Are you looking for inexpensive ways to add value to your home without breaking the bank? Whether you’re getting ready to sell your home or just making some home improvements for your own enjoyment, it isn’t that difficult. There is an old saying that kitchens and baths sell homes so these tips focus on those two rooms. Here are some good strategies to help you started: The kitchen For just a few hundred dollars: -Replace the kitchen faucet -Add new cabinet door handles -Update old lighting fixtures With a slightly larger budget: -Give the cabinets a makeover by refacing them -Get a facelift for your appliances buy ordering new doors or face panels for them The bath -Replace the toilet seat -Add a new pedestal sink -Replace the old bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles -Re-grout the tile and replace any chipped tiles in the tub and shower -If a new grout job won’t do, try a complete cover-up with a prefabricated tub and shower unit Remember the actual cost of the renovation, and the value it adds to your home, depends on many factors including the real estate market value in your area.]]>
Add Value to Your Home on the Cheap
Are you looking for inexpensive ways to add value to your home without breaking the bank? Whether you’re getting ready to sell your home or just making some home improvements for your own enjoyment, it isn’t that difficult. There is an old saying that kitchens and baths sell homes so these tips focus on those two rooms. Here are some good strategies to help you started: The kitchen For just a few hundred dollars: -Replace the kitchen faucet -Add new cabinet door handles -Update old lighting fixtures With a slightly larger budget: -Give the cabinets a makeover by refacing them -Get a facelift for your appliances buy ordering new doors or face panels for them The bath -Replace the toilet seat -Add a new pedestal sink -Replace the old bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles -Re-grout the tile and replace any chipped tiles in the tub and shower -If a new grout job won’t do, try a complete cover-up with a prefabricated tub and shower unit Remember the actual cost of the renovation, and the value it adds to your home, depends on many factors including the real estate market value in your area.]]>
How to Spruce up Your Home
If you’re going to be putting your house on the market, you want it to be in the best condition possible for when prospective buyers come and look at it. A little sprucing up can add a lot of curb appeal and increase the chances of selling your home as soon as possible. Make Over Kitchen Cabinets An older, out of date kitchen can be given a face lift with the addition of some paint and new cabinet doors. The doors on the kitchen cabinets can make or break the way a kitchen looks. If you don’t have the funds to buy new cabinet doors, consider painting the cabinets. Avoid any type of wild paint, sticking instead to solid colors or the tried and true basic white. Add interesting touches like removing one cabinet door and paint the inside of the cabinet and shelves a different color. You can keep it open, or add a glass door. Adding some new knobs and handles will improve the look even more. You can go basic, or get really fancy with some high-end hardware, depending on the style of your home. Give the Entrance a Makeover Brighten the entrance to your home by painting the door. Choose an accent color from the rest of the front of the house. Add brand new hardware for a totally new, finished look. Place potted plants on either side of the door, or if you have wide steps, place them on the steps. Paint railings with fresh paint, being sure to scrape off the old paint first. Place solar lights along your walkway to add even more brightness. Replacing your mail box will also add character and instant curb appeal to your home. Be sure your house number can be seen from the road by placing large numbers on both your mail box and the house. Organize Closets People, especially women, always take closet space into consideration when looking for a house to buy. Purchase closet organizers and have them installed, or install them yourself. Then organize those closets and get rid of everything you don’t actually use. This will make your closets seem much larger and add so much more storage space by utilizing empty spaces in the closets. Alternately, if you have two closets in one bedroom, take the doors off one closet and turn that one into an office. There are “office in a closet” kits that come with shelves, and a deeper shelf to use as a desk. Add a desk chair, a computer and place a few books on the shelves and it looks like you have a home office, virtually creating a whole new room within a room. ]]>
The Benefits of Ceiling Fans
Ceiling fans are an inexpensive way to help with the heating and cooling of your home. You can find many that cost under $100 and they have little ongoing cost. And for those of you who like DIY projects, this one will take you a couple of hours to upgrade an existing light fixture. While ceiling fans don’t drastically lower the temperature in a room, they do help to reduce it slightly as well as produce a light breeze which makes you feel cooler. The result? Less use of the air conditioner that results in 3-8% savings on cooling costs. Remember that in the summer months, your fan’s blades should be moving counter clockwise. In the winter months, ceiling fans can take on a whole new role. When you reverse the fan’s blades to rotate clockwise, you cause the air to circulate without causing that chilly breeze. This allows for better circulation of the warm air that naturally rises to the ceiling. It’s often best to have the fan speed set to low in the winter to avoid too much air movement and the effects of a breeze. Lastly, and maybe the most important, is the decision on which fan to purchase. There are few things to keep in mind when you are out shopping for a ceiling fan. 1. The size of the room – ceiling fans come in all sizes and choosing one that is meant for your home’s room dimension is key. It’s recommended that you choose a 40-42 inch blade span for a room 70-100 sq feet and a 42-48 inch for 100-140 sq feet. A room that’s bigger may need two small fans to be effective. 2. The location of the installation – for rooms with lower ceilings, a flush mount ceiling fan will work best, while rooms with high ceilings will need a down rod so that the fan is in the right place. You also want to make sure for areas such as an enclosed porch, that you check out the UL (Underwriters Laboratories) rating to ensure the fan has either a damp or wet rating. 3. Finally, you want to pick a fan that fits your decor and life style. Fans come in all sorts of styles and can have features from various lighting to remote controls. Changing a current light fixture in your home to a ceiling fan can saving you hundreds over the life of the fan. Especially with Energy Star rated ceiling fans available, savings can add up quick.]]>