Your Home Is Your Castle. Keep It Up To Date And Beautiful With These Tips
There are safe and fun tips for home improvement that anyone can use, even the clumsiest person. Arm yourself with the proper information to make your home projects go smoothly and safely. Check out these home improvement tips!
When the time comes to replace your roof, opt for white or other light colored tiles or material. This lighter color helps reflect light, making your attic and the rest of your home cooler. This ensures you’re not spending a lot on air conditioning.
Dust all of your home accessories frequently. Dust can easily accumulate in only a few day and create allergy problems for anyone. You can also find any insect problem with ant or fleas by dusting all the areas of your home on a weekly basis.
Can’t afford a designer? Start researching. You can find ideas online, in decorating books and magazines and on HGTV. You may discover an inspiration for a new look in a magazine. These resources can also provide information for less expensive projects that you can do on your own.
Get new metal fixtures for your bathroom. Shower curtain rods, towel racks and even toilet paper holders come in assorted shapes and finishes. Some home improvement stores sell these items as a package; this is a good way to save money.
Keep your toilet bowl clean by pouring bleach inside it. Although the smell is not desirable, it is quite effective. You may want to use scented bleach if the odor is offensive.
Use old baby food jars to add organization to your workspace. Just screw the jar lids onto the bottom of a shelf above your work bench. Small things like nails and screws, beads or jewelry making supplies can be stored in these jars. Then, twist these jars into their lids under the shelf. This helps take full advantage of a wall shelf and small jars you didn’t think you would ever need.
Free up some space on your nightstands and end tables by choosing a floor lamp instead of a table lamp. Floor lamps are free standing and can be moved around, while table lamps take up quite a bit of table space. Pick a lamp you like the design of.
If you want an improvement idea that can add value to your home and can also increase your living area, think about finishing your basement. When you finish your basement, you will have a whole extra room to enjoy. Discount stores have everything you need as far as building materials. Many contractors estimate that a finished basement may boost the property value of a home as much as 30 percent.
Is your bedroom dresser getting on your nerves? You can bring those old funky dressers and nightstands back to life simply by sanding them and giving them a refinish. If you do this, you’ll have personalized furniture that looks brand new at a fraction of the cost. Old furniture can be stained a variety of colors.
Be up front with your contractor in regards to your budget when planning extensive home improvements. This will ensure that they will use the best materials possible. Also, your contractor will be able to get greater value for the money. The great thing about this is both parties win.
Always turn off the water if you are working in the bathroom or kitchen. Working on or near pipes without shutting the water off first is a recipe for disaster.
A simple way to add value to your home is to upgrade your appliances. Upgrading to an energy efficient unit can save you money on your electric bill and may even add some value to the home.
Reconsider adding carpet to your high-traffic areas. This can often result in unnecessary spending. It won’t take long at all before the carpet is ruined. All it takes is a few people tracking their mud across it to ruin it for good. You will also need to replace it before too long. As an alternative, try linoleum, tile or other like materials.
If you decide to go with a contractor for your home improvement plans, always pick the contractor with the best reputation, rather than the cheapest one. Someone who is not well respected, but is inexpensive, will typically do sub par work with cheap materials. You may find that once the job is complete, there may be additional work needed to correct mistakes and oversights. Additionally, a poor construction job may be dangerous and render your home inhabitable. Pick someone you can trust.
When looking at replacing your home’s siding, don’t forget to look at insulation too. Insulation will improve the value of your house and lower your utility bill. This also helps keep more cash in your bank account.
It is always important for you to remember that when doing any woodwork, you should never eye any measurements, angles, or any surface that should be level. Remember to use a level, speed square and tape measure.
If outdoor improvements are a priority, be sure your projects are in keeping with the surrounding neighborhood. Having a heavily personalized property that is considered an eyesore by the neighbors, will not sell well at a later time.
Eco-friendly renovations are all the rage today. You can add value to your home and also befriend the environment. Replacing outdated equipment with an energy efficient air handler or furnace will improve your living space, protect your wallet, and improve the environment.
Look at the quotes that you have received for your home improvement project and see which are on letterhead and which are just a regular document. Well-designed stationery is an indicator of professionalism and can be a sign that a contractor is more established and legit. That should not be the only criteria, but it is a positive for the contractor.
You should now be ready to begin your next home improvement project to turn your house into the home of your dreams. These tips will get you started on improving your home the right way.