As any owner is aware, it is expensive to own a home and it takes a lot of work! In fact, as much as 1 to 3 percent of the total home value should be reinvested in the form of home improvement projects and repairs. Of course, smart people will figure out how to spend less so read on to get the best bang for your buck.
The filter that is part of your air conditioner should be cleaned or replaced on a regular basis. If it is backed up, the AC unit will need to work that much harder. The unit will also run for a longer period of time. To prevent dirt and grime from building up on your filters, change them out every month.
If you don’t have much counter space in the kitchen, think about a microwave over your range. Microwave ovens add class and style to your home, and many come with a lot of special features. Most of these ovens come equipped with only a circulating filter, so cooks that need strong ventilation should look elsewhere.
If professional designers are out of your budget, do some research yourself. Look to the internet and magazines for inspiration. You may discover an inspiration for a new look in a magazine. Such resources are often full of tips on getting more bang for your home improvement buck.
Before spending a lot of money on so-called “quality” supplies for any home improvement, make sure to shop around for better deals. For example, quality home flooring can be expensive, but if you shop around, you should be able to find the flooring in your price range. There’s many discount stores that can help you save money.
If you are thinking about buying a home, be sure to look at the ceilings, the decks and the paint job for signs of water damage. There are things like electrical problems, structural damage, roof defects, poor ventilation and many others that can only be found by a professional inspector. Invest money upfront when you purchase a home, so that you don’t have to spend a lot on repairs in the future.
Make sure all of your spaces have a well defined purpose when selling your home. For instance, your family room or office should have furniture that matches accordingly. Potential buyers will be able to see themselves living there and come up with ideas for the space. Spaces that are well defined will make the home appear very attractive; this will boost sale times.
You should keep baby food jars to organize your work station. Glue the screw tops underneath some shelving. Put small items like jewelry, screws, nails, or jewelry parts into the jars. Attach the jars back to the lids so they hold in place. This is a good way to use your wall shelf and recycle the jars you might not use otherwise.
If you live near a busy street, think about getting some soundproof material installed into your walls. It isn’t necessary or cost effective to soundproof all the rooms in your home. Bedrooms, equipment rooms, and bathrooms are the most vital areas for soundproofing. The kitchen is also a good area to install soundproofing in, provided the kitchen is not open to too many other spaces.
An air conditioner may stick out like a sore thumb in your garden decor, but it is a much needed appliance in many climate regions. Trellises or lattices are some nice ways to disguise your air conditioner to look more aesthetic. You can also use pampas grass or other ornamental yard grasses, do not plant them too closely.
Get an electrician to install an outlet inside the cabinet that is above your microwave. It is going to be easy for you to plug in the microwave without a visible cord. This will prevent your kitchen from becoming an eyesore.
Does your flooring appear dated? If you are ambitious, you can pull up your floor and lay down sticky wood flooring. Although lots of people think that doing this is just the easy, cheap method of replacing your floor, it can actually look really good. Not only that, but it is easy enough for most people to do it by themselves.
When planning a home improvement project, take care of rewiring and plumbing issues first. Repairs of this kind usually will have you tearing into the walls of your home, so you should do that before anything else. Once your walls are already open, it is much easier to tackle general maintenance to wiring or plumbing.
Saving Money
Hopefully, the suggestions you’ve received here will send you off to the hardware store with a little more confidence (and some great ideas for saving money) the next time you tackle a home improvement project. By saving money while making your home improvements, your home can still provide enjoyment while you save some money.
