by Ted

Advance Your Home’s Worth With These Recommendations

Difficulty doesn’t have to be associated with home improvement. With the proper planning and right preparation, it is possible to have your home improvement done in time and on budget. Continue reading for easy ideas to make your next project a breeze.

Use fans to keep your home cool in the summer. This will help keep you more comfortable while reducing energy. Making good use of ceiling and portable fans can ease the drain on your air conditioning, reducing your monthly electric bill.

When trying to choose a project, consider whether you plan on selling or staying and then decide on how customized your project should be. Highly customized projects may not be a potential buyer’s taste and may even detract from your home’s value.

TIP! It may be necessary to repaint your porch. Make sure the paint you choose is of good quality.

Aluminum Tape

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If you have little cracks in the roof of your home, just get a 3 inch roll of aluminum tape to fix it up. Make sure that the surface is dry and clean, and then simply peel back the tape and press it on there like you’re using duct tape. Aluminum tape creates a waterproof seal.

If your home renovation project involves work in the bathroom or kitchen, make sure to shut off the water. Find the shutoff for water in your home before you begin any kind of work on rooms that use water. These suggestions can help you prevent the flooding of your home.

TIP! Put exhaust fans in the kitchen above the stove, and in each bathroom. By getting this type of air up and away from the inside of your home, you make it much less likely that you will eventually have mildew or mold.

If an interior designer is too expensive for you, do some research to do the job yourself. You can find ideas online, in decorating books and magazines and on HGTV. One layout in a magazine can be your inspiration for what you want your home to look like. Many magazines also offer tips on how to cut costs on home improvement projects.

A good tip is to put hot glue on your nuts and bolts to keep them in your storage containers. You can tell at a glance what is inside the container and keep your shop area organized. The problem with writing down words on labels is that they can fade, smear or merge over time. Having an actual piece of hardware there will let you know definitively where everything is.

You need to determine how much paint you’ll need before you set out to paint. Guessing will leave you in trouble in the end. Take measurements and do it right!

TIP! Repainting your walls can really make your dingy home look fresh and new. A whole room can look better with new paint.

If your home has any cracks, seal them as quickly as possible in order to reduce your energy bill and avoid insect and vermin infestations. Apply caulking around windows, baseboards and other places that need it. When the caulk is dry, insects will have difficulty entering and air will have difficulty getting out.

Sealant Strips

Get no-VOC paints for your home. These paints are friendly to the environment, and they lack the dangerous chemicals in other paints. These paints are just as easy to work with and as long-lasting as ordinary paints, and the additional expense involved is minimal.

TIP! Is your floor covering looking out-dated? If you have a lot of energy and a lot of time on your hands, you will be able to remove your old flooring and install pre-glued wood tiles on your own. Most people think this is cheap, but it is very nice.

Weather stripping is a great way to keep drafts out. Excluders go under the door and prevent hot air from going out and cool from coming in. Sealant strips fit around door frames and do the same function. Sealant strips can be purchased at most hardware stores.

Before you attempt to make a major repair, get professional advice. An expert can point out how to get past stumbling blocks you may not realize will appear. You can make a huge mistake if you don’t talk with a professional.

Small bathroom changes are great investments. Even a small amount of money can help turn a project into a huge impact. Replace things like light fixtures, mirrors, shower robs, and towel bars. Change the color of the paint for a fresh, new look. These are cheap fixes, but it can make a huge difference.

TIP! Before you hang blinds, you’ll need to take careful measurements rather than approximating your window size. If the blinds aren’t the right size, you won’t be able to use them.

See to it that all the spaces in your house have a defined purpose when you’re selling your home. Family rooms, dens and any other rooms should have all the appropriate furniture. This can ensure that buyers will look at the space and how they can utilize it. A well-defined space makes your home look better and sell more quickly.

Don’t forget about landscaping the next time you start doing home improvements. The front lawn is one of the first things that people see, and you will want this to look exceptional. Keep the grass tidy and neat, and consider putting in shrubs and flowering plants to beautify your property.

Some quick and easy home improvement projects can yield big energy savings. Buying Energy Star light bulbs reduces carbon emissions while using 75% less energy than traditional bulbs. In addition, make sure that the hot water heater is insulated so that the heater does not use unnecessary energy, which will end up saving you lots of money.

TIP! When taping sheetrock, use a well-made stainless steel taping knife. This type of knife cleans easier and will last longer.

A wood fireplace is not the best way to heat your home. It may be visually appealing but it does not offer true heating efficiency. Also, the fire needs a lot of fresh air that will use up the oxygen that is inside your home.

If you aren’t happy with how your home looks, it may be time to consider a renovation. You can design a renovation to suit your needs instead of hunting forever for a place that has everything you want. A well-planned renovation is far more affordable than purchasing a new home; it also gives you a greater degree of control over your surroundings.

You can make niches and alcoves stand out by painting them in a different color or using a different wallpaper. If the area you need to paint is small, buy a smaller container of paint.

TIP! When did you last check out your door handles? Door knobs can draw attention and compliment home decor if used properly. If your door knobs are looking dull, consider replacing them with new brass ones.

If you want an improvement idea that can add value to your home and can also increase your living area, think about finishing your basement. This extra room created is great for your family right now, and it will certainly stand out as a great feature for any family wishing to purchase your home in the future. You can get what you need at a discount store. Finishing your home’s basement can increase your home’s resale value by over 30%.

Down-facing outdoor accent lighting is an easy way to emphasize the more attractive elements of your front lawn or walkway. Place this lighting along tree branches for a natural lighting effect that will seem like sunlight on an overcast day or bright moonlight. It may help emphasize lawn furniture or garden statues.

Learn about the different kinds of insulation if you are putting new siding on your home. There are many kinds of insulation available, including stiff foam insulation, absorbent house wrap, or even a system that will completely protect your walls. Find the pros and cons of each one, decide how much you can spend, and then choose the best option for you.

TIP! Exterior renovations should stick to the overall decor theme of the neighborhood. Owning a home that stands out negatively from other properties in the area makes for great difficulties when it comes time to resell it.

An easy way to create more floor space in a room is to mount your television on the wall. This project generally takes a half an hour or less, so long as the directions are followed closely.

Get paints that are no-VOC. These paints are friendly to the environment, and they lack the dangerous chemicals in other paints. They are equally as effective, but prices slightly higher than other paint.

It doesn’t take a lot of time to clean your gutters, but it can make a big difference in the success of your home maintenance plan. Things like clogged gutters can cause water damage to the home. This rots the wood. If you want to improve your home, be sure to have clean gutters.

TIP! When it is time to do some painting in your home, you will want have some dry days. This is an essential thing to know when it comes to painting at home.

It should be the goal of every homeowner to complete a home improvement project with as little fuss as possible. You will find that there will come a time when repairs and upgrades are needed. Someone who goes beyond basics and takes on new projects will have a more pleasant house and also raise their home’s value. You, too can have a better looking home if you keep using home improvement.