Most people hear the term "home improvement" and immediately reach for the Yellow Pages. However, it does not have to be as difficult a task as you think. There are lots of do-it-yourself methods to home improvement. This article will provide you with a few creative tips for improving your home, without spending a fortune.
Add shutters to the outside windows on your home for a dramatic change in architecture. If your exterior looks a bit drab or flat, you can use this simple tip to give it much more depth and interest. Paint them a coordinating color to your house, often the color of the front door.
When you are working on home improvement projects, it is crucial that you are aware of what needs to be improved the most. Potential buyers will not have any choice, except to judge your place by what is visible. This includes features like overgrown hedges and peeling paint, which can cost you sales. Not all important repairs are immediately obvious, but when trying to sell a home, you should emphasize those that are readily apparent.
When it comes to home improvement, be sure that you take note of your surroundings and only make improvements that make sense. Having additions built like a room to bask in the sun in without insulation when you live somewhere like Michigan, or a deck that isn't covered in Arizona, this will deter home-buyers. Build what you want to, but try not to go beyond what will be useful in your climate.
It's a good idea to sit down and clearly define your goals and intentions before you get started on your home improvement work. If you have the design out of the way before you start working, you won't need to stop midway through to hammer out design issues. Pull ideas from magazines, others homes and anything that you really like.
Add flowers and candles to your home. These additions are a cheap and easy way to add cheer to a home. The flowers will add color and the candles will brighten up the room and add a pleasant aroma if scented. Candles should be used with care, however, to prevent fires.
Have a large bulletin board in your kitchen or living room, where you can write reminders for yourself of things you need to do or bills you need to pay. Emergency phone numbers, contacts, brochures, postcards and notes to yourself, look better arranged on a bulletin board and won't clutter your refrigerator or other appliances.
Wallpaper borders are no longer as popular as they once were. However, you can add nice designs to your wall without them. Buy some stencils at your local craft store in a theme that matches your home decor and paint them in a line on your wall where normally the wallpaper border would go. This creates a nice visual effect for your eyes to follow in the room.
If you are looking for an easy way to give your home's wall a face life, think about using paneling. Putting in new panels will give your home a new feel for a low cost. If you do change your mind and do not like what you have done, they are very easy to remove without causing a lot of damage to your walls.
If you are looking to improve your home with new furniture, consider re-upholstering. Having new furniture delivered and removing old furniture can be a stressful and expensive hassle. Simply putting new cushions and upholstery on an existing couch, however, will make it look like new for much less money than a new couch.
When performing home improvements in areas with heavy plumbing, (e.g. kitchens and bathrooms) replace ordinary wall board with water-resistant wall board. Water-resistant wall board referred to as "green board" is made to resist moisture and also to prevent dangerous mold from forming.
One of the best lighting improvements for children's rooms, is adding in directional track lighting. This lighting can be adjusted to highlight artwork, different play areas or furniture. For an especially fun twist, replace one light with a brightly colored red, yellow, or blue light bulb. Track lighting is also timeless and makes the room more versatile, without appearing too childish.
When deciding on your next home improvement project, consider updating to a luxury bathroom. Add a bathtub with massaging heads or a luxurious shower stall with high tech showerheads. Use color to give a feeling unique front entry doors of serenity, and don't forget to go for extra size, and all the trimmings, like plush towels. There are many wonderful design shows on TV to give you fabulous ideas.
Before starting a home improvement project look into how the improvements will affect your property taxes. Filing for a permit will red flag your local municipality that they will want to re-evaluate the value of your property to increase their tax revenue. Be sure you will be able to afford increased taxes before beginning the project.
If you are painting your home, be sure to clean off your brushes as soon as you have finished using them. Letting paint dry on the brushes can damage the bristles and make them less effective. Also, if you fail to clean brushes fully and then move on to paint another room, flecks of the first paint color may end up in the new color.
When building walls, always build away from concrete. When the wood foundation in walls comes in contact with concrete, moisture bleeds through the concrete and goes straight to the wood. The moisture from the concrete caused the wood to grow and mildew and ultimately rot, causing major problems in the future.
Improving your home with an upgrade to outdated appliances can be a beautification to your home as well as a money saver over time. Energy efficient appliances can save you hundreds of dollars a year, and that can pay for the upgrade in less time than you might think.
When deciding on doing some home improvements, and you do not know where to start, consider hiring a home design professional. They can show you how to get the most for your money while making your home more stylish and attractive. It is okay to get help with something as serious as home repairs.
These are just a few of the ways home improvement projects can be kept under control and ultimately beneficial to your home market value. Whether you learn a better way to do a project you already have in mind or get an idea for a whole new home improvement job, studying the subject always pays off.
