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Inexpensive Projects - A Cheapskate's Guide To Home Improvement

Monday, December 10, 2012

In most cases, home improvement projects are rather costly. A lot of people tap their savings to be able to get some home improvements done. This can be very harmful to ones pockets, leaving you short of a comfortable reserve in the event of an unforeseen expense. In some cases, people resort to getting home improvement loans which can sometimes drag your budget off track and getting you more buried in debt than ever. However, you should not be discouraged. There are alternative ways of doing home improvements that don't require spending a truck load of money. Your money is a resource that’s very important and should be spent wisely making sure you have enough to take care of the more important things. For example, your children's education and emergency situations like unexpected illnesses. Here are some tips on how you, as a homeowner, can do home improvement projects the cheap way. 1. Know what you want Many people hire contractors to do home improvement jobs for them precisely because they do not have a clear idea of what they want to do with their homes. Consulting these professionals can really hurt your pockets only to find out later that you don't want what they have done to your house. You can read home improvement magazines, watch some television shows regarding home improvements or even look around in other people’s homes to get some ideas regarding what you would want to do with your house. These free ideas can be put on paper in drawings or in short descriptions. Now you have some direction. 2. Feasibility There are many ways of improving your home. You should think about the feasibility of home improvement projects before undertaking them. Not all projects will make sense for all homes. Are you willing to commit the required time, effort, finances, and temporary inconvenience for the proposed changes? Nothing is a greater waste of resources than half finished projects that weren't practical to begin with. 3. Rearranging Changing the arrangements in your house can be considered as home improvement projects. Putting your furniture in good and new positions can be a good way to change the overall ambiance of the house. 4. Change the color scheme Colors play a huge role in terms of defining the home's character. If you are getting bored with the overall ambiance of your house, you can do some repainting jobs yourself. You can also involve the other members of the family and this will make the job easier and more fun. Try wallpapering for some interesting and fun effects. 5. Be green Putting plants into the overall scheme of home improvement is an awesome way to give the house a fresher look. Plants add warmth and freshness to every home. Even artificial flowers or fruit bowls add a richness to your homes living areas. A few well placed shrubs around the exterior will do wonders for the overall curb appeal. These are just a few tips on how to achieve a better home using less of your budget. However, a cheaper way doesn’t necessarily equate to a less effective way. The most important thing is that you enjoy your house and feel comfortable with it.

Top Home Improvement Projects

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

With the decline of the economy and the housing market over the last several years, many new home buyers have been forced to put their dream houses on the back burner until the market turns around. In lieu of a new home purchase, many current home owners are choosing to make renovations on their existing dwellings. This will not only bring a fresh environment for owners to occupy, but increase their resale value when the time comes. While there are a number of ways to make improvements, not all will bring a solid return on the investment. Let's take a look at some remodeling projects that provide the best bang for the buck. Arguably the most popular home improvement is the kitchen remodel. A kitchen redesign can offer one of the greatest returns on investment. Granite countertops are one of the most requested upgrades for new home builds and can be a great place to start. Updating cabinets are another good option. If replacing cabinets is not in your budget, consider painting or staining your existing units. Stainless steel appliances continue to be in high demand for buyers as well. Bathrooms are another area of the home that can significantly raise value when upgraded. Like kitchens, bathroom countertops can be a good place to start. Alternatively replacing sink and cabinets with a vanity can be a stylish way to go. Wall and flooring treatments can really improve your space as well. Adding tile to floors, walls, or backsplash can really enhance the bathroom's appearance. Throughout the home, replacing or upgrading flooring treatments can offer a great value. Hardwood floors continue to be an attractive option to buyers. Replacing old carpeting can be a wise move as well. If purchasing new carpet is not an option, you should consider a shampoo or steam cleaning instead. Ceramic or stone tiles can greatly enhance flooring in entry ways, kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways. Treating your walls to a fresh coat of paint can really go a long way. Neutral colors can offer the widest appeal to prospective buyers when you go to sell your home. You might also want to take into consideration the contrast between fixtures and furniture when choosing wall colors also. As energy costs continue to rise and the public's awareness of the environment increases, new windows can be a smart upgrade. Adding double pane windows can help conserve energy and decrease utility costs. Using an energy efficient window treatment can definitely increase value.

Weekend Warriors: Top 5 Home Improvement Projects

Thursday, October 18, 2012

If you’re like most of us you love to watch those home improvement shows on TV, they make it look so easy to change the appearance of your home by doing some simple home improvements. And if you’re like most of us and have to work Monday thru Friday any home improvement projects have to be done on the weekend. So for all you weekend warriors here are my top 5 weekend projects: Bathroom or Kitchen facelift- I’m not talking about a major remodel here just a simple facelift can totally change the look of a kitchen or bathroom. Refinishing the kitchen cabinets, new paint and wallpaper, replacing a toilet, or maybe even replacing that old bathroom or kitchen facet can greatly improve and update the look of any home. Install new lighting- Installing new lighting can not only brighten your home but give a room a totally different look. Whether installing a light kit on a ceiling fan or replacing that old outdated fluorescent light in the kitchen with some of the new kitchen lighting on the market, installing new lighting is a weekend project that’s relatively easy and comes with a big return. Install tile- whether a kitchen floor or backsplash or new tile in the bathroom, installing ceramic tile is easier than you think and is a great weekend project for weekend warriors. Most home improvement stores have everything you need for professional looking results, one tip: Be sure to rent a tile saw, it will save you a lot of time and is well worth the cost. Changing the color of a room- Color is in! You will be surprised how a splash of color can totally change the look of any room. Many homes have either white or off-white walls but many homeowners have found adding color to a room can brighten and warm up a room and is a great weekend home improvement project for anyone. As with any painting project the time you spend in preparing before actually painting will speak volumes as to the results. Staining Garage Floor or Patio- This is a great project for weekend warriors. Perhaps you have a garage with oil spots, old paint, and other unidentifiable stains on the floor. Staining your garage floor can bring new life to any garage and look great! Some of the new epoxy products on the market offer numerous color choices and colored flakes that you won’t find in most home improvement superstores and will give your garage a unique and customized look. Being a weekend warrior when it comes to home improvement projects can be fun and rewarding. Be sure to do your research about the best products and techniques before starting any home improvement project, but don’t be scared to try something you have never done before. There is an abundance of information and how-to books on just about any project you decide to tackle, so go ahead and conquer that weekend project.
 

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