Being a homeowner can be a lot of work, but it is also fun and rewarding. Homeowners spend on average 3% of what their home is worth on home improvement every year. However, you can always cut costs; let’s look at some smart ways you can save money while you maintain and improve your dream home.
If you can afford it, go for hard wood floors and stay away from laminate. Despite a similar appearance to real wood and being easy to take care of, laminate cannot be refinished. This means they’ll have to be completely redone if a new look is desired.
If you’re using a contractor, have a signed contract in place before work begins. If you can have the contract checked by a lawyer, you should do so. It needs to clearly show warranty information, the amount of work that needs to be performed, total costs, and beginning and completion dates.
Work on the most visually obvious things in your home first. If you plan to sell the home, the buyers won’t care that you added fancy lights if the paint is peeling. While it is true that some of the most important improvements are not obvious, for the selling of your house you need to focus on the obvious visual ones.
If you are looking to tile a floor on the cheap, pass on stone or ceramic tiles, and use vinyl instead. Vinyl is durable, water resistant and strong. It is also easy to install because it contains adhesive on its back. Vinyl flooring comes in two varieties: separate tiles for small areas and large sheets for bigger areas.
A good place to start home renovation is the kitchen. If you have grease stains on your walls, mix a solution of 2 to 1 TSP and water. This accomplishes two things at once. The grease and dirt come off along with a lot of the paint. Next, paint your kitchen for a change. Using a tan color will have an attractive and dramatic effect.
Coffee Table
Pick out a unique coffee table as opposed to a pre-made one. Use an old steamer trunk, blanket chest, or other unusual bin type item as a coffee table that doubles as storage. Toss your magazines, coffee table books, a tray or other items on top to define the piece. For a country look arrange teacups on a tablecloth.
By following the tips and advice found here, you should be better prepared to tackle your next home improvement project. You should be able to save money as well. By saving some money while still improving your home, you can get the best of both worlds.