You bought the house. Now you need to make it a home. There's much to be done before the last paintbrush is cleaned and curtains get hung just so. Inspirational ideas and advice are yours for the taking as you explore this section.

Sell Your Home With Strategically Placed Artwork

Photography, oils, watercolor, posters: your walls say so much about you, sometimes even too much. Read the Article

Does Your Entrance Say Welcome or Walk Away?

Putting extra effort into your home's reception area will leave a lasting impression on potential buyers Read the Article

Great Kitchens Sell Homes

To sell your home fast, showcase your kitchen as a clean, modern, inviting and immaculate environment. Read the Article

Basement Renovations

Is adding the extra space worth it? Read the Article

Careful Landscape Planning Yields Big Payoffs

Landscaping projects can be a big commitment of both time and money. But by carefully planning your landscape design, you can make it come in on time and on budget. Read the Article

Building a Welcome Mat for Your Home

Your driveway should say, come on in. With proper installation, seasonal and setting considerations and the proper care, it's a great way to enhance your home and its character. Read the Article

Building Green from Basement to Rooftop

Creating an environmentally friendly home is not a simple exercise. It requires research, planning, design and execution. The secret to success is being able to make informed decisions. Read the Article

Choosing the Right Glass for Your Home

Windows are for more than just looking through. Putting energy-efficient glass in your windows can lower your heating and cooling bills significantly. Read the Article

Homeowners generally have one room in their home that’s easily confused for a closet. When the desired effect is spacious not small, there are a few easy tools at your disposal that can make it show better to buyers. Here are a few tips that you may want to consider.

Keep It Simple

Removing excessive artwork and shelving in a small room can easily open up a space. Too much on the walls can make it feel as if the walls are closing in. Make the room as inviting as possible by limiting its contents.

Pick a Color, But Not Any Color

You can dramatically improve the spaciousness of a room by picking the proper paint color. When interior remodeling, lighter and brighter paint colors will almost always create the appearance of more space. White or light baseboards or crown moldings can also give the room a greater sense of space and/or height. Conversely, darker shades make rooms feel smaller, so unless you have a huge space, steer clear.

Floor Matters

Floors do matter when it comes to making a small room appear larger. If you're considering installing hardwood, narrow floorboards can make a space seem smaller than it really is. If you're into rugs, make sure the sides don’t come too close to the walls. Similar to a dark color, it often gives the impression that the walls are in the midst of swallowing the floor.

Light Up a Room

Lamps typically lend light to a small area of the room. A great idea to make the room seem larger is to replace floor and table lamps with wall sconces. By lighting up the walls, it pushes the eye of the potential buyer upwards. Mirrors are also a good idea, as they tend to bounce light around a room—an illusion that enlarges almost any space. If the room has a window, make sure it’s uncovered. Adding natural light is an easy home improvement idea.

De-clutter

Every time you move, make it a priority to evaluate the usefulness of your possessions. Not only is getting rid of clutter a liberating experience, it can also restore the size of your home back to its original dimensions. Excessive furniture and knick-knacks are a disaster in every home, and keeping them around only makes the entire space feel cramped. Ask your Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate sales associate or a trusted friend about what needs to go.

Scaling Your Furniture

The growth of condominiums in major American cities means there's ample furniture being made for small spaces. If you're dealing with a small space, hold off on the sectional in favor of furniture that fits the room. If you have a room that doubles as a guest bedroom, consider getting a daybed– something you can use as a couch or reading area most of the time, but can also demonstrate a room's versatility and practicality to prospective buyers.