Beautify Your Home
🛠️ Home Improvements (Budget Smart)
Things they should prioritize:
Painting front door and trim – quick curb appeal boost.
Mulching and updating landscaping beds in spring — cheap and big difference.
Replacing light fixtures with modern or farmhouse styles from places like Lowe’s (Sullivan) or Menards (O’Fallon).
Adding new cabinet handles/knobs in kitchens and bathrooms.
Power washing driveways and siding — especially important around Meramec River areas where humidity hits harder.
For the Social Butterfly (Open-Concept Living): Clients who love entertaining or keeping an eye on the family tend to prefer open floor plans. An open kitchen–dining–living area means when they host gatherings, nobody is “stuck in the kitchen” away from the fun. As one design blog put it, with open layouts “you don’t feel disconnected from your guests and can easily move from one area to another,” making parties more enjoyable for everyone​epconcommunities.com. It creates a spacious, light-filled central hub of the home. Many newer homes in our area (and flips) have taken down walls to achieve this. If your client values interaction and togetherness – say they have young kids or love dinner parties – an open-concept layout will likely appeal to them. A local remodeler like One and Done Contracting (based in Pacific) can assist in knocking out walls or creating pass-throughs to open up an older floor plan​oneanddonecontracting.com.
For the Private or Noise-Sensitive (Traditional Layout): Some folks don’t want everything in one big room – and that’s valid too. Closed-off rooms can provide quiet and privacy. For example, in a traditional layout the kitchen is separate, so if one person is cooking, another can be watching TV in the living room without clashing noise​reddit.com. Walls are useful! This is ideal for families with older kids or multi-generational households where different activities happen simultaneously. An introverted personality might appreciate a cozy reading room or a dedicated office away from the bustle. If a home is open now but a client desires separation, solutions exist: adding French doors or sliding barn doors to create flexible separation, or building a wall to re-divide spaces (a contractor can do this fairly easily). It’s all about lifestyle – someone who values peace and individual spaces might lean toward a more segmented floor plan or a larger home where each person gets a “zone.”
For Families with Children: It’s often a blend of both. Parents of littles might want an open sightline so they can cook dinner and still monitor the toddlers in the living area​epconcommunities.com. However, as kids grow, having a separate playroom or teen hangout space is gold. We often see buyers looking for a finished basement or a bonus room that can become the kids’ domain (so the main living room stays tidy and adult-friendly). Remind clients: even an open floor plan can have nooks – e.g., a small den or loft area for homework or gaming. Conversely, a closed layout home can be opened up strategically if needed. It’s about striking the right balance. One Pacific client with teens set up a detached garage as a rec room so the teens had some independence (pool table, TV, mini-fridge) – creative use of property can solve layout wishes too.
For Work-from-Home or Hobbyists: Personalities with a hobby or home business will value a defined creative space. An artist might want a sunroom or spare bedroom as a studio with a door they can close (to leave projects out). Someone who works remotely full-time will prioritize a dedicated office (away from high-traffic areas of the house). We’ve seen clients repurpose dining rooms (if they rarely host formal dinners) into libraries or offices by adding built-in bookcases. If a home lacks an obvious office, look for a loft area or a large bedroom that could be split. Local remodelers or carpenters (like L&M Construction in Pacific​bbb.org) can even build out a small office niche under the stairs or in a closet (“cloffice”) for budget-friendly solutions. Essentially, the home should accommodate the owner’s passions – be it a workshop in the garage for a woodworker or an exercise room for a fitness buff.
Local Remodeler Tip: For any significant layout changes – removing walls, adding doors, finishing basements – consult a reputable remodeler. In addition to One and Done Contracting, Pacific/Franklin County has others (BBB lists L&M Construction Services, Statement Contracting, etc.​bbb.org). These pros can advise on what’s structurally feasible and give ballpark costs. Often a $5-10k investment can dramatically change a floor plan (like creating that open great room or enclosing a loft for a new bedroom). So if a client finds a near-perfect house but the layout isn’t ideal for their personality, a remodel could be the answer. We keep a list of trusted local contractors to refer, ensuring our buyers can shape their new home to fit them.
Habitat ReStore – Budget Materials: A fantastic local resource for inexpensive home improvement materials is the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. There are two St. Louis area ReStore locations open to the public (South City and Des Peres)​stlmag.com. You can find new and gently used building supplies: lighting fixtures, cabinets, appliances, doors, windows, you name it – all at a fraction of retail. For example, a client picked up a like-new front door for $100 and a set of six interior doors for $120 total. Proceeds support Habitat, so it’s a win-win. Encourage budget-conscious remodelers to check ReStore first for things like cabinets (often from high-end kitchen remodel tear-outs), surplus tile, and furniture. It’s one of St. Louis’s “best kept secrets” for home projects​stlmag.com.
Refab STL – Salvage & Reclaimed: Another gem is Refab in St. Louis, a warehouse selling reclaimed lumber and architectural salvage. They stock old hardwood flooring, antique doors, clawfoot tubs, vintage hardware and more – all pulled from historic building deconstructions​refabstl.org. If your client loves the idea of using reclaimed materials (both for character and for cost savings), Refab is the place. Imagine getting real 100-year-old wood floor planks or a farmhouse sink at a bargain. It’s also great for unique decorator pieces – an old mantel, a stained glass window – that can be repurposed. The inventory is constantly changing, and prices are very reasonable since it’s a nonprofit effort to reduce waste​yelp.com.
High-ROI “Quick” Upgrades: Not all upgrades need to break the bank. Some of the best return-on-investment (ROI) improvements are surprisingly cheap. For instance, simply repainting tired walls (and scrubbing up trim) can make a house feel new and appeal to buyers – a coat of popular neutral paint is relatively low cost and high impact​reddit.com. Painting the front door is another: a fresh door color (2025 trend alert – deep jewel tones or classic dark greens/blues are in style​homelight.com) gives a huge boost to curb appeal for under $50 in paint. Swapping dated light fixtures for modern ones from Lowe’s or Menards can update the look of an entire room with minimal cost/effort. Even new house numbers and a contemporary porch light can “polish” the front entry​bhg.com. These little things add perceived value.
Focus on Curb Appeal: Speaking of front doors – did you know replacing an entry door (especially with a new steel door) often returns 100% or more of its cost in home value? According to Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report, a steel front door replacement and a new garage door were the two highest-ROI projects in 2024, each yielding around 100%+ cost recovery at resale​zondahome.com​blog.westlakeroyalbuildingproducts.com. In fact, a new garage door topped the list nationally with an average 194% ROI (spend ~$4,500, get ~$8,700 increase in value)​overheaddoor.com​jlconline.com. That’s extraordinary! So if a home’s garage door is dented or outdated, $1-2k spent on a nice insulated door not only boosts curb appeal but can actually make money back on resale. Likewise, simple landscaping improvements (fresh mulch, some colorful perennials, a power-wash of the siding) are low cost but make a home much more inviting – critical for both enjoyment and eventual resale.
Low-Cost Interior Upgrades: Advise clients that kitchens and baths don’t have to be gutted to add value. Painting old kitchen cabinets white or a trendy sage color, and adding new hardware, can transform a kitchen for a few hundred dollars instead of thousands. There are local painters or cabinet refinishers who do this, or it can be a DIY weekend project. Upgrading faucets and showerheads is another budget-friendly move – $100 for a modern faucet can make a whole vanity feel newer. Backsplash kits (peel-and-stick tiles or DIY tile from ReStore) can be done for well under $300 and add personality to a kitchen. Even simply replacing toilets to new efficient models (often on sale for ~$150) or re-glazing an old bathtub can make a bathroom feel updated. Emphasize that spending smart beats spending big: focus on visible, high-touch surfaces. And for any materials, remember places like ReStore or the discount rack at Floor & Decor for tiles, etc.
Energy Savings = Money Savings: Some improvements pay you back over time. Adding attic insulation is a relatively inexpensive job (a few hundred in materials if DIY, or a bit more for pros) that can noticeably cut heating/cooling bills and often has a high ROI at resale as well. Upgrading to LED lighting throughout and sealing drafty windows with inexpensive weatherstripping are weekend projects with immediate benefits on utility costs – a selling point for future buyers too. Missouri Gas Energy and Ameren often have rebates on smart thermostats, insulation, and efficient appliances – encourage clients to check those programs to essentially get paid to upgrade.
Where to Shop Locally: Aside from big box stores, we have some great local building supply outlets. Mernard’s in Sullivan and R.P. Lumber in Eureka are convenient for Pacific residents and sometimes have better prices on lumber and drywall. Schneider’s Flooring in Washington often has clearance flooring deals. And don’t overlook Facebook Marketplace for surplus materials – contractors sometimes sell leftover tile, bricks, etc., for cheap or free. In a nutshell, with a bit of resourcefulness, homeowners here can tackle improvements on a tight budget and still add significant value to their homes.
