Home improvement can be as simple as painting a room or more complicated like remodeling the house. Regardless of the scope of your next project, here are some tips to help you along the way.
Use fans when you are renovating in the summer. They circulate air and make your home more comfortable. Room fans and ceiling fans will reduce your home’s energy consumption when compared with air conditioner use. This means lower utility bills for you.
Make your home look classy and sophisticated by adding an unconventional new addition. A wine cellar or a library brimming with shelves are wonderful spaces in any home. Not only will your guests be impressed, but it will be a good selling point in the future.
One good way to save on high electric bills is to turn off your lights. For your porch light, invest in a light equipped with a motion sensor. You can still use this type of light manually, and the sensitivity of the sensor can be changed on most motion sensors.
A combo washer-dryer may be the answer if your space is too small for individual units. Washer and dryer combos fit almost anywhere a dishwasher will. The combo unit will wash clothes, and then dry them.
Whenever you paint, it is important that you always protect the floor. Any paint that gets on the hardwood flooring or the carpet can be really tough to clean up and may actually cause damage. Using old layers of newspaper is an inexpensive and very effective way to protect your flooring. Plastic sheets and paint cloths may be used as well.
Think about adding a microwave above your range if you have limited kitchen counter space. These microwaves take the place of the range hood. They come in budget ranges and luxury varieties, and some even allow convection-style cooking. Many of these units feature a filter rather than outdoor venting, so they are better suited to situations that don’t require extreme ventilation.
To keep your toilets clean, pour bleach inside the bowl. Bleaching your toilets may smell bad for a while, but it will decrease your chances of getting sick and spreading germs as well as making your toilet nice and shiny. Scented bleach options are also available to help with odor.
Hardwood Floor
Keep your young children safe by padding the corners of your furniture. There are prefabricated corner covers available for purchase; however, foam tape can also achieve the desired effect. One of the things that you need to do when taking on a home improvement project is to fasten down loose wiring when working, to make sure your children are safe from a potential strangling hazard.
Thinking about installing a beautiful hardwood floor? Have a professional check out the existing floors in your home first. You may find a lovely, natural hardwood floor buried beneath layers of linoleum or carpet. You will come out on top with a nicer floor, and save money!
Nobody should ever even consider hiring a contractor for home improvement jobs who is not licensed by a certified board or body. All states require for general and sub-contractors to have a type of certification. While these documents don’t mean that a contractor is competent, the law does require them. If a contractor isn’t adequately licensed, you don’t want to hire him.
Turn off any water supply before you start any bathroom or kitchen project. Become familiar with the master shut of valve before completing any projects that involve the water supply or your pipes. This will make sure you don’t flood your house.
Try to use only natural materials for any home improvement projects being done inside. Natural materials such as wood, ceramic or stone are almost always superior to synthetic alternatives. They look better and last longer. In the long term, the initial expense will pay for itself because you will not have to replace the materials as frequently.
One of the major expenses for a homeowner is replacing a roof. Get estimates from at least three roofing companies and be sure to check their references. Whether you want composite shingles, lightweight tile, metal, or wood shake on your roof, you’ll have a lot of choices. Turn to a professional roofing contractor for help with this decision.
Gutters can get clogged in the fall and winter, causing serious drainage issues in the summer. Stopped up gutters are one of the chief culprits for flooded basements. They cause water to drain down the sides of the house. Before this happens, be sure to clean your gutters.
When trying to flip a house, the bathroom is key. A buyer can easily personalize a living room or bedroom, but the bathroom needs to be in great shape. If your shower and sink aren’t in good condition, you should replace them. If you have linoleum floors, switch to tile.
Facing your outside lights downward can accent your lawn and show its attractive elements. Such lights can mimic natural sources like moonlight or dusk if they’re placed properly, such as high up in a big tree. This is also a way to highlight lawn furniture or garden statues.
Before deciding on renovations for your home, go to several open houses in new subdivisions. You will get a feel for the latest color palettes and you can see how your home might look if you used some of the newest ideas. A lot of these model homes hire decorators so you are able to see great style.
Don’t let the contractor try and charge you more to get the work done quickly. Contractors may find it more lucrative to finish jobs quicker. Their workers may be rushed so that they can move on to other jobs. On the other hand, they may stay late and charge you overtime unnecessarily.
You don’t need store-bought artwork to spice up your walls; you can use something as conventional as a three dimensional tile. By getting two different colors of tile (e.g. white and blue) and installing them in a color-alternating pattern, you can give your walls a distinctive, personalized touch of creativity.
Try to add your own style to your home renovations, but don’t veer too far from what is considered normal in your neighborhood. Going to far in your renovations might be great for TV, but it’s not useful for much else. This will make things difficult if you ever want to sell the place.
Keep in mind that your home improvement time doesn’t need to be a total frustration. You can make better decisions when you have the proper information. Whether your hire someone to do the work for you or not, you are going to enjoy your newly remodeled home!
Make a list of all of the selling points of your home. If you have a nice view, do not block the windows overlooking it. You have to enhance what’s in your home. When you do this, potential buyers are able to easily see the special features of your home.
