How to Keep Your House from Feeling Dated

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Every home suffers from the passing of time. 

Everyone has had that feeling where they drive up to their house or walk into a room and all the sudden think “ick...when did it get this way?” to themselves.

Even if you take good care of your humble abode, it’ll still wear out as the years or decades go by. Sure, you can get residential architects in to help you here, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The best way to take care of your house is to renovate and maintain in little, frequent, and inexpensive changes. This will keep your home looking fresh throughout the years without ever necessitating a huge renovation bill.

Here are the best tips I’ve run across to keep your house from starting to feel old.

Keep Your House Clean

Cleaning might not sound like a particularly transformative renovation project, but you’d be surprised by the effect that cleanliness can have on the appearance of your household. 

If you have pets, kids, or really any plans to go outside, dirt, dust, and God knows what else is going to accumulate in your home. Unfortunately, you can't clean once and have it stay that way. Dirty sneaks up on you and you have to have a regular cleaning schedule in place, with extra attention once every few months to deep clean the really itchy areas.

Side note, one of the least attractive features of a home is an insect infestation.  If your  House has been less than clean for a prolonged period of time, is incredibly likely that your property has attracted critters.  Don’t ignore this, no matter how much you want to.  Get help from someone like 000 Pest Control to help to get your house back into shape (and creepy crawly free). 

Keeping your home clean and tidy on a continuous basis will keep it looking and feeling spacious. This is crucial to creating a proud household which makes you feel comfortable and doesn’t feel old and grimy.

Keep Your House Tidy and Decluttered

If your house is free of dirt, mildew, or dried juice stains on your Priceless whatever it is, you might want to start by decluttering. Clearing out your home can make it feel much more spacious and inviting again.

A “deep tidy” can be just as transformative as a deep cleaning.

One of the strategies I espouse in my class on 14 days to a spotless house is taking one room per day and doing a thorough overhaul of everything that lives there. Chances are, if you haven't used it in 6 months and it isn't a seasonal item you don't need it anymore.

Every house should be equipped with a running Goodwill pile so that people know where to put objects they no longer need. Having this easily accessible to all family members gives you a way of getting rid of that object you don't really know what to do with and don't quite want anymore but are too lazy to actually do something about. 

Have a bin in an unused guest room somewhere and then when it fills up completely, you can take it to a donation center. It saves time, but gives an outlet for the things that clutter our lives that we don't need anymore.

Use Light Colors and Natural Materials.

I don't know if this one is just me, but the more I decorate with light colors the less dingy and old our house feels.

Staining wood in a lighter color, getting a cheap light-colored bookshelves at Target or Walmart, or getting a lighter color of rug when your current one bites the dust can make a huge difference in the feel of your house.

Your design mantras should be “light” and “spacious”, especially if you're worried about your house feeling old..

Similarly, natural design is timelessly stylish, so it could help to make your house look modern on a permanent basis. Wooden flooring usually looks better than carpet, for instance. And if you miss the comfort of carpet, you could always get some rugs for your floor (they could serve as aesthetically pleasing focal points, too). Maybe you could get some granite or marble countertops for your kitchen if you want to use natural materials to improve this room. Or if you’re constrained by your budget, you could always get marble-like countertops. 

Remember, the goal is to update the appearance of your household. It’s all about the way its visuals make you feel. Natural materials and light, airy colors have a soothing elegance that can transform a home.

Keep Your Yard Usable

The outside of your property is important, too. 

it can be really tempting to neglect the outside of your house because the inside needs so much maintenance, but having actual, usable land surrounding your home can give you an extra option for entertaining your kids, a way to get a change of scenery without schlepping somewhere in the car, and some extra square footage that's actually useful.

Also, first impressions can make a big difference when it comes to the overall effect that your house has on you and your family. You want to feel elated when you return home after a long day. So, think of the aspects of your property’s front face which affect the way in which you perceive your abode. 

these don't have to be huge changes, but things like declutter in your yard, repainting your front door, hosing off the patio more regularly, or even changing out your grass for AstroTurf can make a huge difference and how much you can actually use your back or front yard.  

And seriously, remember your lawn, too. This applies to your front yard and your back yard. 

Take-Home Message (Pun Heavily Intended)

Unfortunately, houses do start feeling dated after a while.

There's nothing inherently wrong with this because it's part of a natural cycle of things. However, you don't want to require costly Renovations every time you start getting bored. Try some of these tips to give your house a quick refresher without breaking the bank.

If you have any further suggestions please drop them in the comments, and if you're struggling with cleanliness do check out my horse on how to get your home clean and decluttered did in two short weeks.