Many people don’t realize the importance of home improvement. You spend a lot of money on buying a home, but you don’t put a lot of thought into renovating or improving it—a roof upgrade, a fresh coat of paint, or maybe new door latches. The reason behind the improvement may be different for everyone, but the effects are the same. Your home becomes more valuable. By improving your home, you’re increasing its value and making it easier to market your home for a future sale.
Your home is more than an assembly of walls and roofs. It’s a place where you must feel safe and away from the stress of the outside world. It should feel like your own private sanctuary that is sturdy, well-made, well-lit, well ventilated, secure and beautiful. This is why it is only right for you to decide to make some improvements, whatever they may be.
Here are some basic and simple ideas that can help you improve your home:
Repaint your Walls
This is the perfect project for a first time DIYer or a busy homeowner as it is budget-friendly, cost effective and easy to execute.
Adding new colors to your home or totally repainting your home can instantly give it a fresh new look. Every color has its own depth and effect to how a space looks and feels.
Painting your walls with soft-toned colors can dampen the effect of sharp edges, give the illusion of depth and help illuminate the room. Picking your favorite color won’t always work, so research which color fits your needs best. On the other hand, if there’s no way for you to do it yourself, better look for house painting service near you. That will save time and effort although it will cost you a certain amount of money.
Upgrade Your Locks and Latches
Many homeowners plan home upgrades and repairs, and sometimes it’s better to leave it to the professionals. However, some home upgrades are so simple, you can do it on your own. If you know how to handle a few basic locksmithing tasks, you’ll save money and gain a sense of accomplishment by installing new door latches and locks.
Why should you upgrade your locks and latches? To improve your home security, it’s crucial to change the locks on all of your doors, including exterior doors, basement doors, and garage doors (if they’re accessible from your property). A locksmithing task can be simple or complex, depending on the model of your home’s lock.
Move the Furniture Around
Home improvement is not always equal to heavy renovation. Sometimes, it is simply improving your own perception of space and rearranging your furniture.
Space is a very important factor in having a beautiful home. It is essential that you have enough space to move around comfortably and enough space for furniture and appliances.
To maximize space, you need to keep these things in mind:
- Prioritize foot traffic, worry about displaying all your furniture later
- Keep that long sofa against the wall
- Arrange seats for cozy conversations, keep them close and not too far
More built-in and hidden storage
It is the new cool thing in the interior design department – keep every clutter hidden in boxes behind the walls. No wonder those minimalistic houses look so clean in the magazines.
These concealed storages are not only useful in hiding your knick-knacks and memorabilia away from guests; they’re also great for saving an enormous amount of space.
You can be creative with how you want to build these hidden storages. You can utilize your floors, your ceiling, walls, stairs and furniture. You don’t need to stick to plain old cabinetry with all the corner hinges and handles.
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Hidden wall cabinetry
This is the go-to cabinetry of minimalistic homes. You won’t even know they’re cabinets. Most of the time, they look like big wooden paneling.
They’re installed within the walls in between studs giving them a narrow design. In some cases, hidden cabinets are also installed after the construction of the wall in expense of floor area just like built-in cabinets but disguised as walls. This can be done with concealed support jigs and push latch mechanism.
Consult an expert
Things can always go south in a home improvement project especially when it involves heavy renovation or alteration. Every project involves detailed planning and decision-making on the fly like entering a warzone filled with booby-traps — A mistake can cost a lot.
Getting an expert on board is like having a scout assess the battlefield for you.
How much would this project cost? What materials should be used? Are there any existing conditions? How long will the project take?
These are just a few questions that experts answer to determine if the end result you’re aiming for is feasible. Home improvement experts also manage:
- Looking for and choosing design professionals
- Reviewing bids and proposals
- Scheduling
If you’re a homeowner wanting to add more value to your house for future sales,then you want to consult an expert in the real estate world, like the keysborough agent to help you out with improving your house.
Break those walls down
The most beautiful homes today have one thing in common, they are open. Walls are starting to become a thing of the past as the world becomes more social.
Let that welcoming vibe own your home. The lesser walls dividing the rooms of your home, the better. An open-plan interior offers more space, more light, air, ventilation and an overall better aesthetic appeal.
Personalize Your Space
You don’t want to live in a house that looks like somebody else’s apartment! If there’s one thing you can do that will make your house yours, it’s personalizing it – incorporating your personality in it. There are various ways you can personalize your space, from simple DIY projects to costlier ones if you have the budget.
Join the Zero-Carbon Movement
Who says that home improvement is all about beautification and feeding your artistic cravings? Home improvement can also mean transforming your home to a more environmental-friendly structure.
- Switch to LEDs – replacing incandescent lights with LEDs can reduce energy consumption up to 75 %. They also last longer by at least 25 times.
- Better insulation – having your home well-insulated means lesser use of utilities. It can keep the humid air out during the summer and block the cold breeze during the winter.
- Solar panels
Update your Window Dressings
Windows are often neglected in home improvement projects. Most homeowners treat them like walls! Little do they know, windows are one of the most important features of a house. They protect your privacy, keep you secure from outdoor elements, bring in natural light and connect you with the outside environment whenever you want to.
One way you can improve the look and efficiency of your windows is by installing the right window dressings. Curtains are not always the right choice. Before deciding which window dressing to install, consider a few things:
- Foot traffic – keep your privacy while still letting a good amount of natural light with shutters. Shutters have louvers that can be adjusted to let light in while keeping your indoors private from nosy onlookers.
- Sound proofing – most curtains are made of acoustic materials that dampen noise from outside and decrease vibrations indoors. There are also curtains that are made specially for soundproofing which are a great choice for bedrooms and media rooms.
- Insulation – adding another layer of glass or wood to your windows can help improve insulation from sound and heat/cold which makes shutters the perfect choice for homes in harsh environments.
- Budget – you can always go for a minimalistic look with blinds. They’re also cheap and easy to maintain – perfect for kitchens and bathrooms.
Home improvement is important…
No matter how solid your home is, through years of standing against natural elements and occupancy, it won’t be safe from deterioration. Home improvement is not only essential for beautification, but also for maintenance and prolonging the life of your home. It is also a great way to add value to your property.
