As time goes by, you will begin to notice more and more jobs around your house that need to be done. Home maintenance and repair is a never-ending battle, but you can make the task easier (and less expensive) by staying ahead of the game. Try to tackle home improvement projects before they absolutely have to be done so you can keep your home looking great along the way.
By doing these projects yourself instead of hiring a contractor, you stand to save a significant amount of money ? and you just might find that you enjoy this kind of work.
Here?are four home improvement ideas that most people are capable of handling on a DIY?basis. You may need a few simple tools and some basic skills, but these jobs are within the ability of nearly every homeowner.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
This is a classic DIY project, and one that doesn?t require much in the way of experience or know how. One of the keys to a successful painting project is assembling all of the necessary supplies before getting started. Make sure to have things like [easyazon_link identifier=”B000PQTYTC” locale=”US” tag=”wisedollar-20″ cart=”y” popups=”y”]brushes[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link identifier=”B00IJGYDKA” locale=”US” tag=”wisedollar-20″ cart=”y” popups=”y”]rollers[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link identifier=”B000ICKO6A” locale=”US” tag=”wisedollar-20″ cart=”y” popups=”y”]drop clothes[/easyazon_link], [easyazon_link identifier=”B00004Z4CP” locale=”US” tag=”wisedollar-20″ cart=”y” popups=”y”]painters tape[/easyazon_link] and more, in addition to the paint itself. By being prepared before the project starts, you will be less likely to run into complications along the way.
A New Floor
A more advanced project, laying a new floor is something that is still within the capabilities of many homeowners. If you wish, for example, to replace your carpet with a laminate floor, you should be able to acquire all of the tools you need for a modest cost at the local home improvement store.
Also, instructions for doing this kind of job can be found all over the web. With a little bit of study and a patient approach, you can save thousands by putting in the new floor yourself.
Upgraded Landscaping
Gardening and lawn care is probably the most popular DIY job around the house. Taking good care of your exterior spaces not only gives you a nice outdoor area to enjoy, but it also can help to maintain your property value in the long run.
Take your climate into consideration when designing your landscaping so that you are aren?t fighting against Mother Nature all year long. For example, if you live in a hot and dry climate, try to minimize your use of grass so you don?t have to constantly water the yard to keep it green.
Finish the Basement
If your home has an unfinished basement, you can instantly add to your living space by finishing off the square footage down below. This is the most advanced job on the list, and you may need to call in contractors for specific bits and pieces of the work that you don?t know how to do. For example, don?t attempt to do electrical work unless you are qualified to do so.
Hiring a professional for contract work on a limited basis is far more affordable than having to go back and fix things that you did wrong. With that said, there should be plenty of jobs in the basement that you are capable of handling, which will lower the overall cost of the project.
Have you ever tried to DIY these things? What other house repairs and upgrades have you DIY-ed? Can you think of any other cheap ways to add value to your house?
Photo courtesy of: Shane Adams
Wise Dollar
Latest posts by Wise Dollar (see all)
- 8 Investing Tips That All Beginners Should Know About - May 11, 2021
- 5 Reasons Why Freelancing Should Be Your Next Career Move - March 9, 2021
- 5 Ways to Improve Your Sales Pitch and Get Funding - February 22, 2021
Great article. I love doing all that stuff myself. One of the things I do is buy the tools I need for the job as I need them. And because I do a lot of renovations, I buy the good tools. As time goes on I find I don’t need to buy anymore tools as I have what I need. The great thing is that buying a proper tool for a job is usually cheaper than the labor I would of paid to get the job done, so I don’t feel bad about spending $500 on a very good miter saw to do my floors when a flooring company would of charged me 1k to do the job. Now I’ll have the saw to finish the framing in my basement etc…
Some other quick Value renos:
-Changing the cupboard hardware in the kitchen and bathroom
-Updating light fixtures
-Adding a backsplash in the kitchen
-Changing the mirror and vanity lights in the bathroom
-Adding crown moulding to your ceilings will really spruce up the place
There’s lots more, happy renos!
Great thoughts here Mr. SR. I’ve found the same thing with tools. I hate spending the money, but you know they’re going to last and be of high quality.
I agree with all of these. I replaced the floor in our house. It was a little intimidating at first, but I watched a few videos on YouTube and was set. I just did the same thing when replacing our attic stairs.
You can do a lot more than you think, you just have to have an idea of how to do it. That is where YouTube comes into play so great.
Jon, YouTube is the most amazing resource for doing stuff around your house. I have fixed a clog in my air conditioner drain, my clothes dryer, and figured out and fixed my refrigerator that was leaking water; all from YouTube. Now I might actually get around to doing home improvement instead of home repair.
Agreed on the YouTube aspect. It’s such a wealth of information. If you’re willing to try something and it’s not too major (electrical, gas related, etc.) you can save some significant money.
I DIY’ed my hickory plank floor. You don’t need top-of-the-line tools for every situation – I bought my flooring nailer for what I thought would be a one-time project and it cost less than renting it for a week. It is probably a mid-grade nailer and it cost $200. I have an air compressor that cost me $99 on super sale. I think a box of flooring staples is $90.
Swapping out an old vanity/sink/faucet combination can really make your bathroom look amazing. Those old oak vanities are outdated and the big box home improvement stores sell all-in-one’s starting at $200. Watch YouTube to see how to disconnect a faucet, and then reconnect the new one. Simple plumbing repairs like that are so easy to do.
Kitchen cabinets are another easy replacement job. You need a level, a 2×4, an electric drill and some shims. A friend is always helpful. The 2X4 is screwed into the wall using the level to make sure it is straight. Then you rest the wall cabinet on top of the 2X4 to help hold it up while you fasten it to the wall. Repeat all around the kitchen.
I choose DIY over hiring it out because finding a good contractor is next to impossible. It’s easy to find a bad one, and you usually do your first time out. Nobody cares about my house more than I do.
Looks like you’ve got some good experience going the DIY route Mindy! We’ve found the same thing – a bad contractor is unfortunately very easy to find.
Aside from painting the house and changing some appliances, I remember that I had to take the opportunity of the spring season to take care of my garden to add appeal to my house for increased number of potential buyers. It resulted in having more buyers and I was able to get a better deal.
I will try these DIY these things. Thank you