One of the great pleasures of buying your first home is it’s all yours to decorate. Rather than worrying about the landlord getting mad at you for painting a wall, you get the freedom to do whatever you want to your walls—you could paint them bright pink with purple polka dots if you wanted.

When you move into a new place, you probably have an idea of what goes where. For instance, you know where to put your bed, your TV, and your table and chairs. It’s instinctive. What about adding decorations that turn it from a house into a home?

One of the first things you can do is add a paint color to a wall or two that you think you’ll love. If all the walls are off-white, get a friend or two to help and paint a wall light blue or chocolate brown or maroon red. Do this to one of the less public rooms, like a spare bedroom, as a way to “test the waters before jumping in.” Over the course of the next year or two, you can paint more walls in more rooms, as needed. Or—and this is a smart tip—hang colorful artwork on otherwise plain-looking white/tan walls. That way you get splashes of color in a room that can easily be changed on a whim.

Another interesting idea to decorate a home is to visit garage sales and estate sales in nice areas near you, and look for interesting, affordable pieces of furniture and art. You can also find bargain-priced lamps to illuminate your new rooms, and “knick-knacks” to place on shelves.

Finally, realize that your new house does not have to be perfect the day you move in. Part of the fun of having a new house is taking time to “make it your own” not in a day or a week, but over the course of many months, and, in most cases, years.

Take some photos of the home before you move in, as well as a month after you’ve been there. Then, take some photos a year later—you’ll be amazed at the transformation!

Post by Alexis Hlady