Flipping Fixer Upper Homes

If you're embarking on a life out on your own for the first time, you are likely very excited. Getting that first apartment is a big day indeed, but when it comes to making the place your home, you might feel a little confused. Before you move in your furniture and personal belongings, take a little time to add some special touches to match your personality and style. This guide provides a couple ideas on how to take a plain apartment and make it fantastic.

Paint the Walls

Before you sign your lease, ask the property manager if you are allowed to paint. Some may not have any problems with it at all. Others may require that you leave them white. Still there are property managers who don't mind if you paint, as long as you paint the walls back to white when the lease is up and you move out.

Once you've obtained permission to paint the walls, choose a color that both matches your personality and one that's trending in the world of home design. This might take a little time, but it will be worth it because the walls will no longer be white, but instead will have a little pizazz to them.

If you're really unsure about which colors to choose, go with something neutral such as light gray, light blue or beige. However, if you do know what you want and you have permission from the property manager, go ahead and design the walls the way you want.

Add Drapes to the Windows

Most apartments come with blinds. These work well to keep the sun out and to prevent people from looking in your windows. But they do offer a "cookie cutter" type of design. Because you're different, make the windows different as well.

The chances are good that the property manager wants to keep the blinds to provide a uniform look on the outside, but that doesn't mean that you can't make it look different on the inside. As long as you don't remove the blinds, you can do whatever you want to the inside of the windows.

Call a professional to have drapes installed that coordinate nicely with the paint. If you don't want the expense of drapes, hang up a valance or some sheer curtains by measuring the width from one side of the window to the other. Then follow the directions that come with a curtain rod set to hang the rod and then hang the curtains.

Ask the property manager at the apartment complex to show you a model of an apartment one more time to get more ideas. Ask friends and family members to help you put it all together. Remember that any changes you make to your apartment when you move in needs to be undone when you move out.