Anyone who owns a home knows that it takes effort to maintain it. Homeowners spend on average 3% of what their home is worth on home improvement every year. However, you can always cut costs; let's look at some smart ways you can save money while you maintain and improve your dream home.
When it comes to home improvement, be sure to promote the leaks at your house to the top of your priority list. This is important because leaks can be either dangerous, detrimental to the structure of your house, or to your pocketbook. Check all water pipes and fixtures for leaks on a regular basis. Install a CO2 detector in your house for gas leaks.
When it comes to home improvement, consider adding extra insulation to your home to assist with your cooling costs in the summer and heating costs in the winter. This will save you money as well as keep you and your family more comfortable. The two best ways to insulate are to add weather strips to your doors and ensure that your attic is lined.
Hiring a professional organizer for a home storage makeover, can do wonders for your home's look. Most of us have catch all areas throughout the house, where items tend to go to die. We all have areas that we look at and say that we'll straighten it out tomorrow. A professional organizer can suggest changes you can make to avoid these problem areas and make your home more efficient.
If you're thinking about putting down carpeting for your home, make sure to choose carpeting in dark colors only. Light colors such as beige, white, or light brown tend to pick up dirt and stains, making your carpeting appear cheap and used. Opt for colors like dark green or dark brown to hide what shouldn't be seen and prolong the life of your carpet.
Improve your front entrance curb appeal by adding oversized house numbers and a large size light fixture. Making your entrance eye catching and appealing will increase the value of your home and the homes around you. If your neighbors like your improvements, they may try it themselves and increase the value of the whole neighborhood.
Giving a new look to the pillows in your young adult's bedroom can be easy to do. Make pillowcases using old jeans, band t-shirts or interesting fabrics. This will spruce up your teen's bedroom and give it a unique flair.
Install motion detector lights around your home. Your electricity bill will come out lower when your lights are activated only when needed. You can take your home's safety up a notch by installing motion detectors that cause lights to turn on when a thief is present.
If you are in need of space in your bathroom, you know that the two things taking it up are usually the bathtub and the sink. Opt to install a pedestal sink in a small bathroom instead of one with cabinets on the bottom. It not only gives your bathroom an expensive appearance, but also frees up much needed space.
If you can afford it, purchase natural materials for use with indoor projects. Natural materials, such as wood, ceramic, and stone, are typically much better to use then synthetic ones. They last longer and are better looking too. Expensive natural materials can end up being cheaper due to their longevity.
An easily-missed factor in cooling costs is your AC unit. You may not need to replace your insulation or windows, if you simply replace or clean the filters in your air conditioner. This is true for both window and central air units. The cost of a new filter for your central unit is much less than new insulation!
Before you start a project for home improvement you may wish to speak with the neighbors to let them know what's going on and when. It can be irritating to virtual home remodel live next to construction. Your neighbors will be more accommodating if they know in advance when to expect any potential disturbances.
Brighten up tired furniture with slipcovers. If your furniture is worn or stained, or you just want to change the look of your room, use slipcovers. They come in a large variety of fabrics, and are available in solid colors or patterned. A great feature of slipcovers is that they are washable, which is very handy if you have kids or pets!
If the standpipe in your laundry room overflows when your washing machine drains, check for a clogged vent pipe (usually on your roof). You can also snake the drainpipe, as small socks or pocket debris may exit the washer and become trapped in the pipe. If no clogs are located, you may need to make the standpipe taller or replace it with a wider pipe that can handle your washer's output.
Chandeliers are becoming more and more popular. A classy-looking chandelier that can pull together an elegant living or dining room can be yours for less than five hundred dollars. Of course, in the meantime, the chandelier is going to provide some beautiful lighting and it will create a brilliant ambiance for the home.
When installing your new interior lighting, switch from candescent lights to more energy efficient bulbs. Compact Fluorescent lights, also known as CFLs, last much longer and can substantially reduce your energy bill by saving energy. CFLs do contain mercury, so be sure and follow the specific laws for their disposal.
There are many options when replacing your home's siding. One of the more expensive options is stucco. Be sure you're prepared to invest in stucco. There are less expensive options available if you are willing to compromise.
Taking classes at a home improvement store can be very beneficial for you if you decide to remodel. Large home improvement chains use classes on such topics as laying tile and painting walls to drum up business. Take classes and try to learn the basic things before starting any type of home improvement project.
By applying some excellent advice given above, it's possible to drastically increase your home's value without worrying about whether or not you're losing any money with your renovation project. If you decide to sell, you can make your house stand out by making the correct improvements.
