Tamara Day’s Top Weekend DIY Projects to Boost Home Value
After more than a decade of rehabbing houses, revamping interiors and building custom furniture, “Bargain Mansions” host Tamara Day has curated a vast catalog of do-it-yourself projects that increase home values. And as more real estate investors look to quickly boost returns, more sellers are turning to old-fashioned elbow grease to finish home improvement projects themselves. To get more ideas on some valuable 48-hour projects, Think Realty recently sat down with Day to discuss her top weekend projects that can help investors increase their profits.
PEOPLE STARTED WANTING TO BUYTHE
Wallpaper isn’t what it used to be
Long viewed as outdated and onerous, Day said that wallpaper has significantly changed in recent years. “Wallpaper gets a bad rap from the 80s, but it is new and fresh and really can transform a space with color,” Day said. “It’s my go-to transform-a-space tool.” In addition to new, stylish designs that add color and character, wallpaper has become easier to install and remove. DIYers also can use updated materials such as vinyl-coated fabrics, solid sheet vinyl, grasscloth, and more to distinguish the design. Adding wallpaper to small spaces — such as laundry rooms, mud rooms and half bathrooms — is a fun, creative way to bring personality to your space, Day said. “Make those small spaces that you pop in and out of during the day a fun space to be in,” Day said. “It's inexpensive, it's quick and easy to put up, and it really can make a huge impact.”
grocery store, word of mouth, and social media. … We’d have about a thousand people come through in a weekend and [they] would clear out the house.” After a few years of custom furni- ture and interior design consulting, Day eventually was discovered by Kansas City-based production com- pany Conveyor Media. Recognizing her skills to transform spaces, the company was excited by the pros- pect of sharing Day’s talents with a national audience. Day, however, still recalls her skepticism before the first meeting with the show’s producers. “I felt the odds of this not being a VINTAGE STUFF I WAS DOING SO I STARTED DOING OPEN HOUSES IN MYHOUSE TWICE AYEARWHERE EVERYTHING ON THE ENTIRE FIRST FLOOR WAS FOR SALE.”
Light fixtures that add glam Updating light fixtures can not only better illuminate a home’s transformation but also enhance its revamped design. With most installations taking less than an hour, trading out light fixtures is a fast way to add beauty and charm to a space, Day said. “Changing out a light to be unique and awesome is a quick, easy swap,” Day said. “It can take a room from just a basic boring box and turn it into something glam and awesome.” In addition to new, stylish designs that add color and character, wallpaper has become easier to install and remove. DIYers also can use updated materials such as vinyl-coated fabrics, solid sheet vinyl, grasscloth, and more to distinguish the design. Adding wallpaper to small spaces — such as laundry rooms, mud rooms and half bathrooms — is a fun, creative way to bring personality to your space, Day said. “Make those small spaces that you pop in and out of during the day a fun space to be in,” Day said. “It's inexpensive, it's quick and easy to put up, and it really can make a huge impact.”
home and a handful of young kid- dos, Day began scouring Kansas City area garage and estate sales to find furniture. After lugging the pieces home, Day would refinish them to fit the home’s style. Over time, friends, neighbors and colleagues began seeing Day’s talent for creating beautiful pieces of furniture. “People started wanting to buy the vintage stuff I was doing and so I started doing open houses in my house twice a year where everything on the entire first floor was for sale,” Day said. “We’d just promote it through flyers at preschools, coffee shops, the
“I just took on the project my- self,” she said. “I knew how to do a lot of things, so I just hired subcon- tractors to do each category that needed done and said, ‘Don't bring a second hand. I'll be the second hand. I'll carry your bag. I'll do whatever you need.’ So, I worked day and night to finish our house.” After finishing construction, how- ever, Day faced another challenge: affordably furnishing the completed home. Again, Day employed a fru- gal, do-it-yourself approach.
Add curb appeal with a color pop Buyers often form their first impression of a home before they step inside it. In addition to creating an inviting impression, a home’s exterior is typically reflective of what to expect inside. That’s why Day recommends sellers paint their doors a bright color as a quick, inexpensive method to add character and distinguish it from the neighbors. “The exterior of the home and the curb appeal of your house is huge,” she said. “You can make such an impact with a bright and fun colorful front door. Mine is bright orange.”
FURNISHING SUCCESS With a finished but unfurnished
18 | think realty magazine :: july / august 2019
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