When you make improvements to your home you are not only creating beautiful upgrades to your home’s environment, but you are also increasing its overall when and if you decide to sell in the future. If you will follow these tips, you can make valuable and cost-efficient enhancements to your home.
If you have a tear in your screen-door or window-screen, here’s a quick tip you can use that will save you money. For tears that are small, use a bit of clear nail polish. For a slightly larger tear, apply a bit of cling wrap to each side of the screen. This quick patch will do until you decide to replace the screen.
Get at that drywall with a sponge! Avoid sanding the seams, try to stick with sponging. A wet sponge can be as effective as careful sanding when it comes to smoothing out seams. This also alleviates dust production caused by sanding.
Update the lighting in your home to add brightness. Changes in lighting fixtures and adding additional wall lighting can bring a entirely new look to your home. Buy energy saving bulbs to reduce your overall energy costs and consider investing in a smart lighting system that will automatically turn off lights when not in use.
Downspouts, gutters, and chimneys are often not noticed for home improvements. These systems are vital to the safety of your home; you have to inspect them regularly and fix problems immediately. Keeping your chimney free of debris is important to prevent fires from substances that might become trapped inside the chimney. Similarly, keeping your gutters free from debris will prevent water damage to your roof caused by the accumulation of water in rain gutters.
You’ll want to be sure that your bathroom has a window in it. Humidity caused by hot baths and showers can result in the growth of mold. Painting your walls repeatedly will not get rid of mold. Rather, take a preventative step that keeps it from growing in the first place. Windows or the right ventilation should be installed so that your space can be dehumified, which will prevent mold growth.
Spruce up your kitchen by putting new knobs and pulls on the cabinets. They can quickly update a tired outdated look, are quick to install, and inexpensive to purchase. After removing the old cabinet knobs, scrub the cabinets before installing the new knobs. All you have to do is screw the knobs onto the cabinets.
Older homes tend to have carpet throughout the home, but years of use can cause a lot of damage. Hardwood floors have their own appeal, and are far more durable than even high-quality carpeting.
If you have furniture that is dull, faded, or even peeling its original paint or finish, don’t dump it. Stripping off whatever finish was on the furniture will give you a clean slate to refinish it however you would like.
Remodeling your kitchen is a time consuming process. Don’t create more work for yourself by hastily removing your old cabinets and damaging your walls. Carefully check to make sure you have removed all the screws and nails holding the cabinets to the walls, and use a putty knife to remove any caulk adhesive.
Make sure that you clean your downspouts and gutters at least a couple of times per year to prevent costly damage to your home. Overflowing gutters can actually cause water to leak onto interior walls, and gutters clogged with pounds of wet leaves may buckle under the weight. This is especially important in autumn, when leaves are shedding rapidly from the trees.
Gutters that are not protected need repetitive cleaning, which can waste your time. Install gutter guards to help cut down on cleaning time. A gutter guard keeps leaves, sticks and other debris from filling your gutters needlessly. Even with these screens, you might have to spend a few minutes getting rid of leaves on the screens, but this is preferable to removing them from the gutter itself.
When you begin a home improvement task, don’t underestimate that task. While some things cannot be anticipated, you ought to at least have a decent understanding of what is likely to come. If you are well-prepared at the outset, you will have no problem navigating surprises along the way.
Look into adding motion detectors in your outdoor spaces. With these kinds of sensors, your outside lights will come on automatically when something or someone moves nearby. This will help you save on your electricity bill, while keeping you safe.
Always allow for extra time when you are doing a home improvement project that involves plumbing. No one likes to be without their kitchen or their bathroom for an extended period of time. You would like to hope that you can get the work done in a day or two and be back up and running quickly. However, rerouting pipes and installing sinks and other fixtures takes time, and unexpected things almost always come up. Plan on projects that involve plumbing to take longer than you expect them to take.
Increase your dryer’s output and lower its energy usage by shortening the dryer hose. To start, unhook the dryer hose and clean it out by vacuuming. Cut the hose so it’s a couple of feet long. The hose should be long enough so you can move the dryer and clean behind it.
This home improvement tip will save you! Is your bathtub stopped up again? Have your tried liquid products designed to unstop your drain with little success? Well, before you call your plumber, try to use a plunger first! That’s right! The same thing that can unclog your toilet – works just as fine – when you are trying to unclog your bathtub. Just add a little water in the basin to create a seal around the plunger and plunge away!
As you can see, it is possible to make upgrades to your home with very little out of pocket money. These valuable upgrades will help to add value and charm to your house. You will be able to do-it-yourself and take great pride in the work you did to make your own home beautiful.
