Make a list: Spend some time taking stock of the kinds of maintenance and improvement projects you’d like to begin. A well-considered list will help you to set reachable goals. Assess your skills: Make sure that you carefully consider which projects you are fully capable of completing. For example, unless you have sufficient experience with electrical, plumbing or construction work, you should probably leave those tasks to the professionals. Establish priorities: Which projects are most important to you? Which projects will be the most costly? Which is more important: timeliness, quality or cost? Before beginning any do-it-yourself project, it is always wise to determine specific goals and priorities so that you are fully prepared when it comes time to begin. Create a budget: For each project that you want to complete, make certain that you have a firm budget in place. Allowing for unexpected circumstances (such as errors or the need for additional materials) in your budget will keep you from overspending. One step at a time: When it’s time to begin, remember to pace yourself! Rome wasn’t built in a day, and your new garden terrace will take time as well. Complete one task at a time, and soon you’ll feel the wonderful sense […]
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You can use steel wool to: Fill a screw hole that has become too big for the screw. Stuff the hole with steel wool and re-insert the screw. Make an instant pincushion. Stuff an old sock with steel wool and tie tightly for a pincushion that will keep pins and needles rust free. Repel kitchen pests, by placing steel wool around the pipes under the sink. You can use nail polish remover to: Remove sticker residue from glass objects. Unstick your fingers after a superglue mishap. Remove marker and ink from appliances, glass, and stainless steel. You can use olive oil to: Revitalize leather shoes and baseball gloves. Clean greasy hands. Repel moles in the yard. Soak a cloth in olive oil and stuff it into the mole hole. Moles hate olive oil! You can use cola to: Remove grease stains from the garage floor. Clear a sluggish drain. Loosen a bolt that is rusted on. Remove stubborn stains from the toilet. Pour in the cola and wait one hour before scrubbing. Image Credit: @vesnoi_ via Twenty20
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Everyone has had the experience of starting a DIY renovation project and discovering it’s considerably harder than anticipated. But it’s not true of all such projects. These renovations can be done in far less time and with less effort than you might think. Replacing Light Fixtures Replacing your light fixtures can quickly update your home, provide better light, and make your home more functional. Working with electricity can put a lot of people off, but it’s actually much easier than it appears. While major re-wiring is best left to a professional, changing out a fixture isn’t all that hard. Easy-to-install fixtures from places like IKEA are designed for the DIY homeowner without an electrical engineering degree. As long as you remember to turn off the power before you start, read all the directions ahead of time, and research your lighting choice beforehand, most people can accomplish the task easily. Changing A Bathroom Vanity Home improvement stores sell bathroom vanities that are ready to install and pre-cut so that you can simply drop in a new sink. While this is certainly a bigger project, the hardest part is the plumbing work. Even the plumbing isn’t as hard as many people think. […]
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These days, a home theater is one of the most popular trends in the nation. Homeowners are opting to save a bundle on the cost of theater tickets by bringing the fascinating world of cinema into their own homes in a big way. Quality Counts When it comes to creating a home theater, the choice is yours when it comes to the level of quality that you want to deliver. A home theater can include something as basic as a television and DVD system or it can include a projection screen with surround sound and, for the family who really wants the authentic experience, actual theater-style seating. Money Matters Building a home theater isn’t cheap, which is why it’s important to set a realistic budget before getting started. Unless you are an expert at installation, hiring a professional to install your home theater may be a wise idea. This means that you will not only be considering the cost of the theater itself, but also the labor necessary to get the job done. Comparison Shopping If you decide to hire a professional installation crew, make sure that you shop around and compare rates. In many cases, you will save a […]
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A backyard deck is a great way to not only improve the value of your home, but also make your outdoor living space more enjoyable for you and your family. Whether you decide to build your own deck from scratch or hire a contractor to do the work for you, choosing the right materials is important to creating a beautiful and durable deck that can be enjoyed for years to come. Here are some of the most popular choices for building a deck, and even a few exotic choices to suit any budget and taste. Pressure-Treated Wood—This popular and inexpensive choice can give you a functional deck. Essentially it is softwood that has been placed in a preservative bath, and then into a pressurization tank to make it more waterproof. It is usually advisable that you build at least the foundation of your deck with pressure-treated wood so that it will last for years to come. Cedar—Another popular choice for decks, cedar is naturally oily and resistant to water rot. It is also a lightweight wood, making it easy to work with, and is a popular choice for the top decking section of your deck. Redwood—Redwood is similar to cedar […]
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Always dreamed of renovating a home exactly to your specifications, or have you found an older house that is structurally sound but needs a lot of work inside? Perhaps the price is right and you can’t resist all that house you can get for your money. Whatever the reason, buying a fixer-upper can be both an exciting and rewarding purchase or a financial and time consuming disaster, depending on whether you are prepared for what you have gotten yourself into. So what should you know before buying a home that requires a little or a lot of tender loving care? The Benefits The benefits of purchasing a fixer-upper are obvious. The price is usually right, and if the seller wants a quick sale because of decreased interest in the home, you may be able to negotiate a really great price. Also, if you intend to flip the home after the renovations, the profit for the money and time you have invested can be quite considerable. The trick to getting these benefits, however, is knowing what type of property to look for, as well as having an accurate idea of the associated costs, and realistic expectations of the time and labor […]
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