The holidays will be here soon and it is a good time to spruce up your home to get it ready to entertain and enjoy the festivities.

When the holidays come, so do holiday guests.  If you want your home to look its best when family and friends gather but are short on time and cash, check out five ways to spruce up your home quickly and inexpensively.

Freshen up with paint. Paint is one of the most economical ways to revitalize a tired room. Paint over dingy walls to give a room a clean, like-new appearance and to provide a perfect backdrop for your holiday décor.

Freshen up your floors. Have the carpets professionally cleaned before the holidays. Newly cleaned carpet looks like a million bucks (figuratively, not literally, of course), and you’ll have great peace of mind when young tykes start crawling or playing on the floor. Not all carpet cleaners are created equal, so get recommendations from your friends or go online to Angie’s List to read reviews. Speaking of the floor, a new area rug can add warmth, color and design to a foyer, family room or other space in your home.

De-clutter your gathering spaces. For the holidays remove plant stands, end tables and cocktail tables from the living room and family room to provide more space for party guests to mingle. In the kitchen, store away small appliances that only get occasional use—i.e., blenders, toasters, mixers, etc.. This not only provides a nice, cleaner look, but it also provides extra counter space for cookies, party trays and other holiday deliciousness that will be making their way into your home.

Bring in the greenery (and other holiday plants). This is where the song “Deck the halls” definitely applies. Decorate with the proverbial boughs of holly as well as evergreen boughs, mistletoe, festive Poinsettias and, of course, the traditional Christmas tree.  The entrance way of your home can set the immediate stage for a festive holiday welcome with a wreath on the door, swags of greenery and several holiday plants grouped creatively on a foyer table.

Update accessories. Add new pillows to your sofa or loveseat for the holidays. Refresh your wall décor and tabletop accessories. Consider custom-framing a beloved family portrait or treasured piece of artwork. Perhaps add decorative shelving units to a wall in your family room or living room—all the better to display some of your holiday décor.  Speaking of holiday décor, bringing out the pieces that have become a holiday tradition is nice. However, don’t feel guilty about retiring the pieces that have done valiant duty but are beginning to show their age. Add new pieces to your holiday tradition—i.e., candles, ornaments, ceramics, sculptures, etc.—and provide some new life to your surroundings during this happiest of seasons.

We know that your home is your haven and a place you want to keep looking its best as it is a reflection of who you are.

We have found a few simple and easy solutions to making the best of your space in your home however big or small it may be.  Check out our tips:

If you’d like your nightstands or end tables to be a little less crowded, replace table lamps with floor lamps. They are portable. Table lamps are attractive but take up a good bit of the limited space a table has. There are many elegant choices that you can enjoy while adding the light you need to spruce up your home.

Mount your TV on the wall. It can free up quite a bit of space. If you follow the directions, this will take a minimal amount of time.

If you are remodeling your bedroom, consider purchasing furniture that is freestanding. Custom made furniture may look nice but you cannot resell them or take them along when you are moving. Free-standing furnishings also give you more options for redecorating, as they can be moved from room to room, refinished, or sold.

It is possible to inexpensively clean up the look of worn kitchen appliances. Stainless steel is very popular, do not get rid of your refrigerator because you do not like it. It is actually possible to purchase inexpensive spray paint for appliances that can transform their look. This can quickly update your kitchen’s look.

Painting is an affordable way to give a room a fresh look quickly and easily. Visit a home improvement store to study a variety of paint chips. Choose the ones that appeal to you and have fun. If you wind up not liking the results, you always have the option of painting over it.

Legitimate contractors have insurance – avoid any that do not. If they cause damage to your home without having insurance, you must take them to court in order to get your money. Any reputable contractor will be able to show you proof of insurance on demand; don’t hesitate to ask for it.

No matter what your home improvement project is, be sure to keep everything in perspective. Think hard about the reason for any given project, and consider how it might make your life better or easier. You need to be committed to making home improvements, and it’s important you are putting your time to good use.

Not only is painting an inexpensive home improvement project you can do on your own, but it can completely change the look and feel of your home.

If you are thinking of starting a painting project in your home or office, follow these helpful painting steps to ensure a flawless paint job:

• Prepare – Remove dust, dirt and grease spots from your walls with water, a little mild dish washing detergent and semi rough sponge. Rinse the walls with clean water to ensure the soap residue is removed.
• Painters Tape – Get some painters blue tape to apply to the trim, windows, door frames and any other areas you don’t want paint to get to.  Make sure to remove the tape immediately after painting, before the wall dries so you don’t peel off any paint with it.
• Primer – Don’t skip out on the primer.  It not only provides a good surface for the pint but also brings out the paint’s true color.
• Make the Paint Stick – Take the time to prep.  Your painting surface must be clean and non-glossy.  Paint won’t stick to the wall if you haven’t taken the proper steps in advance to putting color on the walls.
• Skills – It doesn’t take too many skills to paint like a pro when you use the proper tools.  Use an edge pad for clean lines around door frames, ceiling edges and corners so your walls looks perfect.
• Type of Brush – Use a smaller paint brush around the trim and corners of the walls, where your roller won’t reach.  Using an angles crush is best and extend it out two to three inches from the windows, doors and moldings.
• Technique – For best efficient results, start in a corner of the wall and roll on a 3×2 foot W or M patter, filling it in with horizontal and vertical strokes, without lifting the roller.  Continue in small sections like this focusing on just one wall at a time.
• How Much – Pros recommend one gallon for every 400 square feet.  However, if you are covering textured, rough or un-primed surfaces, it may require more.
• Pick your Day – Moisture in the air keeps water based paint from drying so it is important to pick a dry day to paint.
• High Traffic Areas – Use a semi-gloss for areas that experience high traffic.  It is shiny and durable and you won’t have to be making touch ups all the time on it.
• Scrape it Off – If you notice your old paint flaking off, it’s a good idea to get a paint scraper to take it off.  Once your old paint is gone, sand the surface smooth, prime the walls and your new paint is ready to go on.
• Don’t Look Back – Once an area starts to dry, it is best to leave it alone.  If you go back over it when it is drying, it can leave marks and streaks on the paints surface.
• Drop Cloth – No one likes to see paint dots on their floor.  Get a drop cloth and use it!  It is an easy way to save you from causing even more clean up and headache.
• No Shine – If you are painting over a surface that already has a glossy surface, use light sandpaper to take off the gloss so your paint can stick like it should.
• Get a Roller – If you are painting a large room, definitely go with a roller.  It will apply the paint more evenly than a brush and save you tons of time.
• Plates Off – Make sure to take off all the wall plates to ensure a professional look and avoid getting paint on anything that shouldn’t be painted.
• Patience, patience, patience – Don’t rush your painting project.  Make sure to let each coat dry before going back over it again.  This will ensure an entirely professional looking outcome.
• Trim – Once the walls are completely dry, tape where the wall meets the trim and paint moldings, doors and window frames with a two-inch angled brush.

Whether you are selling your house or trying to find a potential renter for your investment property, painting can make a dramatic improvement to the look of your house.

Painting is an easy and inexpensive way to spruce up your house.  Painting your house in appealing neutral colors, can attract buyers to your home.  If the paint is dull or a bright, dramatic color, sometimes potential buyers or renters might skip over your home, looking for a house with zero effort to be put into it.

A fresh coat of paint can make a home look as good as new.  If the paint in your home looks good, you might want to recover the trim with a semi gloss paint to brighten things up a bit.  Another tip is to paint kitchen and bathroom cabinets to give them a new and improved look.  Using a white semi gloss paint to cover up stained or extraordinary colored cabinets is less expensive than replacing the cabinets and it can really make them shine. If you want to take an extra step, you can even purchase new cabinet handles for cheap at any home improvement store.

Painting the front door can also add appeal to the outside of the house, especially if the door looks worn or scratched from daily use.  There are many ways to spruce up your home to make it more attractive to potential buyers or renters.  It is also a good idea to keep these painting tips in mind if you are buying a house.  A simple coat of paint can greatly increase the appearance of the inside of your home and attract potential buyers.