Smart homeowners are always looking to improve their home. Sometimes the wish list can be a mile long, but the pocket book can be a dollar short! So, just how does one achieve the goal of updating their home on a budget? Learn from what others have found out from experience! You’ll be surprised to learn that home improvements don’t have to cost a fortune. Let’s take a look at a few tips for improving your home on a budget.
If you heat with a wood stove, smoke will cause your walls to become dingy and you will need to repaint more often than if you heat with a furnace. When you do repaint, it is worthwhile to wipe the walls and ceiling down with a damp sponge to remove as much soot as possible before putting on a new coat of paint.
If you are taking on your project alone, consider hiring a interior designer for a consultation. An hour with a professional can help clarify what you want to do and help steer you away from those projects that sound good in your head but would be a nightmare to complete.
Generally, when painting a room, you should apply a primer to the walls, to allow for better adherence by the paint. However, now there is an alternative that you may want to try. Many hardware stores now sell products that have a combination of primer and paint. This eliminates the primer step and speeds up the process of painting.
A dripping sink can be an annoyance in any home. It not only wastes water, but costs money on your water bill. If a sink is dripping from the spout, the faucets central cartridge might need to be replaced. If you have a pillar tap, you might need to change the washer. A quick examination will help you determine your course of action.
If you’re looking to add variety to your rooms with paint you can do it very quickly and cost effectively. Paint one wall a different striking color in your room that doesn’t match the other wall colors. This will create a new focal point in your room and make your space feel like it just had a real update.
Children tend to stick their fingers where they don’t belong and touch things they shouldn’t. Leaving your outlets uncovered leaves the chance of your child getting electric shock. You can buy small plastic covers from your local store for electric outlets to keep your child from reaching in and getting shocked.
Improve the look of your kitchen with a natural stone counter-top. Stone counter-tops come in a range of patterns and colors, and are possibly the most durable surface that you can choose. Sold in slabs, they are waterproof and heat resistant, and resist scratches and stains. There are a number of popular natural stone counter-tops to choose from, including marble, slate, granite and soapstone. While they tend to be quite expensive, it is worth the investment, as they last a very long time, and add value to your house.
Improving your home is important, and even on a tight budget, it can be done! In this article we have discussed some of the tips most often recommended for updating your home. Take a weekend and give a few of these tips a try! You’ll be pleasantly surprised by what you’re capable of doing on a budget.
