Not everyone can live in a new house. There will always be people whose homes are a bit older than other people’s houses. Also, you can’t demolish your house every few years simply because you want to rebuild it with a newer design. Moreover, today’s new house, with all its up-date design and cutting-edge technology, is going to become tomorrow’s old house.

But at the same time, just because your house is decades old doesn’t mean that living in it has to feel like being stuck in the past. Actually, most of what makes a home feel old is not its architecture but features of the home that are easily updated. You can improve the visual appeal and comfort of your old home just by improving a few of its features.

The interesting thing is making those changes does not have to cost a lot of money. As Cressman Realty explains, sometimes the simplest upgrades to your home can end up having more impact than elaborate changes that cost thousands of dollars. In this article, we will guide you through the steps you can take to pull your home out of the dark ages into the present day.

How to modernize your outdated home

For the best results, you should do as many of these steps as possible.

· Clean up and declutter

Dirt and clutter make your home look small and older than it is. You may not realize just how much dirt the home has accumulated until you give it a deep clean. In addition to cleaning, you should purge the house by getting rid of old unused stuff and it will make the entire home look better.

· Spruce up the colors

One of the biggest issues with old homes is the faded and worn paint on the walls. Or even when the paint is in fairly good condition, it is not attractive. Dull paint will make your home look dark, cramped, and uninviting; repaint your walls in bright modern colors.

· Touch up your floors

If you have wall-to-wall carpeting, maybe it’s time to get rid of it. Area rugs and accent rugs are a great way to add warmth to a space without having wall-to-wall carpeting. If you have hardwood flooring, you may want to give it a shine. Also, make sure the flooring in each room is uniform; it’s best to stick to the same types or color of flooring throughout the home, to create a cohesive feel.

· Remove large and loud furniture pieces

Compared to contemporary ones, old furniture pieces are typically large and overstuffed. They eat up space and make the home more difficult to navigate. You want to consider getting rid of these types of furniture and replace them with something simpler with clean lines.

· Replace window coverings

Window coverings are not just important because of their design, but also because they affect the amount of light that gets into the home. Modern homes have more natural lighting, and you can get more light into the home by updating your window coverings or removing them altogether.

· Give your cabinets a makeover

If your cabinets are in good condition, you do not need to replace them, but a makeover would be in order. Do this by refacing or repainting the cabinets. If you chose to repaint your cabinets, do not keep the old colors, choose nice colors that work well with the new colors on the walls.

· Replace your old fireplace

If you have an old fireplace that sticks out of your wall like a sore thumb, it is time for it to go. The fireplace is often the focal point when people gather in your living room. Ways to make the fireplace look more impressive include replacing the surroundings and staining the fireplace or just replacing the entire thing.

· Replace wood panel walls with drywall

Wood-paneled walls look nice, but they do not add as much value to your home as drywall does. Replacing wood paneling is not as hard as you may think. But if you are not ready for this change, you can paint over the wood.

· Update your lighting

This is one of the most important changes you can make to your home; good lighting makes all the difference because a well-lit space is roomy and inviting. Dark rooms on the other hand are often gloomy. When updating the lighting in your home, make sure the new fixtures are both ornamental and functional.

· Change power outlets and light switches

You also want to give some attention to the light switches and power outlets on your walls. Stained, broken, and charred switches or outlets will dim the impact of your new wall paint; replace them with new versions that are modern and multifunctional.

· Replace door and plumbing hardware

Replace the knobs, pulls, and handles on doors and cabinets with new ones. This minor change will make a massive impact that is far less of the time and money it takes to complete the upgrade. Additionally, you want to replace your plumbing fixtures such as faucets, taps, and showerheads.

For more tips and tricks about modernizing your home, sign up for Michelle Murphy Interior Design’s newsletter at the bottom of the page.