Adding Value Inexpensively! - Mini Blinds!
Most of the houses I buy need work...mostly cosmetic, but work nonetheless! Sure, I occasionally take on projects that need more than paint, patch and carpet, but I try to stick mostly to cosmetic work.
In nearly every house, windows are usually U-G-L-Y. I do a number of things to dress them up like painting, scraping the paint off the window panes.
 Semi ugly...but I've seen a lot worse! |
But, the single biggest improvement is adding mini-blinds. Oh, but wait! That's expensive isn't it?
Um...can you handle less than $4 per window?
If you can make standard sizes work, they run $3.98 (April 2005 price) at The Home Depot (Early 2005 prices). I usually get the white variety, but alabaster (an off-white) is available.
For big windows, I try to break them up into standard sizes. An extra long blind is around $12. So for a recent house with 20 windows, I spent about $80. I put mini blinds in all windows if I can make a size work! They look great, they are very reasonable, and easily replaced. This is a rehabber's dream!
In this particular project, I put up these blinds with my 14-year-old daughter. It was a Sunday afternoon and I didn't want to be there, but I had to get these up now. We two, with my trusty power drill, had these blinds up in about an hour and a half! Don't get in my way when I get to going!
Nice, new, clean and ready to impress
With a textured ceiling, painted walls, and new carpet, DO NOT neglect the windows! Put up mini-blinds for that finishing touch that significantly increases the quality of the finished product. Yes, it UPS THE VALUE of your rehab project!
Why not?