Home improvement projects have the potential to make or break your wallet, your investment and your resale value. This article will give you lots of great advice on how you can protect the investment you’ve made, get the best bang for your buck and not go broke in the process.
When you are a seller wanting to make your home look its very best for buyers, one of the most common things that you can do is to work on your yard and outside appearance. Check your light fixtures to make sure that they are clean and working and replace them if you need to. Maybe try making a small vegetable garden in your backyard since most people enjoy some type of gardening.
Wires and cords can be a safety hazard and unsightly. When doing home improvements, consider adding your home surround sound and networking wires into your attic. If everything is ready to go and wired for these amenities, you will be able to use this as a selling point for your home later.
If you have high electric bills each month, consider installing solar panels on your roof. While they may be expensive and labor intensive in the short run, in the long term you’ll cut down on your electric bill and contribute to helping the Earth through utilizing greener energy sources. There are also tax credits for those who install solar panels.
Painting is a perennial task. Water-based latex paints make for the easiest clean-up. You only need soap and water. But sometimes oil paint is best for a job. It is longer lasting. When cleaning up from oil paint, use cooking oil on your brushes to dissolve the paint. Then you can use soap and water.
Cover your door knobs, hinges and other hardware with petroleum jelly before painting. It is an easy way to insure they don’t get covered in paint. All you have to do when you are finished painting is use a soft cotton cloth to wipe the petroleum jelly from the surfaces of the hardware.
If you have an extensive collection of collectibles or figurines, keep what you display to a minimum. Trying to display everything in one room or area can make your space appear cluttered. Choose a few focal pieces, about 5 pieces at the most and arrange them in a pleasing manner.
If you don’t have enough space for a small office, you can use a small portion of your living room for that purpose. Buy a small privacy screen and place a desk behind it with a matching chair. You can purchase small shelves to install on your wall to store your pens, pencils, staplers and other important items.
As you can see, there is a lot involved in even the most simple of home improvement projects. But, if you follow this advice and use it to make really wise investment decisions, you should have no problem choosing the best projects and the best money saving ideas for your home.