Need more of an idea of your style and what you like. Kitchen needs updating. Will you replace counter and appliances or are those all staying? The white appliances will dictate what you can do in the kitchen if so. Light fixture in living room and fan in kitchen both should be replaced with something more updated. And window treatment should be floor to ceiling-ish curtain/drapes (not vertical blinds), unless there is a sofa going under the window.

A nice paint color that you love on the walls can help it to feel more like home. But if you don't really like the condo there is not much that can be physically done at a low price point that will make you change that opinion. Have you closed? Is it too late to find something else that you like better?

A medium tone wood (or wood laminate) floor throughout the space, new paint and bigger baseboards painted white, updated light fixtures and cabinet hardware will transform the space and update it. If financially feasible, change the counter and add a tile backsplash, and your new home will be awesome. Down the line I would change the window treatments and add crown molding. Congrats on your new home!

Thanks, everyone! Great ideas. I have not closed on this property yet but have been looking for awhile and the location is good. I'm at a low price point and there is very little inventory where I live and everything is expensive (Chicago area). It's spacious and a safe area. so I think I can make it work for now with some updating.

Don't use wood laminate. I would do luxury vinyl tile instead.

Another vote for vinyl plank flooring. We used it in our kitchen/dining room remodel several years ago, and are using it now in our new house, which is open concept on the main floor and I wanted something that would work well in the kitchen, dining room, and living room. The maintenance is easy (esp good for a kitchen), it's comfortable underfoot, and the price point works well for us.

Others here have used gel stain successfully, so if that's something you choose to do, there are pictures and how-to info you can search for : )

Location is everything! Painting the walls and your own furniture will go a long way. You could paint the oak; I don't mind oak but the grain is a little too pronounced on yours for me. But it's more expensive to hire out, and more time-consuming to do yourself, thank you might think. Try to work with it for a while. Wall color helps a lot.

The main think you'll want to do is get some roll-outs for the bottom cabinets. Container Store, in Northbrook and Schaumburg and maybe OakBrook?, have their big sale going on right now, check it out. I think it goes on into February. And the ikea in Schaumburg will have some good ideas, too.

Before buying, get a copy of the condo rules. I owned a condo in Arlington Hts and there was a requirement that a large percentage of the flooring had to be carpet. There were strict rules on remodeling and limits on structural changes. Good to know before purchasing.

I checked into it and found that I can remove carpet because I’m on the ground level (2nd floor units need to be carpeted). Not sure about the structural stuff, I’ll probably leave it as is and work with it.

I agree that it will look very different with your furniture in there. Hang some artwork. Paint and replace the light fixtures (is that a bathroom vanity light over the kitchen sink?). Change out the baseboards or at a minimum, paint them. Switch out the cabinet handles and put in a nice faucet. You won't recognize it as the same place.

Location is key. Congrats on your new home!