Some home upgrades—notably anything involving plumbing or electricity—demand a professional. But others? Not so much. In fact, in an age when homeowners feel empowered to square off with many home improvement projects themselves, creating DIY decor has become a typical weekend activity.

So to keep you busy during these first few weeks of spring, we’ve assembled a collection of home projects inspired by our current favorite interior-design posts on Instagram. Here are five fabulous, high-reward endeavors no one will believe you actually pulled off yourself.

1. Built-in entryway bench

This cozy entryway bench, seen in a post from @michaelaiduss, makes a wonderful first impression on anyone who walks through your front door. And it won’t take you more than a few days to recreate on your own.

“A built-in entryway bench adds a touch of luxury,” says Sarah Gaffney, lead designer at Next Stage Design. “If you have some carpentry skills, these are actually doable yourself. Otherwise, you can also use a high-backed settee to create a similar look.”

Get the look: Check out this tutorial to create a DIY entryway bench.

2. Wainscot bedroom walls

We love design elements that make a home feel rich with history, and these wainscot walls do all that and more in this cozy bedroom designed by @lindsay_salazar_photography.

“Wainscotting gives a nostalgic feeling to any space by bringing a neoclassical architectural element to your room,” says designer Courtney Wollersheim, of FLOOR360. “Painting the wainscot an unexpected color like cool blue or sage green modernizes this iconic design feature.”

Get the look: Create your own wainscot bedroom walls with this guide, then paint them in a contemporary shade such as Modern Love or Lawn Party by Backdrop Home.

3. Recessed display cabinets

Looking for more storage space but coming up short on the “space” part? Check out these recessed cabinets from @vivirdesign.

“Recessed display cabinets are an efficient way to display items, without taking up space in your living area,” says Johnson. “Add extra design punctuation with decorative pulls, or by painting the border of your shelves or cabinets.”

Get the look: Find a recessed wall shelf by shopping this collection, then check out this tutorial for the install.

4. Large-striped wallpaper

Who doesn’t love a bold, retro wallpaper? These larger-than-life stripes, seen in a post from @joinfreddie, can be achieved with your own two hands in just a few days.

“Vertical stripes are a great way to trick the eye into thinking a small space is larger than it is,” says Gaffney. “I would recommend stripes in neutral tones, like the ones pictured, as they won’t overwhelm other parts of your design.”

Get the look: Re-do your powder room with this striped wallpaper.

5. Brass pot rack

 

Lately, we’ve clocked a kitchen trend that indicates homeowners are getting comfortable with displaying their wares. Some have swapped cabinets for shelves, while others have opted for glass-front doors on their cabinets.

If you’re keen on showing off your beautiful collection of pots and pans, we have good news: you can build a DIY rack similar to the one above from @michaelaiduss.

“Floating shelves and bar carts are everywhere,” says Johnson. “It was only a matter of time before ceiling racks made a triumphant return.”

Get the look: Follow along with this tutorial to make your very own DIY pot rack.

 

For this and related articles, please visit Realtor.com

Amazon is the premier site to buy, well, anything. It’s even become a popular stop for budget-minded shoppers looking for home decor pieces.

But, like the rest of the site, the Amazon home decor section is a bottomless pit of products. So to help you sift through all the options and find the real tried-and-true gems, we asked design professionals to share their top picks that they buy over and over again.

Amazon is brimming with home furniture and accessories that interior designers can’t get enough of. Ahead, a curated list of stylish home decor finds at affordable prices.

1. Natural linen curtains

If you’d like a pair of high-quality drapes that can breathe life into any room, pick up these natural linen curtains. Recommended by Mariya Snisar, the head of interior design at Renowell, these work well with any design style—from rustic and bohemian to industrial and beyond.

“They’re lightweight and work great for light-filtering without making the room look too dim,” Snisar says. “I also think linen has that innate coziness that can make any room look much more welcoming.”

2. Vintage-looking knobs

Snisar is also a fan of these vintage-looking knobs that can be added to all different types of furniture.

“They are pretty cheap but can give any drawer a new life, especially if you decide to paint it to match the handles,” she says.

Available in two different finishes, these knobs work perfectly for dresser drawers and kitchen cabinets.

3. Wooden coffee table with hidden storage

Maximize the storage in your house by ordering a coffee table with a secret compartment to store books, blankets, and more. This pick has a wood grain table top that opens to reveal a hidden nook.

“I love how this table looks rustic but modern at the same time,” Snisar points out. “Plus, the extra storage space may come in handy if your living space is small.”

4. Runner rug from Loloi

Purchasing rugs for your home can be a headache-inducing, stressful activity. Not only do you have to consider size, material, and shipping, but you also have to pay attention to the price. This is because rugs, especially trendy vintage Turkish rugs, tend to run into the thousands.

If you’re in the market for a new rug, Alessia Lamonaca, owner and lead designer at New Mode Home, advises checking out Loloi rugs.

“These rugs are popular for a reason,” says Lamonaca. “They have a ton of beautiful designs to choose from at a very affordable price point.”

5. Wool and mohair throw blanket

Sure, Amazon has tons of low-priced deals, but it’s also a treasure trove if you’re looking for unique products from top-rated brands worldwide.

Shani Core, an interior designer based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, points out that besides the “obvious coffee table books,” Amazon has plenty of high-quality home goods from dependable brands.

“My favorite things to order from Amazon for clients include high-quality wool and mohair throws from the Biddy Murphy Store in Ireland,” Core says.

These throws come in many colors and work great as housewarming gifts.

6. Bedside crystal carafe set

The saying “it’s all in the details” really rings true when decorating a home. Considering this, Core shares that this crystal carafe set is one of her favorites. Not only is it pretty to look at, but it also adds an “elegant and useful touch” to your main or guest bedroom.

7. A leather catchall

Scattered keys and change can make any tabletop look messy. Thankfully, a leather catchall can help with this.

Recommended by Core, this leather organizer valet helps “corral odds and ends wherever needed throughout the home.” Its sleek design also helps it blend in effortlessly with many decor aesthetics.

Available in various shades, including khaki green and camel, this piece is especially nice to keep on nightstands and foyer tables where clutter tends to gather.

8. Irregularly shaped mirror

Is your decor feeling a little stale? Beth Martin, founder and designer at Beth Martin Design, suggests picking up an irregularly shaped mirror from Amazon. She points out that these mirrors have become a decor must-have in recent years thanks to their playful, organic shape.

“This fun design is perfect for compact spaces like an entryway or bedroom,” Martin says.

9. Gold outlet covers

Design-forward outlet covers, such as this one, can help elevate room decor using little to no effort. They’re also easy to install.

This pick, recommended by Lamonaca, has a matte metallic finish and looks good in the kitchen, bedrooms, and bathrooms.

“Brass outlet covers are an inexpensive way to make your home feel custom and expensive,” she explains.

10. Dimmable artwork light

Don’t leave your paintings or photographs in the dark. If you have art hanging on your walls, then you need this dimmable artwork light. These affordable fixtures can help you achieve museum-worthy lighting at little cost.

“This picture light will instantly add a layer of elegance and sophistication to your home,” Lamonaca says.

11. Book-shaped vase

You might already have a whole collection of vases, but we bet you don’t have this book vase available on Amazon for under $25.

Snisar points out that this might not be “everyone’s cup of tea,” but “this vase can look great on a coffee table, on a cabinet in the bedroom, and even in the kitchen.”

 

For this and similar articles, please visit Realtor.com

The home appraisal process is just a formality when buying real estate, right? You’ve found the house you love and put in a good offer, and it was accepted! It’s time to break out the bubbly? Sorry, not yet.

If you’ve applied for a mortgage, your home-to-be still has to undergo a comprehensive appraisal of its worth—and an unfavorable home appraisal can kill a real estate deal. Yikes! It can be a nerve-racking ordeal, but it’s actually good for you. Allow us to demystify the process.

Appraisals: Estimating a home’s value with fresh eyes

Just because you and the sellers have agreed on a price doesn’t mean it’s a done deal—your lender needs to be on board, too. After all, it’s the lender’s real estate investment as well. To get a mortgage, you’ll need a home appraisal because the home serves as collateral for your lender. If for some reason you end up unable to make your mortgage payments, the lender will have to foreclose on your home, then sell the property to recoup its costs. So your mortgage lender will have to know the value of your home before handing over that large loan.

While the home appraisal process is somewhat similar to getting comps—as you did to determine a fair price—the appraiser delves in deeper to determine the home’s exact value.

An appraiser will investigate the condition, the square footage, location, and any additions or renovations. From there, they will appraise the home and determine its value.

An appraiser is trained to be unbiased, says Adam Wiener, founder of Aladdin Appraisal in Auburndale, MA.

“I don’t care what anybody wants the home to be worth,” he says. “As an appraiser, I’ll give you the answer. You may not like it, but it’s the answer.”

Off-site, the appraiser may also evaluate the current real estate market in the neighborhood to help determine the value of the property.

Usually, the lender or financing organization will hire the appraiser. Because it’s in the best interest of the lender to get a solid home appraisal, the lender will have a list of reputable professionals to appraise the home.

Whoever takes out the mortgage pays for the home appraisal, unless the contract specifies otherwise. Then the buyer pays the fee in the closing costs. If a seller is motivated, they may pay for the home appraisal themselves to back their asking price, which benefits the buyer by reducing closing costs.

You’ll get a copy of the home appraisal, too

An appraiser sets out to determine if the home is actually worth what you’re planning to pay. You might be surprised by how little time that takes; the appraiser could be in and out of a home in 30 minutes, and that’s not a reason to panic.

An appraiser doesn’t have the same job as a home inspector, who examines every little detail. While they’ll pay particular attention to problems with the foundation and roof, the home appraisal process includes noting the quality and condition of the appliances, plumbing, flooring, and electrical systems.

With data in hand, they make their final assessment and give their report to the lender. The mortgage company is then required by law to give a copy of the appraisal to you.

Appraisers work for your lender—not you

As the buyer, you’ll pay for the home appraisal. In most cases, the fee is wrapped into your closing costs and will set you back $300 to $400. However, just because you pay doesn’t mean you’re the client.

“My client is the lender, not the buyer,” Wiener says. This ensures that appraisers remain ethical—in fact, it’s a crime to coerce or put any pressure on an appraiser to hit a certain value. Appraisers must remain independent.

“Anything less, and public trust in the appraisal is lost,” says Wiener.

They protect buyers from a bad deal

In essence, the home appraisal process is meant to protect you (and the lender) from a bad purchase. For instance: If the appraisal comes in higher than your asking price, it’s generally fine. Sure, the sellers could decide they want more money and would rather put their home back on the market; but in most cases, a deal will go through as expected.

If your appraisal comes in lower than what you offered, this is where things get tricky: Your lender won’t pony up more money than the appraised price. So if you and the sellers agree on $125,000 but the appraisal comes in at $105,000, it creates a $20,000 shortfall. What’s a buyer to do? Read on.

A curveball appraisal isn’t necessarily the end

If the appraisal process happens, your appraisal comes in low, and your contract with the seller was contingent on an appraisal, you could walk away and have your earnest money returned.

If you prefer to buy the home anyway (or waived your appraisal contingency), there are some other paths you can pursue:

• Come up with the cash to cover the difference between the appraisal and offer price.
• Ask the seller to cover the difference.
• Challenge the appraisal, and pay for a second opinion.

However, keep in mind that your new report could come out identical. Also remember that if you do choose to walk away, that’s actually good news, although it may not seem like it at the time. Why? Because the appraisal kept you from paying too much for your home.

 

For this and related articles, please visit Realtor.com

You’re this close to owning a new home, you can almost taste it. The closing paperwork is prepared, your new digs passed the inspection, and—wonder of wonders—you’re even happy with your loan. Homeownership is just on the other side of the hill.

As long as the final walk-through goes according to plan.

OK, take a breath—there’s no need to panic. The vast majority of walk-throughs reveal no problems at all, and even if they do, most issues are easily fixed. Still, it can be an awkward, stressful process that can make you want to reach for heartburn medication, especially for first-time buyers. Learn what to look for on your last trip through the house before the sellers hand over the keys. Your new keys!

Create a checklist

Before your walk-through, work with your agent to create a comprehensive checklist covering all of your concerns with the home—the items that you’d like to see addressed or fixed, pronto. Look at your notes from previous walk-throughs and the inspection report to determine what areas of the house you should double-check.

“Simply having a checklist during final walk-through can greatly reduce any issues,” says Joe Stanfield, a Realtor in Charlotte, NC.

Other things to add to your inspection list include ensuring that all appliances work—make sure to turn them on while you’re in the house—as well as the bathroom plumbing.

Check the windows, doors, as well as all outlets and lights. If anything is amiss, bring it up with the sellers as soon as possible and negotiate a fee the sellers can give you by personal check to cover the costs of fixing it yourself. It’s your last chance. Make it count.

Ensure required repairs were completed

Most sellers are good, ethical people, but you never know if you’re dealing with a sneaky individual until the final walk-through. But they might not have been deliberately sneaky: they may just have a transitory case of seller amnesia, whose symptoms include the oft-heard line, “Oh, I meant to get to that.”

After all, the selling process can be hypercomplicated—leaving required repairs unfinished because priorities have been focused elsewhere.

“Sometimes a seller will have indicated that a repair previously negotiated during the due diligence period was completed, but the buyer finds out during the walk-through that it has not,” says Suzette Gray, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker in Charlotte, NC.

She recommends asking for copies of paid invoices for all repairs. If it’s a simple repair—such as patching up drywall or replacing a faucet—ask them to send you a photo of the completed work before the walk-through, “so there are no surprises.”

And while civility is key, this is not the time for preternatural politeness. If you do find something wrong that they’d vowed to address, it’s worth the awkwardness of bringing it up face to face and demanding compensation—after all, a promise is a promise. Right?

Inspect previously hard-to-reach spots

During your final walk-through, inspect everything you couldn’t check out earlier due to lack of time.

“You always want to ensure that you aren’t stuck with problems that were previously hidden from view,” says Seth Stisher from the Seth Realty Team in Charleston, SC.

Did an enormous Persian area rug cover the living room floor before? Was the couch pushed flush against the wall? Take a careful look at the hardwood below for any water damage or rot. This goes double if you’re buying a home with a basement that was previously filled with boxes. Basements are ground zero for mold, water damage, and other structural issues, and it’s easy for sellers to hide (or miss) problems behind a layer of clutter.

Look for missing items—or secret swaps

Make sure all appliances and fixtures you’d liked during earlier visits are still present—or haven’t undergone a subpar substitution.

“If you were promised a chandelier and now there is an empty socket, that’s not going to fly,” says Janine Acquafredda, a Realtor in Brooklyn, NY.

Basically anything connected to the home by plugs or pipes should stay—or if the sellers intended to keep something other than their furniture and belongings, it should be specified in the contract. Swapping out the bronze cabinet pulls for mediocre chrome replacements isn’t OK, either, and you have every right to demand them reinstated before the home changes hands.

Don’t panic over a little dirt

You might be expecting a picture-perfect, Architectural Digest–ready home, with polished hardwood floors and shining countertops—but few real estate contracts mandate those expectations, instead asking for the place to be “broom clean.” Which does not mean “scrubbed within an inch of its life.”

Usually that’s your job. Sorry.

“Everyone has a different definition of broom clean, and if the place is a little dirty it’s not the end of the world,” says Koki Adasi, a Realtor with Koki & Associates in Silver Springs, MD. Don’t stress over minor problems such as scratches in the hardwood or marks on the walls. It’s certainly not worth raising a fuss over—not only will it annoy the sellers, but chances are you’ll cause minor damage of your own during move-in.

 

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