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You probably have a room in your house that doesnt get used much or is just acting as storage for your extra stuff. Empty nesters are especially prone to having a bedroom that is no longer used and has become messy and unorganized over time.

Rooms like these are an opportunity when selling a house. Presenting a room in a creative way can appeal to buyers who visit your home. Anyone buying a home is going to expect bedrooms, dens and living rooms, so transforming a spare room into something unique is sure to be noticed. Here are some ideas for turning that bonus room into something special quickly and without a high cost.

Recreation Room
Buyers with kids are sure to appreciate a room that promotes family time. While playrooms filled with toys are common, a room where everyone can gather and interact is a great idea. Put board games in the room and set up a table with a puzzle on it. Also include books, magazines and coloring books, but not a TV. Invite house hunters to work on the puzzle; kids who are spending the day looking at houses will jump at the opportunity, and that might translate to a positive experience for the parents.

Hobby Room
Rooms designed specifically for men and women are a popular trend, but why not create a space for everyone? Make the room a productive area where anyone can practice a hobby. Set up a sewing or knitting area, create a spot for a musical instrument with a music stand or turn the room into an artists’ or writers’ studio.

Family Office
Instead of a stuffy office, create a fun home work space. Set up a desk or table where family members can bring their laptops. Have papers, pens, pencils and other supplies handy. For the younger members of the household, set up a station with crayons, paste and construction paper. Have a shelf with dictionaries, reference books and almanacs.

Guest Room
Sure, many homes have guest rooms, but make yours one to envy. With a simple paint job and a small investment in quality bedding, you can turn a room into a luxurious space that is sure to catch the eyes of buyers who have out-of-town friends and relatives that might need to spend the weekend.

High-End Closet
Turning rooms into closets can be a major project, but it also can be done efficiently. Affordable shelving can hold shoes, hats, scarves, gloves and practically any type of clothing in an accessible and organized way. Racks can hold shirts, pants, suits and dresses. The idea is to create an appealing and organized space for clothing and accessories.

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If you’re looking to boost your home’s curb appeal, consider getting creative with your exterior color scheme.

Stick to the Classics

Shades of beige, light and warm, can do wonders for a classic home. If done right, even the most basic colors can stand out. Use muted tones and play with shapes, tones and textures.

Play With Primary

Blue, red and yellow represent each of the primary colors. Not only are they vastly different, but they also compliment each other. Though this may seem like an odd combination to put on the exterior of a home, if done right, it can provide a unique and interesting depth.

Warm Up With Wood

For a more modern-style home constructed out of concrete, adding wooden accents creates a unique look. This color scheme works well with lots of greenery, heightening the natural elements in contrast to the bare-boned grays to draw attention to the modern and contemporary concrete.

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With a variety of home surveillance kits available, many handy homeowners have chosen to install security cameras themselves. The installation process can be easy, but knowing the proper way to place and angle the cameras is vital to keeping your home as safe as it can be.

The most important factor in judging where to place a camera is simple: Your home is your home. You know what the layout is and where the most important rooms are. Before you begin placing any equipment, consider some basic questions about your home’s surveillance needs: What parts of your home are you most concerned about? Are there spots on your property that aren’t plainly visible to the street or neighbors? Do you need to keep any local camera placement laws in mind?

Consider the usual entry points for potential burglars when casing a home. With over 80 percent of burglars entering a home through the first floor, whether through doors or windows, it’s especially important to keep the entirety of your property’s entryways covered.At the same time, placing cameras in low areas”and, thus, in easy reach of criminals”may negate their usefulness.

If you find you have a lack of safe places to put a camera, consider looking into protective caging for your equipment to protect it from being knocked out of order or covered while you aren’t looking. This is also a good time to contemplate what special tools you may need to complete your installation, so ensure you read the camera systems instructions for its recommended outfitting requirements.

While losing a camera can mean losing important evidence to help identify vandals or thieves, there are clever ways to keep yourself safe that might goad a criminal into making a misstep. Placing a dummy camera in obvious sight not only deters crime by showing you keep your home under tight watch, but it also gives an easy target to potential burglars that can distract them from hidden cameras that catch them in the act. As an added bonus, dummy cameras are typically far cheaper to replace than professional models.

Most importantly, you must consider the needs of each camera when placing it. Cameras cannot focus on multiple ranges and angles at once, so if you want to catch a trespasser’s facial features, mounting your camera up too high can blur distinctive features, but a raised camera may have a better chance of picking up a car’s license plate when placed overlooking your driveway.

In the end, even poorly placed cameras will offer better home security than not having any at all, but there’s no reason to leave proper home security to chance. Knowing how to place your first line of defense can keep you safe before and after any crime, and knowledge is always your best weapon.

Published with permission from RISMedia.

Here are four exciting ways you can create an accent wall in your home.

Fabric Wallcovering

Using a textured surface like fabric can help to warm a room up or add depth, depending on what you hope to achieve.

Exposed Brick

An exposed brick wall evokes a sense of character in any setting“from urban to traditional.

Wallpaper

From mesmerizing floral patterns to classic prints, the right wallpaper will bring a room to life while supplementing the existing color scheme.

Bold Paint

The most common way to create an accent wall is to paint one wall an exciting color that complements the rest of the room.

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If you need money for an important project, you might be able to finance it by accessing the equity you’ve built up by paying your mortgage. A home equity loan and a home equity line of credit (HELOC) are two options. Before you decide to use either, make sure you understand the key differences between the two”and when it makes sense to utilize one over the other.

What Equity Is and When to Use It
Your homes equity is the current value of your house minus the balance owed on the mortgage. The amount you can borrow through a home equity loan or HELOC will depend on the lender and the amount of equity you have.

Before you decide to access your home equity, make sure you want to use the money for a legitimate purpose. Repairs or renovations that will increase your homes value can be a wise investment, but you shouldnt use your home as collateral to finance a vacation or to pay off a credit card bill from a shopping spree.

You also shouldnt borrow the total amount that a lender will allow just because you can. Using your home as collateral is risky. If you borrow more than you can pay back, you may lose your home to foreclosure.

Home Equity Loan vs. HELOC
With a home equity loan, you’ll receive a lump sum up to the amount the lender will allow. And you’ll have to pay the money back with monthly payments. The interest rate on a home equity loan is typically fixed, so your payments will remain stable, which can help with budgeting. The downside of a home equity loan is that if you borrow a large portion of your homes equity all at once and then the housing market suffers and your home loses value, you may wind up with little or no equity left.

A HELOC is more like a credit card. You’ll have a line of credit up to the amount determined by the lender, and you can use that credit to make several purchases in various amounts at different times. A HELOC often has an adjustable interest rate, and you only pay interest on the amount of credit you use. Your monthly payments may vary significantly depending on the interest rate and the amount of money you spend. You might be able to apply a fixed rate to part of the balance and make payments that are only used to cover interest.

Should You Borrow Against Your Homes Equity?
A home equity loan or HELOC can help you use the equity you’ve accumulated to finance long-term goals, but they should be used responsibly. Before you tap into your homes equity, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. Only borrow what you need, and be sure that you understand the terms and will be able to afford the monthly payments.

This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional or legal advice.

Published with permission from RISMedia.