Transform a Newly Built House into a Home
Townhouses, flats and apartments are being built all the time to meet the demand for property and even though these houses are new many lack any form of detail that make them feel like home but you can add these yourself.
24/09/2023
Make your home different from the rest with the addition of a few custom touches that add personality and character.
Every day there are brand new townhouses, apartments and flats available for sale and you cannot wait to move in and put your personal touches in place. But dealing with builder's grade fittings and fixtures means you need some ideas in advance if you don't want to make huge changes or spend a lot of money. So, what areas and details should you focus on?
Moving into a new place is always exciting and it won't be long before you want to put your personal stamp on it and make it feel like a home with just a few custom tweaks that make it different from the rest!
Add personal touches to a living room
When you haven't had any say in the final touches to a new home it may take you some time to look around and see what changes you can make without too much effort.
- It is always nice to start with window treatments since most new homes come with a standard curtain rail and not much else, but adding a double rail will open up your options for window treatments, as will removing a curtain rail and having blinds fitted.
- Another fixture you can look at to add your personal touches is light fittings. The general-purpose lights that are installed can easily be replaced with light fittings that bring more personality to the room, as does adding a few table and standing lamps.
- Put your stamp on walls by putting up your favourite art or framed posters. Add a mirror or two for that bit of extra shimmer and shine. Wall decals are also something to think about especially since there are digital print agencies that will print anything you want on stickers and the good news is that these won't damage walls and can be easily removed if the need arises.
- Cladding a wall with faux rock stone or batten and wood brings a modern touch into a room that lacks in detail and both of these offer do-it-yourself solutions where you can create something custom that is unique to your home.
To complete the room, look at ways to bring in soft furnishings and textiles such as cushions, throws, rugs, etc., as these are simple ways to add colour, texture and pattern without spending a fortune.
Add personal touches to a bathroom
In a bathroom surrounded by white, white and more white since developers love to keep everything neutral, you have plenty of scope to add a few personal touches.
- Shop for a Roman blind or roller blind that will bring bright colours or patterns into the bathroom. And if you prefer something specific that you cannot find, pop into our Decor - Windows section where you will find step-by-step instructions for making quick and easy Roman blinds.
- Textiles such as bathmats and towels are next on the list and, unless you prefer to keep it neutral, these offer another way to brighten up a too-white bathroom.
- Storage in a bathroom is usually provided by a bathroom vanity but, if not, you are not limited for options and it is easy to shop onlline to find bathroom storage solutions that won't take up a lot of floor space. Use the area behind a bathroom door to mount essential storage that will house all your bathroom goodies.
- Add interest to plain white tiles with tile stickers. These are super-easy to install, come in a selection of colours and patterns, and will instantly jazz up a bathroom to make it more exciting.
- For instant glam, look at mounting a large mirror or mirror tiles over the wall above the bathtub or replace the standard mirror over the sink/s with something a bit more substantial and eye-catching. This is not only great for boosting the light level in a bathroom but also for making the room feel visually larger than it is.
Add personal touches to a kitchen
Builders-grade built-in kitchen cupboards and cabinets usually mean very little in the way of detail and everything is basic at best. Developers earmark a certain amount of the spend on kitchens and tend to keep them as simple and basic as possible.
- Builders-grade kitchens are generally flat and boring but it's easy to add a bit of trim here and there to bring character to kitchen cupboards. Pop into Builders to check out the range of pine trim, paint the trim with white paint and glue this onto the cabinets. More information is in our Kitchen - Improvements section.
- Use stick-on tiles to create a custom splashback above the stove. Make sure to clean the area so that it is free of grease and dry before placing the stickers in place.
- Put down a small rug that will not only protect the floor - especially if it is laminate flooring - but will also add colour and pattern to the kitchen.
- Use Command Hooks to allow you to hang colourful or stainless steel utensils around the kitchen and don't forget that you can also use this on the inside of doors for small items you use every day.
Some of the above ideas will work in more than one room and they may even inspire your imagination with even more ideas. Now you can see how easy it is to add your personality and character to your new home.