When you are improving a home for resale, or for yourself, the choices you make can make it or break it in resale profits. This article will help you understand the best choices you can make and why. Get out that pencil and paper, because you’re gonna want to write this stuff down.
When selecting a contractor for a home renovation, don’t be tempted to simply take the lowest estimate. There is no guarantee that it will be cheaper to use a lower-cost contractor and simply fix any poor work later. Lower prices usually mean that the quality of the work and the materials is also lower.
Protect yourself when you change the blades in your utility knife. While changing the blade, wrap tape around the old blade before tossing it in the trash. By doing this, the sharp edges of the blade will be covered. When taking out the trash, or packing down the trash, the sharp edges will not be able to hurt anyone with the tape wrapped around them.
Use construction adhesive to stop widespread floor squeaks. Go underneath your floor to apply the adhesive. Apply some glue to each floor joist with the aid of a caulking gun to secure them to the floor planks.
If you find a leak under a sink or in your tap, don’t fix it yourself. Use a bucket to contain the leak, and contact a plumber.
Do not buy furniture that is upholstered with strong patterns. Very busy prints can really dictate what the rest of your decor needs to do. Purchase furniture in solid, basic colors such as tan, black, blue, brown and green. In this way, you can change accessories frequently for a fresh new look. Pattern can be introduced through pillows, throws and other items.
If you don’t like to nail pictures to the wall because of the holes the nails make, an easy solution is buying mounting squares. Mounting squares can easily hold a few pounds and can be quickly removed without damaging your wall. Stick four squares altogether, one in each corner of your frame to mount your picture properly on your wall.
When painting your walls, always make sure to properly spread tarps or newspaper over your flooring. You can even go as far as cutting open trash bags and laying them on the floor. Painting is messy and hard/impossible to remove from carpeting and wooden flooring. Take safety measures before you start painting so you don’t have to worry about the after effects.
Have a large bulletin board in your kitchen or living room, where you can write reminders for yourself of things you need to do or bills you need to pay. Emergency phone numbers, contacts, brochures, postcards and notes to yourself, look better arranged on a bulletin board and won’t clutter your refrigerator or other appliances.
Think about installing motion detectors near the door that you use as the entrance. It will turn on your lights only when someone is there, reducing your electricity costs. You can take your home’s safety up a notch by installing motion detectors that cause lights to turn on when a thief is present.
Most supplies for home improvement projects tend to be items that would be valuable theft targets. Always keep your supplies in a secure location whenever you are not working. If the house being worked on is secure you can leave them inside. If your home is open, you can still have a locked storage container to prevent theft.
If your front lawn features a large, full tree, you can add upward-facing outdoor accent lighting to emphasize the beautiful texture of the leaves and trunk. Upward lighting is also a good choice to accentuate details like trellises or archways. Outdoor accent lighting also adds significant value to the home.
When wanting to make a living out of home improvement, it is important that you have great people skills. If you do not have great people skills, when dealing with your clients it is very likely that you would lose quite a few jobs. It is better to be a people person, and make the money you want!
Install a ceiling fan to help circulate the air better. You will not need to turn your air conditioner up as high and you will get warm air moving in the winter. Many models of fans are able to reverse their blade direction, allowing on either forcing air up or down.
When you are starting a project to improve your home, you need to know how you will get rid of the associated debris. A project that involves demolition will certainly generate trash and debris that needs to be handled properly. Therefore, it is important to make arrangements for unwanted debris before beginning any project.
Still running those window unit air conditioners? Central AC is a costly upgrade but a rewarding one. It will save you money on your electric bill, so you will slowly make the upgrade cost back. Plus, it significantly increases the value of a home. Look into upgrading to Central AC in your home.
If the stain on your deck has been damaged through years of wear and tear and is beginning to fade it can turn into a ugly gray color. It is within your reach to re-stain your deck and give it a make over. You will first need to strip the old stain off! Remember this when you have made your final decision.
If you are looking to upgrade or renovate a room in your home, think about if you have the time and patience to complete the project yourself, or if you would be better suited to hiring a contractor or handyman to take control of the project. This way, you will be able to plan accordingly and get your project completed.
Keep this information handy for future renovations. Whether you are doing a home improvement project this weekend or saving up for a major undertaking in the future, this information will be helpful to you now and later. All it takes is a little good advice to make your home improvement dollars go the furthest.