Quick Easy Tips For The Do It Yourselfer

 

 

Home improvement doesn't have to mean a complete overhaul of your home. While you can replace tile, carpet and repaint, you can also do simpler fixes. Buying some new air fresheners, wall art or plants can also liven your home. Read this article for more tips on easy home improvement.

 

 

Be sure and regularly clean out your air conditioning filter. Clogged filters make your unit more inefficient which ends up costing you more money and energy. It also means that the unit runs longer than it really needs to. Be sure and replace your filter about once every month.

 

Choosing to use wooden flooring instead of carpeting can save you a lot of hassle in the long run. Carpet can contain allergens and cleaning it is sometimes out of the question. The cost of ripping up and replacing your carpet can almost be as costly as just putting down wooden flooring. Wooden floors can be refinished and repainted as needed; also providing a more rural and cottage style environment.

 

Improve your home by cutting your energy costs. Check with your utility company to see if they offer energy audits of homes. There are a lot of changes you can make to make your home more energy efficient saving hundreds of dollars a year depending on the amount of changes you can make. It also adds a great selling point for a house for the future.

 

Make your home feel like a home by adding a doormat. A lot of people tend to overlook the addition of a doormat in front of a door. It not only serves a purpose of making a home feel complete, but also serves to keep your floors clean. Putting out a doormat where people can wipe their feet will cut down the amount of time you spend cleaning your floors.

 

Thinking about installing a beautiful hardwood floor? Have a professional check out the existing floors in your home first. Sometimes, people find that they have hardwood under their linoleum or carpet that just needs to be refinished. The end result will be far more attractive and far less costly.

 

Instead of installing electricity based heating system in your home, consider going with a large wood burning fireplace. With the proper piping and the right size, a wood burning fireplace is more cost effective and heats better. If the electricity ever goes out, you are still able to keep warm in the winter.

 

Look for the line of nails! If you need to snug up a protruding piece of paneling or drywall you can normally tell where to add a new nail or screw just by closely observing the surface of the panel. It was installed by nailing it to the underlying wall studs and evidence of those studs will likely still be visible.

 

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

 

If you are renovating your bathroom, consider installing a steam shower. Steam showers have many health benefits, as well as being more comfortable to use than a standard shower. Steam showers are great after exercise, to soothe tired muscles, or for people with asthma and other breathing difficulties. There are even steam shower products that can be added to your current shower unit.

 

If you have older ceiling fans in your home, a simple home improvement is to replace the blades of the fan. This is cheaper than buying a new fixture. Also, if your fixtures match, replacing just the blades allows you to keep the set intact. New ceiling fan blades can give your room a just-renovated look with minimal effort and expenditure.

 

Hang your brooms up and off the floor. Over time, the bristles on the brush will become deformed and no longer clean well if the are on the floor. Hanging the brooms will extend their lifetime. You will end up replacing brooms less and you will save money by buying less frequently.

 

You can easily change the look and feel of your furniture simply by purchasing distinctive new knobs, handles, and drawer pulls. These accents can be purchased individually or as part of a set for added savings, and the selection of colors, materials, and shapes is virtually infinite. This is also an excellent option to update antique or vintage furniture that is missing its original hardware.

 

Depending on your budget and your skill level, home improvement can mean adding or tearing down walls, building a deck, or re-roofing. However, if you want some quick updates, getting new throw pillows or rugs should suffice. Remember the tips in this article if you would like to do some home improvement.