The art of home improvement is so much more than just putting in a new sink. It takes a great deal of research, a lot of hard work, and careful attention to detail to really make sure that things look nice and that they are safely installed. The tips below can help you improve your home improvement skills.
Make your renovation plans, then stick to them. Contractors become gun-shy about doing work when the owner constantly changes and tweaks the plans. Even though a huge renovation project seems easier when you break it up, piece-mealing it slows things down because the only thing workers can depend on is the plans changing.
Prepare for loss of water use. If you are planning any project involving plumbing and/or shutting off the supply of water to the house, make sure you account for your family’s needs. You should at the very least have several buckets of water available for manually flushing the toilet; or you could consider renting a portable lavatory for longer projects.
If you are improving your home to increase its sale value, focus on the important portions first. Trying to renovate the whole home will become overly expensive and provide a diminishing return on investment. Items such as exterior siding, plumbing fixtures, lighting, and kitchen appliances, however, will be universally appealing as you try to sell the home.
To improve your home try to convert your garage. This can be a cheap way to increase your home’s size. Very rarely do you need planning permissions as long as you’re not increasing the garage. Use the space as a bedroom, playroom, office or kitchen extension, etc. You can add plumbing and turn it into a bathroom too.
Put a ring on your power tool plugs! To keep small children from plugging these potentially dangerous tools into a power outlet, just slip a key ring through the holes on the tips of the plug prongs. For bigger plugs you can even use s small padlock to safeguard the tools against potentially hazardous use.
Be flexible with your time. While you may expect a project to be done in a few weeks, you may need to plan in advance for it to take a bit longer. Life can sometimes get in the way of project completion, so spare yourself from disappointment, by giving a little leeway.
Not all floors and walls are perfectly even. You may need to use shims when installing your lower level of cabinets to keep them in a straight line. Make sure to purchase these ahead of time in varying thickness’ so that you don’t have to run out in the middle of install to get them.
Renovate your home to allow for the use of more energy-efficient and natural lighting. This is an easy way to reduce your electric bill while also helping to save the environment. Compact fluorescent bulbs will last longer, use less energy, and provide a more comfortable lighting than incandescents. It is easy to replace the bulbs in your home with these.
The art of home improvement is something that can be enjoyed by nearly everyone, but only those very serious will try to perfect their home like a true professional. Now with more home improvement knowledge to add to your “bag of tricks,” you can easily become a great home improver too.