Nearly everyone has at least one thing that they would like to see changed about their home. Fortunately, many home improvements are projects that even a novice homeowner can tackle. You can, with a little planning, easily accomplish projects like cabinet refacing, adding decorative molding to walls, windows, doors, or outdoor projects like improving your gutter system. Some things, however, are best left to the pros, especially if they involve electricity or plumbing. This article will help you decide if your home improvement project can be done by yourself, or if you need to call in expert help.
Improving your home's energy efficiency is a type of home improvement that could deliver significant returns in both the short and long term. Possible improvements to consider are: installing solar panels on your roof, cavity wall insulation, loft insulation and replacing any single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed windows.
Sometimes traditional and economical methods of dealing with squeaky doors may work for you. Here is a cheap alternative that you can try: Remove the hinge pin as normal, and rub it with regular bar soap. Then replace the pin and open and close the door to let the soap disperse on the hinge parts.
Make sure that you and your contractor are on the same page regarding your budget for the project. Be honest with your contractor regarding the amount of money you have to spend, don't hide the wiggle room that you built into the budget. Many homeowners fear that they will get taken advantage of, but if you are not honest, you may find yourself having received inferior materials or workmanship because the contractor was trying to cut the costs to fit your budget.
Are you missing an end table from your living room? Why not create one yourself? Gather a stack of your favorite paperback and hardcover books and stack them on top of one another to the height of your couch. Make sure to stack them according to size; largest and widest on the bottom, and smallest and thinnest on top. Place a coaster on top and you can put your favorite coffee mug or accessory on your newly self designed end table.
If you have the space and it is allowed under city ordinances, consider adding an extension to your home. The extra space can be used as an office, den or family room. Consider putting a skylight in your addition. These add ons will increase the value of your home considerably.
Removing wall paper is something that may sound easy, but it actually takes some skill. You need to know what type of wallpaper you need to remove, and what type of wall you have. Based on the wallpaper you have, you then either need to dry-strip it or soak it and scrape it off. Make sure you do your research to determine what needs be done.
Set a home repair budget to use to make improvements and repairs around your home. You will be able to keep your home in better condition if you allot a reasonable amount for home repairs. If you find you have money left over from what you planned to spend on your home, use that money for bigger, more ambitious projects the next year.
When looking for someone to help you with home improvements, do your research. This is important because you do not want an inexperienced or unskilled person working on your home. Ask around for a good worker from family and friends or go online and look for reviews on home contractors in your area.
Make up a cabinet plan before placing the order. Be sure to consider where your appliances are going to go and where the hook ups and plumbing run. Also, remember where the electrical outlets are located around the kitchen. These things are very important when it comes time to do the install.
When doing upgrades on your home, make sure you do not invest much into an upgrade that cannot possibly get you a return when you sell it. For example, do not pay $30,000 to upgrade a kitchen in a home that you paid $90,000 for if most houses in the area only sell for around $100,000.
Keep up with your septic tank. There are chemicals that you can purchase that speed up decomposition so that you can reduce your chances of an overflow. It is important to know exactly where your septic tank is located before beginning any home improvement project. If you have to, get a house plan and make sure you can carefully avoid costly damage.
After you have finished the painting part of your home improvements, it is important to clean up properly. If you used latex paint, all you need to clean up is soap and water. If your surfaces were painted with alkyd paints, you will need paint thinner to clean the brushes and gear that you used to do the job. Remember to not pour paint thinner or excess paint down the drain since it can lead to ground-water pollution. Both paint thinner and excess paint needs to be disposed at a toxic waste collection facility.
Vinyl Siding Tips
Make your home look better on the outside by painting window and door frames, shutters and doors. Consider a nice bright blue if you have vinyl siding, or go with a cool color if the facade of your house is fairly dark.
Before you begin painting the exterior of your home, it is critical to repair and prepare the surfaces you plan on repainting. Your paint job will not be durable if you do not prepare the surfaces properly. If your house has siding, any section that is damaged must be repaired. If the surface you are repainting is wood, remove any peeling, flaking, or blistering paint, before applying a new coat. This difficult job of removing paint can be done by scraping or sanding. Be sure to wear safety equipment, such as a dust mask and protective goggles, when removing the old paint.
What does the siding on your home look like? Do you have the old asbestos siding that was so prominent decades ago? Maybe you have vinyl siding, and it is starting to fall apart or look dingy. Perhaps you are thinking about bricking your house which is all around the best type of siding. Whatever the case may be, siding your home, while it can be expensive, is one of the best options in improving the value of your home.
If you would like to get rid of your exterior siding on your home and replace it with original wood keep in mind that you will have to take appropriate steps to protect your wood. You can either paint it or use finisher. You will have to replace it when it eventually starts to peel and crack.
An excellent alternative to siding on your home is to replace it with stucco. Stucco comes in a large array of colors and styles and can be versatile and fit your personal tastes perfectly. Stucco is also fire resistant which can be a great selling point down the road if you are trying to move.
Stucco is a nice, cost-effective alternative to traditional siding for your home's exterior. Installing stucco on the exterior of your home may not be the most difficult home improvement project, but it is in your best interest to hire an experienced professional.
Remember when doing a massive home renovation that the inside is not the only area that needs attention. Sure the inside of the home is a big factor in a major home improvement plan, but neglecting the outside will lead to expensive repairs down the road. Look at the roof, siding, paint, and gutters for any signs they need replacing.
Siding is a major home improvement project. By doing this task though, you can considerably increase the value of your asset. The first decision make is to decide what style and color of siding you want. You might want to consider getting a low-maintenance material. Be sure to shop around to find the best price for what you want, and don't be afraid to negotiate.
Use a hose or a pressure washer on the outside of your home using cleaning agents or detergents specifically made for siding. Pressure washers are wonderful tools to clean the exterior of your home and are easily rented for a nominal fee. Take care around the windows and roof line. You wouldn't want anything to come loose.
Are you weighing the pros and cons on installing vinyl siding on your home? Vinyl siding is very low-maintenance and it generally lasts for 25 years. Typically, a home without vinyl siding needs to be repainted every five to seven years. If you want to have a home that has high curb appeal but requires low maintenance, then installing vinyl siding may be a wise choice for you.
As you have read in this article, with just a little planning and some investigation, you can take on basic home improvement projects and make your home a happy, healthy place for your family. By knowing what projects you can do and what projects you should leave to the experts, you can even save a significant amount of money. So pick up that hammer and those nails, and have fun with your next home improvement project!
