Are you looking for some ideas to update a 90s home on a budget? The year is 2013 and we were moving to an outdated 1990s split level house. We had already lived in and renovated a bungalow complete with bullet holes and a dog fence and a pool liner filled with snakes. Our second house was a brand new bungalow, which honestly, I was a little bored living there. Our third house was a typical 1990s house – lots of orange oak. But it had a ton of living space, a beautiful in-ground pool, and was in a quiet neighborhood on a dead-end street. It was outdated, but with a few cosmetic upgrades we knew we could make it a beautiful home. Find out more about us and our real estate investing journey.
Why did we move?
We were so sure that our second house was our forever home. But with a career change for Tony, we decided to move further into the country to be closer to family and to have a slower pace of life. We decided to buy some land so that we could build our actual forever home, but in the mean time live in and renovate this 90s split level. The house felt very dark, dirty and outdated when we moved in, but we thought with a few renovations we could make it updated and beautiful. I was on maternity leave for a majority of the time while we updated our 90s house, so I had a little extra time to work on projects at home. I was never bored, and learned a lot about my own capabilities, and loved (almost) every minute!
How to update a 90s home
If you’re looking for inspiration on how to update a 90s home, you’ve come to the right place. On this page you’ll find a list of everything we completed in this 90s home update with before and after pictures, as well as links to the full blog posts.
Front hall
Replace and paint closet doorsReplace front doorNew front door handlePaint trim
Play room
Replace patio doorReplace laminate floor with hardwoodInstall trimPaint trim and wallsUpdate fireplaceChange light
Laundry room
Stack washer and dryerPaint walls and trimReplace vanity, toilet, and lightAdd some shelvesTile backsplash
Basement family room
Paint touch-ups
Basement spare room
Patch and paint walls and trim
Basement bathroom
Patch and paint walls and trim
Stairs
Add newel postSand, stain and polyurethane stairsSand, stain and polyurethane handrailPaint spindles and risersDo final coat of paint on spindles and risersAdd trim below treads
Living room/dining room
Take down half wallAdd light to living roomReplace hardwood flooringPaint and install trimPaint windows
Kitchen
Replace lightsPaint walls, trim and windows, and cabinets
Master bedroom
Refinish floorsInstall and paint trimPaint wallsReplace and paint closet doorsFix light
First kid room
- Paint walls and trim
Refinish floors
Second kid room
Repaint walls and trimRefinish floors
Upstairs hallway
Change lightTouch up wall paintPaint trimReplace bedroom doors
Main bathroom
Nothing!
Exterior
Paint front door and shuttersPlant flowers in flower beds (front of house and around pool)Stain deckReplace chain link fence around pool with wood fenceStain fenceDo stamped concrete around poolFix shed (roof and siding)Buy and fix a hot tub
FOR MORE OF OUR HOUSE TOURS CHECK OUT THESE LINKS:
- 2nd house: New raised bungalow
- Flip house
- Third House: Outdated slit-level
- Fourth house: Owner builder bungalow
- Rental Property
- Cabin in the woods