UPDATED 1/15/21
Nothing screams change as much as the period of uncertainty after ending a relationship that you thought would last a lifetime. If you are looking for a place to start then perhaps a little home improvement is just the answer that you have been searching for. The internet is home to the best home improvement sites that will keep you busy until you forget about the tribulations of your divorce. The best way to start is by looking for the right contractor if you are planning to have major changes to your home.
If you are the kind who enjoys simple do it yourself house projects then you will find the best DIY home renovation ideas that will demonstrate how the professionals can complete the easiest home improvements and make them look luxurious when finished. For the best and easiest DIY home improvement tips to upgrade your house, you can start with a simple paint job, or regrouting your tiles and find ways to improve your window treatments. Whatever you choose to do with your home after your divorce doesn’t have to be expensive or tedious, the smallest project can add Je ne sais quoi to a space that you once considered dull and boring.
Out of the approximate 827,000 divorces that are filed every year, you most likely thought you’d never be part of that statistic. Going through a divorce is beyond difficult. Not only is it painful emotionally, but your children may feel sad, too. If your ex-spouse has moved out and you are living in the home you will continue to raise your children in, it may be time to think about consulting this home improvement project checklist. Getting off of your feet and becoming excited about a project that will not only improve your home but also bring you some joy may help you move past the pain you are currently enduring. Pick one, two, or all six of the ideas from the following home improvement project checklist. You and your kids will have a blast embarking on one or more of these projects, and something new in your home may get you over the difficult hurdle that you’re currently trying to get over.
1. Install a Fireplace
Have you ever been interested in having a fireplace installed in your home? This idea is the first one to ponder on this home improvement project checklist. Fireplaces not only provide warmth and comfort, but they can help your heat bills shrink, too. You can also choose what kind you’d like. You can hire a brick masonry service to build an old-fashioned fireplace that requires firewood, matches, and fire starter to get a fire going. You can also have a switch-operated fireplace installed. Either way, a fireplace is a beautiful addition to any home. If you have young children and decide to have a fireplace installed, be sure to teach them fire safety and what to do in the case of a fire at home.
Fireplaces are also a wonderful addition when it comes to home decorations. During the holiday season, you may choose to line the top of your fireplace with garland, a holiday slogan, and candy canes. In the spring, you may scope out some florist websites to find beautiful flowers to adorn the top of your fireplace with. You may choose to have your fireplace hold framed pictures of your children as well as high school diplomas. You can make your fireplace a centerpiece for holiday and neutral decor that you may not currently have space for.
2. Repaint the Inside of Your House
The second idea to consider on this home improvement project checklist is repainting the inside of your house. Perhaps your ex-spouse chose your home’s current color scheme. Maybe it’s time to choose new colors that you love and think will bring your family happiness and warmth for years to come. You may enjoy a soft peach color for your kitchen, a neutral light grey for your downstairs bathroom, a maroon shade for your dining room, or a light yellow for your living room. Visit a home improvement store to pick out colors you like, and get some professional opinions on what colors may be too loud or busy for a particular room in your home.
This project takes time, so you may consider hiring professional painting services to get the job done. If you want to embark on painting yourself and haven’t done it before, consider watching some helpful videos online that give step-by-step directions. This way, you’ll be sure you can check this project off of your home improvement project checklist with confidence.
If you’re completely changing the color scheme in your home, you may even consider purchasing new decorations and knickknacks to adorn your home with. Perhaps your light yellow living room would pair nicely with a sunflower painting and some new white, textured pillows. Maybe you’d like to invest in some new picture frames to match the maroon shade of your dining room. Changes like these will give your home a new look without completely changing everything your children grew up surrounded by. Your children can certainly help with this project, too, by helping you pick out decorations. It can certainly be a family-friendly activity!
3. Upgrade Your Kids’ Bathroom
If your children are out of elementary school, perhaps their bathroom could use an upgrade. Middle and high schoolers likely don’t need an elaborate bathroom layout, but perhaps a fresh layer of paint, some new decorations, and a new set of hand and body towels can bring your children some joy in the middle of a difficult time period.
If this upgrade on this home improvement project checklist is going to be fulfilled, be sure to consult your children and see what they’d particularly like in their bathroom. They may enjoy pink hand towels, a checkered shower curtain, or a blue shower mat. A poster from their favorite movie may fit nicely on the wall and perhaps labeled towel hooks will be handy as well.
Consider reorganizing the bathroom, too. If there is a cabinet, redo it so that each child has their own shelf. If one or more of your children have braces, perhaps a hand-held mirror would be handy for brushing and flossing. A nightly checklist on the inside of a cabinet would also be helpful to younger children so they remember to clean their teeth, floss, use mouthwash, and perhaps take nightly medicines each night.
4. Redo Your Bedroom
As a newly divorced parent, being in your master bedroom alone may be very difficult for you. The fourth idea on this home improvement project checklist is redoing your own bedroom. While it may feel like a daunting task, start small and work your way into transforming it, if you so choose. This is your opportunity to make this bedroom your own space.
First, deep clean the room. Put anything of your ex-spouse’s into a box, and focus on all of your own items. You may feel overwhelmed by the amount of room you have to spare. However, this space can be otherwise utilized. If you have a walk-in closet, spread your clothes out. Perhaps have one half hold your winter clothes and the other half hold your summer clothes. Utilize space on the ground to hold your shoes. If you have extra space above your hanging clothes, use the space for storage – whether it be storage for your house or for your children.
After your closet, consider repainting your bedroom. While this was an idea earlier on this home improvement project checklist, perhaps you hadn’t thought of completely redoing your own bedroom. Repainting the room can make it feel like a completely different space than before. Choose a color that will bring you happiness, perhaps a shade of your favorite color. Invest in new bedding and some new decorations, too. Making these changes can really help you transform the room as well as help you move on from the divorce you just went through. You probably don’t want the room to remind you of your ex-spouse, so make it your own space instead.
Your master bathroom can also be upgraded. Perhaps you’ve always wanted a jacuzzi tub or a brand new shower. Consider hiring custom glass shower contractors if you’d like a modern-looking, all-glass shower. Purchase a new shower mat while you’re at it. Also, perhaps it is time to reorganize the bathroom. If you have a small closet in your bathroom, reorganize your products. Perhaps the top shelf holds your hair products, such as ones recommended by your male or female hair loss specialist, as well as back-up shampoo and conditioner, hairspray, and a blowdryer. Another shelf can hold your skincare products, another could hold nail polish and makeup, and another could hold towels. Use your newfound space to your advantage.
5. Remodel Your Kitchen
If you enjoy cooking or have always wanted to make some changes to your kitchen, perhaps this home improvement project checklist idea will excite you! A minor kitchen remodel may be something you should consider. While it does cost some money to do, it will increase your home’s value. Not only this, but you will enjoy the time spent in your kitchen even more if you love the design, color, decorations, and appliances within it.
First, consider if you’d like a new layout. You may need to hire professionals if you are planning on redoing the layout or extending the room. Then, pick out the new appliances you want. Perhaps you’d like all white or all stainless steel appliances. Consider what color you’d like your kitchen to be so that everything looks and feels cohesive in the end.
Do you want new kitchen cabinets, marble countertops, and a new kitchen island? Make your kitchen renovation dreams come true by investing money into redoing your kitchen the way you want it. With the help of professionals as well as some DIY projects, your kitchen can look like ones you’ve seen in magazines. On top of appliances and new paint, consider other decorations and knickknacks you may want, too. Perhaps a few hanging plants, a jewelry holder, and pictures of your family will make your kitchen feel homier once you’ve redone other aspects of it.
6. Renovate Your Garage Into a Home Gym
The final idea on this home improvement project checklist in renovating your garage. After a divorce, perhaps you and your children could use an additional room in your home to burn some energy. Maybe you’d like a home gym to let out some steam after a long day at work or to practice yoga as a way of de-stressing in the morning. Perhaps your high schooler would like to start lifting weights outside of a sports practice, or perhaps your middle schooler would like to join you in yoga. With these thoughts in mind, consider renovating your garage into a home gym.
Renovating your garage is something to check off of this home improvement project checklist that will also increase the value of your home. An insulated garage with proper plumbing, heating, and perhaps a bathroom is an addition many prospective buyers down the road would love in a home. Outside of this, however, consider what an extra space in your home would do for you and your children. Perhaps working out in your bedroom is too loud in the house, and perhaps you can’t get to the gym as often as you’d like as a single working parent. With a home gym, you and your children can work out whenever you’d like.
Aside from hiring professionals for a garage door repair and to make the garage a livable space with heat and plumbing, you can paint and decorate the area to make it your own space. Consider a neutral color and perhaps some motivational posters or quotes to inspire you and your children while you work out. A small TV to follow yoga videos and perhaps a speaker to listen to music would be nice additional features, too.
Following a difficult divorce, you may not be in the mood to get started on this home improvement project checklist. Whether you want to make big or small changes, making any change at all can truly help you through this hard period of time in your life. With the help of professionals as well as your children, you may find yourself embarking on one or more of these ideas on this home improvement project checklist.
If you have the means to make major changes in your home, it may be a great way to get your mind off your divorce and focus on projects that will make you feel happy and accomplished. A fireplace may bring newfound warmth into your home. A new color scheme in your home may be one of many decisions you’ll now have to make on your own. A new bathroom for your kids may help them find a new routine with one parent in the home. A new master bedroom may help you find peace with being single again. A new kitchen may inspire you to cook with your children. A home gym may inspire you to work on your own body and mind during this difficult time. Consider the ideas on this home improvement project checklist, and get started on building a new life and home for you and your children today.
