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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1. Replace all your hardware.

Most of us are dealing with the stock knobs and drawer pulls that came with our homes. Depending on how old your house is, this probably means they are pretty dated. A simple change of some hardware can make your whole kitchen feel like it's brand new and it will look much more current. Look for brushed nickel finishes for an edgy look, or go with black iron for a more traditional and country approach.

The sky is really the limit with today's hardware and you'll have a lot of options. If you can't decide which one works for you, get one of each of the styles you like (keep the receipt) and try them out live in your own kitchen. Return the ones you don't like and get the rest of the hardware to complete your kitchen.

2. Replace aging fixtures and/or sinks.

Again, we're dealing with something that came stock with your home and since our faucets get so much wear, it's probably past time to get it replaced. There are so many new options out there that it may be a little overwhelming.

Try to stick with a finish that matches your new hardware, or have some fun with some copper fixtures. Just remember to buy the fixtures that will fit your existing sink, unless you are planning on replacing that too. A new sink is cheaper than you might think and this can really change up the whole kitchen. Look for one that solves your existing problems (not enough room, too shallow, etc...) while still fitting in your existing cabinet.

3. Put in a new floor.

With today's new laminate flooring or peel and stick tiles, it is a lot easier and more economical to get an entirely new kitchen floor. Stay away from dated floral and marble prints and feel free to get a little edgier with your design. A dark floor gives a kitchen a very dramatic look, but if your kitchen is on the small side, look for a light colored material.

Since the goal is a cheap makeover, we really recommend going with a flooring that is easy to install on your own. For example, laminate flooring can just click together over your existing floor and doesn't require a lot of labor or know-how to get the job done. If you've got the skills and the budget, we really recommend ceramic tiles for a modern and fresh look.

These are just three simple ideas that can dramatically change your kitchen in just a few hours. See what you can come up with and then get that makeover started!

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-12-08 21:29:19. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Hard water is very common in rural homes where the water supply is not treated. However, some cities are notorious for their hard water. Look for calcium deposits in your toilet tank, stains around drains, as well as faucets and other telltale signs. You may also notice that it is impossible to get soap or shampoo to lather, which is another sign that your home has hard water.

Since hard water can do a lot of damage, many homeowners look to a water softener for relief. The first person to introduce the concept of “soft” water was Emmett Culligan, who found that it was beneficial not only for humans, but also for cattle. His early studies found that cattle given soft water were healthier and brought more money at auction.

Typically, salt is used to soften water. The water supply for your house is run through the softener, and the grains of salt help block the minerals that make the water “hard.” This does mean that some sodium does enter the water supply. For those on a sodium restricted diet, this can be troublesome.

There is one alternative to using salt in a water softener that relies on the use of potassium chloride, which is a salt substitute. While this may work for those that are on a sodium restriction, it should be noted that this type of salt substitute is not recommended for those suffering from Addison’s Disease or those that may have elevated levels of potassium in their blood.

Despite these issues, removing minerals from your water can lead to better health and you will begin to see benefits such as clothes getting cleaner, a lack of mineral build up in plumbing fixtures and you will of course have cleaner hair since your shampoo can now lather. If you don’t have any health issues with sodium or potassium chloride, a water softener can be incredibly beneficial.

When you are shopping for your new water softener, you will first need to see just how hard your water is. This is where your lab sample comes in. You can check with your county’s extension office for a free test, or your water treatment company may offer it free. Once you know how hard the water is, you can determine what size of softener you will need. In some extreme situations, a dual tank water softener may be necessary. This is common for large families or for those in rural areas where the water can be especially hard and will need extra treatment before it can be used.

Photo Credits: 1

Originally posted 2008-10-01 05:07:43. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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First and foremost, before you attempt this fix you need to make sure that the water has been turned off. Look under the offending sink and you should find a shut off valve that will allow you to turn the water off. Older homes may not have this shut off valve beneath the sink, meaning that you would need to go into the basement to turn the water off. Once the water has been turned off, you should open up both faucets so that any water that is still in the pipes can be let out. You need to take care to make sure that a drain stopper is put down so that if you drop a loose part, you do not end up losing it down the drain while you are working on the repair process.

If you happen to have an old lever handle faucet, then it is going to require that you use a screwdriver in order to remove the screw from the top of the faucet. Newer faucet handles are not going to have any visible hardware in the top but rather you will need to undo the set screw using a standard Allen wrench. Once the screw has been removed from the faucet handle, the handle can be removed.

If you have a knob handle, then you should remove the knob from the fixture so that you can gain access to your screw. Use an adjustable type of wrench to take apart the handle's inner workings. Make sure that the pieces are lined up as they are removed so that you can replace them in the right order. Keeping them in the right order will make reassembly easier when you are done.

Remove the washer and prepare to replace it. Bring it to the hardware store as a reference when you are buying a replacement. If you use the old washer as a guide, you will make sure to buy the proper new washer. Set the newly purchased washer in, and then replace the rest of the hardware to reassemble the faucet. If you have a double handled sink and it is still leaking, then you are going to have to repeat this same process for the other faucet in order to address the problem completely and fully.

Photo Credits: Meredith_Farmer

Originally posted 2009-06-23 05:57:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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The first and one of the most important steps when it comes to the best home improvement projects in your bathroom is to figure out what type of look, style and feel you are going for. Are you going to plan on spending a lot of time soaking in your tub, or do you prefer relaxing stand up showers? When you make decisions like these, you are going to want to make sure that the only thing that is influencing your decisions is your own needs and wants above everything else. What is really important to who you are as a person? Your bathroom space is yours alone, so make sure that it is your ideas that are influencing your design ideas.

When you are visiting a plumbing supply showroom, you are going to see that there are a lot of complete bathroom displays that show you some of the best home improvement ideas for your bathroom. When you are looking at all of the different elements together, they can really rope you in because everything seems to fit so well together. The people that set up these display models are specifically trained to do so in a way that is going to entice you to buy the entire set. It is important to know that the best home improvement ideas for your bathroom are those that you implement, not those that the designers and decorators put together for you to fall in love with.

So when it comes to best home improvement ideas for your bathroom, what are the three most important elements necessary for your bathroom?

• Your sink and faucet
• Your toilet
• Your tub or shower

You may be able to make considerable changes in your bathroom simply by updating one or several of these essential parts of your bathroom. There are simple and complicated or complex options for when it comes to best home improvement ideas for your bathroom. Keep this in mind when you are deciding what you want to do with this unique space of yours.

Photo Credits: Jeremy Levine Design

Originally posted 2009-09-18 09:58:50. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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