One of the joys (or curses) of home ownership is that you’re in charge of virtually everything that happens on your property. While your HOA may limit you in changes that can be made to the exterior of your house, just about anything in the privacy of your house can be tweaked and optimized according to your tastes and needs. So why not take advantage of this and make your house a home?
The biggest reason people don’t do more home improvement projects is that they simply don’t have the time. If you’re working 40 or 50 hours a week, the last thing you want to do is come home and spend your evenings exerting more energy. But the weekend is usually fair game.
Most people will be willing to do a home improvement project if they know that it can be completed over the course of a normal weekend. But in order to ensure they unfold without a hitch; you need a plan.
Here are some specific projects you may want to add to your calendar over the coming months:
Do you feel like there’s too much drywall in your home? Are your walls looking a little bland? One of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to spruce up a hallway, bathroom, or living area is by installing beadboard.
Beadboard can be purchased in panels and goes on extremely easy. Simply remove your baseboards, place the panels, nail in place with a finish nailer, replace the baseboard, and paint the desired color. Depending on the amount of wall you have to cover, this can be done in a single afternoon.
Perhaps you’ve driven around your neighborhood recently and noticed that front doors are changing. Bright pops of color – such as blues and yellows – are en vogue right now. And if you want to paint your door, you can do it with relative ease. Here’s a simple tutorial that tells you everything you need to know.
3. Pressure Wash Everything
Pull out the pressure washer and spend one Saturday giving the exterior of your home a nice deep clean. Some of the things you can pressure wash include: driveway, front porch, patio, siding, deck, and walkways around your property. While you have the pressure washer pulled out, go ahead and put it on the lowest setting and wash your car.
“Nothing packs more style per square inch than mosaic tile for kitchen backsplash tile ideas. So if your kitchen’s got the blahs, give it a quick infusion of pizzazz with kitchen backsplash tile,” Family Handyman explains. “Because the small tiles are mounted on 12 x 12-in. sheets, installation of a tiled backsplash is fast. You can install the tile on Saturday and then grout it on Sunday.”
A professional will charge you somewhere around $20 per square foot of installed tile (plus materials, of course). So you can calculate your savings by using this simple rate. Plus, if you time it right, you may be able to find certain backsplash materials – including mosaic tile – on sale from time to time.
Does the area around your mailbox need a little extra life? Planting a flowerbed around your mailbox is a quick, yet transformative landscaping project that takes little more than an afternoon to complete.
All you have to do is grab a shovel and outline the size and shape of the bed you want. Next, dig up the grass – or whatever else is within this outline. Create a border with your choice of material, add in some topsoil, and plant. Place mulch on top and give the flowers a good watering.
A kitchen or bathroom remodel is one of the best investments you can make in your house (at least in terms of value), but you might not have the time or money to do a total overhaul.
If you only have a few bucks and a couple of hours, one of the best tips is to swap outdated cabinet hardware with something totally fresh and modern.
Does your house still have the same old boring light fixtures that came with the house? Do they look like they belong in a decade gone by? Well, the good news is that this is an easy fix.
Spend some time browsing home stores, local thrift shops, or online deal sites to find stylish light fixtures that would look good in your home. So long as you can locate your circuit breaker, remove some screws, and reattach wires, you can upgrade your lights with very little effort. In fact, once you find out how easy it is, you might change every hanging light fixture in your home.
Your garage is great for storing items, such as lawn equipment tools, bikes, children’s toys, holiday decorations, and other items that only get occasional use. But it’s really designed for your vehicles. If you have trouble getting your vehicles into your garage, the best thing you can do is add some vertical and ceiling storage.
Not only can you buy shelving from your local hardware store, but it’s also relatively easy to make your own using some basic dimensional lumber, plywood, and screws. You’ll probably need a couple of people on hand for this one.
When it comes time to sell your home, don’t pay the normal three percent commission that typical Houston real estate agents command. You’ve worked hard for your equity and shouldn’t have to give it all back at the time of closing.
At Green Residential, we believe you deserve better than that, which is why we offer a flat fee rate that could save you thousands of dollars. To learn more about our approach to home sales, please contact us today!
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