, somehow, have stored everything from car to gardening stakes and more in my very small garage. When our Wisconsin seasons change, I even trade tools from the back of the garage to the front for easy access.

Finally, basement storage can be a large problem. They usually are not large enough and can be subject to flooding. Nothing worse than discovering a cardboard box left on the basement floor is now swimming. So, get yourself some wood cross arms (3) and three boards 2 ft X 8 ft X 1/2″ thick and make yourself a great storage rack. (See diagram) Don’t forget that you must screw the boards to the crossarms. You might even find the cross arms at a warehouse which is no longer using this kind of shelving for storage. Keeps everything on it off the floor.

If your doorbells are not working, make an appointment with an electrician to have them repaired. When approaching the front door of a home, you never know if the doorbell is working or not. Therefore, it is your responsibility to make sure it works. This is not an expensive repair. If you are home alone with washing facilities in the basement, you may want the electrician to also install your doorbell in your basement.

Other ideas for improvements are stenciling wall borders or just paper wall borders, changing wall colors, install new weights and rope in double hung windows, security lighting, bathroom medicine unit over sink, new caulking, decorative lighting, renovating light fixtures, add undercabinet lights and decorative artificial foliage and flowers.

A house has style and character. The style will be pretty well set and dictated by when the house was built. Some people have remodeled their homes so that the style is almost invisible.  This is a choice every new owner will make.  Older homes generally have a volume of history, not only style history but, also, owner history. If the style is not acceptable to you, you have purchased the wrong house.  In otherwards, go with the flow!

The character will reflect your preferences.  Changing light fixtures, paint colors, flooring, visual effects, furniture,   storage, outdoor amenities and additions are some of the ways to change character.  Some of the changes will be for functional reasons and some for beauty.  Make a list of priorities and then complete them one at a time as your financial resources allow. Do not forget the items that bring the best resale value because some day, you will probably be in a position to sell.

Guide To Buying Your First House