December 11th, 2008 — Curb Appeal, Flooring, Handy Man, Walls
There are a wide variety of different things that you can do to improve your home. There are probably dozens of small steps that could be taken today to enrich the quality of your home. Here are three simple ways to improve your home, which can be accomplished in as little as a single weekend.
- Update your home’s curb appeal.
Improving your home by approving the curb appeal does not only have to be for selling your home on the real estate market. By improving your front yard and the elements of the outside of your home, you can make significant impacts on your home without much effort. Curb appeal has to do with what people see when they look at your home from the front curb, such as your yard, the outside walls of the home, windows and window treatments, gardening and landscaping and so on. A lot of improvements can be made to your home’s curb appeal in as little as a weekend, such as planting seasonal flowers, updating your window treatments and curtains, updating the paint job on the outside of your home, and so on.
- Improve the quality of your décor by adding art and other décor to the walls.
Most people have very plain white walls in their home, and this can make the entire home seem plain. Even with designer style furniture, a home can seem plain without some art or other décor elements on the walls. Add mirrors, candleholders, photographs in frames and artwork to the walls to add some spice to your home. Let the artwork that you add to your walls reflect who you are. Fill your den or entertainment room with favorite movie posters. Decorate the kitchen with coffee or Italian themed artwork. Details like this are easy to implement and pack a punch when it comes to improving your home.
- Dress up the floors to improve your home.
If you have bare hardwood floors or plain carpets, there are ways to dress things up to improve your home. Use area rugs to cover large areas of plain carpeting. You may even consider buying carpet tiles to cover large areas of hardwood or laminate flooring if you want to add some spice to your space. Large open areas of flooring with nothing covering them are just asking for unique updates, so do what you can do dress up these spaces and you will be able to quickly and effectively improve your home.
There are a lot of simple ways to improve your home both on the inside and on the outside. By implementing small changes you can have a large effect on your home, improving its function or form. Dress up your home, make it a little more unique, and make it work better for you, and you have improved your home.
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November 26th, 2008 — Ceramic, Flooring, Handy Man, Wood Floors, carpet, concrete
One of the easiest ways to dramatically change a room is by adding new flooring. Although in the past, many of us drifted towards plush carpeting, if you’re planning on selling your home, it’s time to do some rethinking. Any more, thick carpeting is associated with the 80’s and really dates your home. The latest trend is wood flooring, but you will have a lot more options than that.
First, it’s important to determine whether or not you’ll be staying in your home or selling it, before you think about switching the flooring. This will have a lot of bearing on your choices. If you like wood – perfect – you’ll be able to use it whether or not you want to sell your home. However, if you plan to stay, it’s important to focus on what you really like, not so much what is current.
As we mentioned previously, buyers today are looking for clean wood floors in medium shades that aren’t visually offensive. Patterned wood or parquet is usually frowned upon, unless it is in an entry. Dark floors are dramatic when paired with ultra white walls, but this can really close in a room. By far, if you’re going to pick wood floors, go with a light or medium finish that brightens up the room.
Another flooring that has become more popular, especially in warm climates, is the use of ceramic tile. This is however very expensive and may not be long wearing. If you’ve got a lot of kids, or are particularly hard on floors, we don’t recommend ceramic tile, simply because it can easily crack. An extreme version of the sleek look is a poured concrete floor, but this is expensive and harder to maintain.
If you’re thinking about adding carpet, you will have a lot of options. Plush carpet is definitely a thing of the past and since it is so hard to maintain, this is a good thing. Plush carpet wears easily and your rooms end up looking like they have trails blazed through them thanks to foot traffic. If you’re going to install new carpet, go for neutral colors that are stain resistant. Dark colors are dramatic when it comes to wood flooring, but with carpet, it’s definitely overbearing and not a good thing.
Berber carpet wears the best and is easier to maintain but may be a little harsh if you’ve got kids that will be crawling (and falling) on it. Look for a softer material that is still long lasting and stain resistant but not so hard to the touch.
By far, the best compromise when it comes to flooring is to go with wood, and dress it up with some very nice rugs. This gives you the best of both worlds and you’ll have a lot more options. You can still get the benefit of carpet, while staying very current and yet timeless with your home. At the end of the day, your choices are up to you, but if you need to update your home, the above tips will keep you right on the edge of what’s hot.
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November 24th, 2008 — Book Review, Repair
Black and Decker are known for the terrific DIY guides and this title is no exception. As the name suggests, you’re getting step by step photo instructions that make it easy for anyone to fix up their own home without having to be a professional handy person. You’ll get plenty of tips and ideas as well, thanks to this incredibly informative and useful book.
There are three main sections of the book and the projects will be broken down according to these sections. The first covers interiors and contains numerous helpful tips and techniques that will allow you to replace your windows, how to fix a hole in the wall and even how to fix those pesky squeaky stairs. Everything is laid out very logically and all of the projects are very easy to follow. You’ll have pretty much everything you need to know about fixing specific issues right in this section.
The second section covers the exterior of your home and this is an area that is forgotten all too frequently when it comes to fixing up your home. Remember, curb appeal is vital if you’re planning on selling your home, so this section is particularly useful to make sure that everything outside your home is as beautiful as the inside. There are some great project tips in this section that can dramatically increase the value of your home.
The next section covers the types of systems that can be found in your home, such as plumbing and electrical. If you’ve got some phantom issues that are plaguing your home, start with this section. You’ll get some great troubleshooting tips as well as advice on how to fix them easily. While some things will need to be handled by professionals, such as rewiring, there are plenty of projects that just about anyone can do in this section.
One of the nicest parts of this book is that it isn’t afraid to go into depth on important subjects. You’ll learn how to replace a garbage disposal, fix a leaky faucet or even how to install a sink. It’s little things like these projects that really improve a home and make it well worth the time and effort that you put into them. The plumbing section is incredibly useful and well worth the entire cost for your copy. Even if you’re not a weekend warrior, there are some great tips here that really come in handy during a plumbing emergency.
There are more than 2000 pictures in this incredibly large and detailed book and they are so useful that anyone, regardless of their previous DIY experience will be able to turn around and put them into action in their own homes. The fact that they take the time to walk you through not only the project itself, but the tools you’ll need and the safety features you need to know, is a rare gift indeed. Overall, this book belongs in anyone’s bookshelf.
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November 12th, 2008 — Aesthetics, Curb Appeal, Handy Man
Whether you are selling your home, or you just want it to look its best, curb appeal is something that must be focused on. You can add quite a bit of value to your home with just a few simple fixes, but before you start, it is important to think about what your home’s curb appeal currently says, and what you would like it to say.
We all make assumptions based on what we visually perceive. If that weren’t the case, you wouldn’t be told not to judge a book by its cover. But the truth is, we do judge by exterior appearances, whether we realize it or not, and if your home is sending the wrong message, you may be driving off potential buyers. In order to get started, it’s a good idea to get in front of your house and take a picture.
We recommend this step because you may be missing things when you’re just looking at your house normally. We get inured to certain details, like that coil of hose you’ve been meaning to put away for three months, and we start to block out areas that may need a little help. By taking a photograph of your home from your curb, you’ll be getting a fresh perspective. You may also want to drive around and look for homes that evoke the response you’re looking for from your own home. Take pictures of them (if the owners don’t mind) and compare them.
Once you have your picture in front of you, write down your instant impression of your home. Is it welcoming, junky, a bit run down, elegant, happy….etc… Find the emotion that comes to mind first and this will be your starting point for making improvements. At this stage, it is a good idea to write down your goals so that you can keep them in front of you when you begin implementing the changes.
Now that you know what your home’s curb appeal says, it’s time to find out if you need to change that, and how to go about it. For example, if your first reaction was “wow, that is one messy yard,” you can start to take the steps to clean it up. Try focusing on one area at a time and take a picture each time your tasks are completed. This helps you keep a running log of your progress and will allow you to see what is changing from a different perspective.
It may take a few tweaks to get your home to the point where the first impression is where you want it to be. Just be patient and take your time. If you are under the wire and need to sell your house quickly, you may need to move a little faster and try to get more done at once until you have your desired result.
With a little effort and the right perspective, your home’s curb appeal can say exactly what you want it to.
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