1. Revamp the appearance of the kitchen.

Despite the prevalence of the fast food and restaurant culture, the kitchen is still the life center of the home. Home buyers will head straight for the kitchen when they check out a house, and small, visual improvements here will go far in your renovations. For around a couple hundred dollars, the hardware in the kitchen; cabinet handles, lighting, faucets; can all be replaced with newer, more modern looking pieces. Lighting can also get replaced with more energy efficient fixtures to make things more environmentally friendly.

2. Improve the appearance of your appliances.

Appliances which appear to be part of a matching set look more high class and vastly improves the value of the kitchen. Ordering new face plates for the kitchen appliance set can go a long way. It may even surprise you with a couple of free fixes. Items like dishwashers, with a sheet panel exterior, may have the alternate color on the back side.

3. Attack the bathroom.

This is the room which should get the revamp after the kitchen. The bathroom can be improved along the same lines as the kitchen. Buying a new toilet seat, a pedestal sink, new hardware, all of these are simple tasks for the home owner. The floor can get a renewal with new vinyl tiles that are simple to install, even without removing the old floor. The tub can also get a similar revamp, saving the cost of installing new tiling or refinishing the tub.

4. Create new storage spaces.

Adding new fixtures such as wire or wooden closet systems are easy to install yourself and expand the storage available in the home. A lack of storage space can be a deal breaker for home buyers. There are many brands of closet organizers that will greatly improve the space available to you in your closet.

5. Turn a room into a bedroom.

If you have a room like a den, then by adding what is needed such as closet space, then you can turn the room into a bedroom, greatly increasing the value of the home while requiring little work.

6. Give the mechanics their run of the place.

It can help to hire a handyman or two, such as plumbers or electricians, to fine tune the systems in your home. Fixing little things all around the home can add up really quickly and make the home more polished.

7. Clean the carpet.

The carpeting all throughout the home is always in sight, and giving it a thorough cleaning will give the home a drastically improved appearance. Little spots of wear, like at the entrances or the foot of the stairs, can get covered by small area rugs. If need be, then replacing the carpet should be considered.

These are a few ideas for increasing the value of your home.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-25 05:35:02. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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• Basic Home Repair: Home Improvement DVD The Basic Home Repair: Home Improvement DVD is designed to provide complete details and lessons on home repair topics including energy conservation, home security, replacing a faucet, sweating copper pipes, replacing toilets, unclogging drain clogs, replacing the caulk on a tub, replacing lighting fixtures, repairing broken lamps, replacing tiles that......
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So why doesn't everyone have water saving shower heads? There use to be some trade-offs with a low flow shower head and not everyone was ready to make the change. A chief complaint used to be that the pressure just wasn't high enough. But new shower heads have improved features like water pressure that take most of the sting out of going green, so if you haven't looked at water shaving shower heads in a while, it's time to revisit your home improvement store.

No matter what kind of shower head you have, unless it was sold before 1992, it has a maximum flow rate of 2.5 gallons because that's a federal regulation. So any shower head you choose that has a lower flow rate will reduce your water and energy consumption. The flow rates are listed on water saving shower heads to help you choose. If the low flow shower head is more expensive, look at the flow rate. If it's anywhere between 1.5 and 1.75 gallons per minute, it can reduce your water and energy output by 30% to 40%, which justifies the expense over the long run.

Opt for water saving shower heads that list a pressure range somewhere between 40 and 80 PSI (pounds per square inch). The lower the PSI, lower the pressure of the water spray, so choose depending on your preference.

You can also choose between aerating and laminar-flow water saving shower heads. Aerating shower heads spray the water in a mist, mixed with air, for a full-spray feeling. Laminar-flow shower heads don't mix air in, so the shower spray comes out in strong, individual streams of water. Your choice should be based on your personal preference. Either way, a shower head with close to 80 PSI will feel closer to your normal shower than a lower PSI head.

A new water saving shower head on the market costs about $30 and can dramatically lower your water and energy bills. Called the "It Makes Sense" shower head, the manufacturer claims it can save up to 88% of the water and energy wasted in a typical shower. This chain pull shower head lets you start and stop the flow by pulling down and holding a chain to start the water flow, which stops when you release it. This lets you use water only when you need it. No more running out of hot water before you're done. And if you want to go hands-free for a bit, you simply flip a lever to indulge.

Water saving shower heads are no more difficult to install than standard shower heads, so look into low flow heads when you're ready to make a change.

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Originally posted 2009-09-12 09:24:39. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The number one place to improve the value of your home is the kitchen. Renovations there are going to be worth and additional 92.9 percent of what you put in. Bathroom improvements are a close second at 90.1 percent. Additionally, improvements elsewhere in the home (and on the outside) will increase the value of the home and give you something that will be a great asset for you.

Paint the Cabinets -

Replacing the cabinets can be a costly endeavor, so it is much cheaper to paint the cabinets or re-stain them. It is wise to pick neutral colors that are not black or white. A color near the middle of bright and dark is good and for extra protection and ease of cleaning, pick a paint that is mild, matte finished and weather proof.

Improvements by Replacing all old Appliances -

Your cabinets could be stellar, everything looks perfect, but the value of the furniture lessens the appeal of a kitchen. The cheap way to get them replaced is to visit a scratch and ding facility, with most appliances 50 to 70% off. They are likely guaranteed to look new compared to the old furniture, and that raises the potential value greatly.

Improve Bathtub and Shower Fixture Improvements

One way to increase the apparent size of a bathroom is to replace a shower curtain with a glass door, and by replacing the shower head with one more luxurious, you have turned a small bathroom into a lavish getaway. The glass door lets light in, and allows the viewer to see past the edge of the shower and see a larger space.

Paint Improvements -

This is the easiest thing that one can do to make the house more inviting is to freshen up the pain in all of the rooms. Pick neutral colors, since a colors are personal and a more bold look could make the house worth lesser than before.

Conclusion -

The value of your home is a measure of what a potential buyer will pay for the abode. The key to successfully raising the value of a home is the anticipation of what will and will not be desirable enough. One of the best ways to do this is to think of a change and consider what would cause the change to fail for you. Then you'll think of the appropriate and safe colors to use, and enough to make the environment one that is welcoming and will make the new tenets feel like they are getting a new home.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-27 05:57:35. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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There are a lot of different methods for cleaning a clogged drain, and we'll cover the ones that are most effective. However, since using drain cleaners is not only bad for the environment, but also for your health, we won't be covering that method. It is possible to end up with drain cleaner coming back up into your shower and the health risks from breathing the fumes are injurious to the health of your whole family. There are plenty of other easy ways to clean a clog that don't involve harmful chemicals.

Now, before we get started, you're going to need a few tools. We recommend:

• a screwdriver
• a pair of pliers
• a coat hanger
• a plumber's snake (for serious leaks - they're available at most hardware stores)
• some gloves (if you don't want to get slimy)

First, you're going to have to remove the top part of your shower drain. Most are screwed in, so gently loosen that screw with the appropriate type of screwdriver. You're not going to want to crank on this since you can damage your tub. If it won't budge, try a little WD40 if necessary.

Once this top part is off you should be able to get a better idea of the kind of clog you're dealing with. Most clogs will be in this part of the drain, so you can simply pick the hair out until the area is cleaned up. If you don't see much hair or anything else clogging this area, you're going to have to go a little bit further. Most modern drains have a pattern inside that is made of hard plastic, so you can't exactly go sticking your hand down there. We don't recommend prying this part out since you can permanently damage your tub.

Unwrap that coat hanger and try feeding it gently down the drain. Probe around until you feel like you've hit the clog. You can try to pull it back up towards you or push it down further until it reaches a larger area of the pipe where it can be flushed away. For serious clogs we really recommend a plumber's snake since they are easier to use than a coat hanger. Get rid of the clog and then put the drain back together again and you're set.

If you have frequent clogs there's an easy little recipe that you can use to make safe drain cleaner. Get some baking soda and put it down the drain. Then, grab some white vinegar and pour it in. The chemical reaction will clean out the pipe and keep it clean for you. You can do this once a month as a preventative. After you use the mixture, run some hot water down the drain to flush away any excess power.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-11-27 06:47:37. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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To get this job done you are going to need the new shower head, a pair of channel pliers and a roll of plumber's tape.

The first thing that you are going to want to do is to determine what shower head you are going to be installing. There are spa type models and there are also eco-friendly models that limit the amount of water that comes through.

The next thing that you are going to want to do is to turn the water off to your shower so that there is no water going into the existing head on the shower. You can do this at the faucet, or you can do it at the water shut-off, which is typically located behind the shower in the wall itself.

Now you are going to want to remove the broken or old shower head. You can use a pair of channel lock pliers to rotate the connections for the existing shower head in a counter clockwise fashion until the unit has been removed from the connector where the water comes out. If there is any debris or material on the water pipe, you are going to want to take the time to remove them now. This is going to make sure that the new shower head is connected nice and secure.

Now what you are going to want to do is to wrap commercial plumber's tape along the threaded fittings so that you can achieve a watertight seal on the pipe. A good choice for this particular project is a type of tape that is known as Teflon Tape.

Now you are going to want to attach your brand new shower head, rotating its fitting onto the threaded water pipe. Turn it clockwise until the unit has been secured firmly. If there are any nozzles or hoses to attach, do so now by following the manufacturer's instructions. Now turn the water supply back on and test the unit out to make sure that all of its features are working properly.

You may want to keep some towels on hand when you are removing the original shower head, because sometimes there will be trapped water that can leak out unexpectedly.

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Photo Credits: pochacco20

Originally posted 2009-11-06 03:35:59. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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