easy solutions for do-it-yourself house improvement

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Easy Solutions For Do-It-Yourself House Improvement Smart homeowners are always looking to improve their home. Sometimes the wish list can be a mile long, but the pocket book can be a dollar short! So, just how does one achieve the goal of updating their home on a budget? Learn from what others have found out from experience! You'll be surprised to learn that home improvements don't have to cost a fortune. Let's take a look at a few tips for improving your home on a budget. You should hire a contractor when taking on a major home improvement project. If you do not have any professional training, your plans may ignore function in favor of form. Designers with a professional background can develop strong plans that not only are beautiful, but that are functional and meet all current building codes. Stairs can be a great addition to a home, but they can also be dangerous. Consider putting carpeting on your stairs to prevent any accidents. Going up and down the stairs in socks can be a neck- breaking accident if one slips on the wooden staircase. Try to look at different carpet or rug designs that may look good on your stairs. When it comes to home improvement, consider purchasing quality products in stead of cheaper ones, and this will result in a much higher return on your investment. While you may save money initially by the cost of the parts, their durability may be much lesser than those of higher quality. An example of this would be buying a quality granite counter top instead of Formica. In order to save money on air conditioning costs during the summer, try installing ceiling fans. Ceiling fans recirculate air within a room, cooling it down without the need for turning on a central air system. They are relatively easy to install and can be installed in place of your lighting fixture. Use a nail and poke holes in the paint can rim. During use, the rim of the can can fill with paint and create spills and drips when replacing the lid. Use nails http://www.houzz.com/photos/laminate-flooring and drill holes in order to solve this problem. Remodel your closet by using closet organizer kits. These kits are designed to maximize usable space in your closet. A basic kit usually comes with a closet rod and enough components to give you multiple shelves that you can adjust. Additional components can be purchased to customize your closet even more. This is a great way to add storage space in your home without a major remodel. When you are doing renovations to floors in your home, make sure that there is a flow from room to room and that the flooring does not change too dramatically. Many buyers are turned off when the house has one type of flooring in a room and a dramatically different type in the next one. Choose wallpaper patterns carefully. Avoid using overpowering patterns in small spaces; conversely,

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Page 1: Easy Solutions For Do-It-Yourself House Improvement

Easy Solutions For Do-It-Yourself House Improvement

Smart homeowners are always looking to improve their home. Sometimes the wish list can be a milelong, but the pocket book can be a dollar short! So, just how does one achieve the goal of updatingtheir home on a budget? Learn from what others have found out from experience! You'll be surprisedto learn that home improvements don't have to cost a fortune. Let's take a look at a few tips forimproving your home on a budget.

You should hire a contractor when taking on a major home improvement project. If you do not haveany professional training, your plans may ignore function in favor of form. Designers with aprofessional background can develop strong plans that not only are beautiful, but that are functionaland meet all current building codes.

Stairs can be a great addition to a home, but they can also be dangerous. Consider putting carpetingon your stairs to prevent any accidents. Going up and down the stairs in socks can be a neck-breaking accident if one slips on the wooden staircase. Try to look at different carpet or rug designsthat may look good on your stairs.

When it comes to home improvement, consider purchasing quality products in stead of cheaperones, and this will result in a much higher return on your investment. While you may save moneyinitially by the cost of the parts, their durability may be much lesser than those of higher quality. Anexample of this would be buying a quality granite counter top instead of Formica.

In order to save money on air conditioning costs during the summer, try installing ceiling fans.Ceiling fans recirculate air within a room, cooling it down without the need for turning on a centralair system. They are relatively easy to install and can be installed in place of your lighting fixture.

Use a nail and poke holes in the paint can rim. During use, the rim of the can can fill with paint andcreate spills and drips when replacing the lid. Use nailshttp://www.houzz.com/photos/laminate-flooring and drill holes in order to solve this problem.

Remodel your closet by using closetorganizer kits. These kits are designed tomaximize usable space in your closet. A basickit usually comes with a closet rod andenough components to give you multipleshelves that you can adjust. Additionalcomponents can be purchased to customizeyour closet even more. This is a great way toadd storage space in your home without amajor remodel.

When you are doing renovations to floors in your home, make sure that there is a flow from room toroom and that the flooring does not change too dramatically. Many buyers are turned off when thehouse has one type of flooring in a room and a dramatically different type in the next one.

Choose wallpaper patterns carefully. Avoid using overpowering patterns in small spaces; conversely,

Page 2: Easy Solutions For Do-It-Yourself House Improvement

using a bold design in a very large room will make it appear cozier. Never use a patterned wallpaperif you have patterned carpet or window coverings. For a room full of awkward corners and recesses,pick a wallpaper with a random design that the eye doesn't tend to follow. This will help to disguiseany imperfections in the walls.

Free up some cabinet space in your kitchen by using a metal desk organizer to store cutting boards,jelly roll pans and cookie sheets. This will not only give you the much needed cabinet space, butkeep you from having to open every single drawer in your kitchen to find one item you could use.

Avoid back strain when installing upper kitchen cabinets by attaching a board to the wall at the levelwhere the base of the cabinets will finish. Allowing the base of the cabinet to rest on the board andsupport its weight while screwing the cabinet to the wall is better for your back.

Keep bowls of fresh fruit on your dining room table and kitchen counters. Use a decorative boweland fill it with bananas, pre-washed apples, oranges, even grapes. Not only will the bowls of fruitadd beauty to your home they will be right there when you need that quick snack.

If you mount your TV using a wall bracket, you'll be able to free up a great deal of space. Even if youstill need a TV stand, you'll be able to store something else on the surface you've cleared. The bestpart is, if all the directions are followed closely, this could be accomplished in about a half hour.

An average-sized home that is poorly insulated can lose as much as 25 percent of its heat during theautumn and winter months. While updating your attic with glass fiber insulation materials may seemlike a significant cost up front, you will quickly break even with the amount of money saved on yourmonthly heating bills.

Make use of the internet to help you complete your projects. On the web, you can find theinformation you need to choose the right tools and buy the lowest-priced, most highly-effectivesupplies. In addition, you can usually confirm your plans by consulting online references, and gettips and strategies to help you get your work done successfully.

A good home improvement tip is to include a brand junckers wood flooring new coat of paint on theoutside of the home. Nothing effects your home's curb appeal quite like paint does, and paint alsoserves as a barrier that will keep your house protected. By making wise color choices, you can be

Page 3: Easy Solutions For Do-It-Yourself House Improvement

certain your home improvement project will be a success.

Give your kitchen a new look by installing a backsplash. Ceramic or glass tiles, metal sheeting, oreven broken plates, applied in a mosaic pattern, can make great backsplashes. Placing backsplasheson the walls behind the sink and stove, provide great protection from splashes and stains. You cancontinue the pattern around the entire room if you desire.

Always allow for extra time when you are doing a home improvement project that involves plumbing.No one likes to be without their kitchen or their bathroom for an extended period of time. You wouldlike to hope that you can get the work done in a day or two and be back up and running quickly.However, rerouting pipes and installing sinks and other fixtures takes time, and unexpected thingsalmost always come up. Plan on projects that involve plumbing to take longer than you expect themto take.

Engage the services of an experienced chimney sweep on a routine basis. This is essential if you areburning wood in a fireplace. But a clean and well-functioning chimney is also needed to vent mosttraditional heating sources as well. You can avoid deadly fumes and prevent chimney fires this way.

Do not overlook common household objects for solving organizational or storage problems in yourhome. You can make a coat rack from a board and some old cupboard knobs, for instance, and youcan use baby food jars for storing small fasteners and pieces of hardware. Not only does this helpyou to get organized, but you are saving money and recycling, too.

Every time you decide to do a home improvement project, you are furthering your ability to take onfuture projects, as well. Success is very much dependent on the information you have, and if youapply the advice and tips from this article, you will drastically improve your chances for success.