As the seasons change and our tastes become a little more defined, many people get tired of looking at the same-old-same-old in their homes. Not everyone is out to completely remodel their dwellings, but most are going to tackle a home improvement project or few. Make sure you’re doing it right by following the tips below.
When renovating, weigh carefully the value of personal touches against the return you will get when you sell your house. The more personal the renovation, the harder it might be to sell to someone further down the line. It might not be worth the investment.
Make sure to have a contractor or electrician install a power outlet in the cabinet above where the microwave will go. If you don’t do this, you will be struggling to find a place to plug it in during or after the installation of the microwave and hood vent.
There are a couple of simple tricks you can use to give your ceiling the appearance of being higher than it actually is. You can put in a floor lamp, or even paint some stripes around your walls. This will make a optical illusion that makes the room seem bigger. Your eyes are going to focus on the lines, and your ceilings will seem higher than they are.
After some initial use, your kitchen cabinets can start to lose their luster. You can shine up kitchen cabinetry by using car wax. Apply some car wax liberally to a towel and wipe your cabinets down in a circular motion. This can make your cabinets appear like they’re new and shiny.
When it comes to home improvement, be sure to weigh the cost of purchasing CFL bulbs for your home. While they do save energy because of lower wattage usage, the upfront cost is higher than regular bulbs. Also, they may pose a health hazard to you if ever broken due to the amount of mercury used inside the bulb.
If a price sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Make sure you get estimates from multiple contractors before making a choice on a company. It’s tempting to go with the company that comes in thousands of dollars lower than their competitor, but often you’ll end up paying for shoddy work that could have been prevented by going with the more reasonably priced company.
If you have a small, cramped kitchen make sure to choose light colored cabinetry. If you go with dark cabinetry, it will make your kitchen seem even smaller. Choosing a light color, can in fact enhance your sense of space and make your kitchen seem warmer.
Only clean your furniture with furniture cleaner. Meanwhile it is tempting to just use a rag cloth and run over your furniture with water, it in fact ends up damaging your surfaces. Use specialty cleaners such as Pledge and spray liberally over your surfaces. It not only protects your finishes, but also repels dust.
When planning for landscaping upgrades, consider native plants in your yard plan. They’re generally more hardy and require less water than non-natives. Your plant choices will vary depending on your area, but your county agricultural extension will be able to help you with planning. Also check to see if a local university has a program to help homeowners with native landscaping.
If you have kids, you know that they like to color and leave their coloring books and crayons lying around. You can simply organize them with a dish drying rack. Purchase a dish drying rack and stack your kid’s coloring books between the dish prongs and insert the crayons or markers into the utensil caddy space.
Homeowners undertaking major renovation work on high-value homes should engage an architect. While their services are expensive, architects make back their cost on large, complex projects. They help homeowners manage complex jobs involving multiple contractors and sub-contractors and have the aesthetic sensibilities which can preserve and increase the market value of an expensive home.
To fix a small hole in your drywall, try using a baking soda based toothpaste. All you need to do is put a small amount of toothpaste in the hole, and scrape out any extra using a putty knife. After the toothpaste dries, add a new coat of paint to render the hole completely invisible.
While new home builders are now required to install only low-flow toilets, older homes rarely have efficient plumbing; an older toilet can use more than three gallons of water per flush; a new low-flow commode will use less than half of that amount, making it a wise investment that can save money on your water costs.
Replacing an entire floor with wood, carpet, or tile can be a very costly project. One way to do it that is affordable is to get rid of the floor that is there and stain the concrete instead. It will create an industrial look that is versatile can can be changed with the decor.
Use scribe pieces to fill in any gaps that you may have when installing cabinets. Use them along the wall to make sure that the drawers are not going to get hung up on the wall or cause a gouge in your wall. This allows for a neat finish along the wall, and will help disguise any curves in the wall.
It’s important to drain your hot water heaters bi-yearly. A hot water heater that is regularly maintained lasts longer and is more efficient. To accomplish this, simply attach a hose to the drain valve and open the valve like a water spigot.
When partaking in a large home renovation project, you should aim to have a clear vision of what you want. If the contractor feels like he or she can depend on the plans, things are likely to go much smoother. However, if the contractor does not feel confident in the plans, he or she may be afraid to do anything.
What you have just learned from the tips above might not be as specific as you need for any one particular project, but you should get a good idea of how you need to prepare for a home improvement project. It’s not just something you should leap into. Use what you’ve learned here to act as your guide.