There is a lot you can do to improve your home on a budget. For instance, you can seal all the air leaks in your home to prevent your air conditioning from working too hard and using a lot of electricity. You can also get air conditioning contractors to come and inspect your air conditioner to avoid costly repairs later on. Here are some other energy saving home improvement tips you can implement.
Come up With a List of Service Providers You May Need
Before you can start your home improvement tasks, it’s important to come up with a list of service providers that can be useful to you. For instance, you will probably need plumbing companies, a pest control service, and affordable garage door repairs. Once you are done listing everyone you need, you can then list the jobs in order of priority. This is important so you can allocate your budget to the most important renovations.
A Fresh Coat of Paint
While paint definitely falls under cheaper renovations, it’s a great way to refresh the look of your home. If you have areas of your home with damaged paint, this is a great opportunity to boost your curb appeal and increase the value of your home. Summer offers a perfect opportunity for this kind of project because of the warmer temperatures. When it’s warmer outside, the paint can cure properly, which ensures that it will last a lot longer.
You have two options if you want to paint your home. You can either hire professional painters, or you can do it on your own. Unlike other jobs, a failed paint job can be easily corrected. However, this doesn’t mean that you should be reckless. It’s important to take your time when you are painting and ensure that you do everything correctly. You must also avoid buying the cheapest paint you can lay your hands on. There is a reason why cheap paints are cheap. This also doesn’t mean that you should aim to buy the most expensive option. Instead, you should strike a balance between affordability and quality. You will also find that high-quality paints are more expensive, but they cover a larger space than cheaper ones.
Inspect, Clean, and Fix Your Gutters
This is another home renovation project that won’t cost you a lot of money. While it might not be the most fun project to take on, it’s crucial to ensure that your gutters are functioning as they should. Your gutters do an important job of protecting your home during the winter months. They also protect your home against summer storms. The colder months can take a serious toll on your gutters and downspouts. If you ignore gutter maintenance, you can end up having to replace your gutters altogether.
Apart from costly gutter replacement, failing to take proper care of your gutters can also result in foundation damage, driveway damage, interior flooding, and landscape erosion. The damage can end up costing you a lot more than if you had just done cheap and easy gutter maintenance.
To maintain your gutters, you don’t need a lot of equipment. All you need is a garden hose, a ladder, a bucket, and a gutter scoop. This job is not exactly a clean one, so you will need to get some gloves to protect your hands. Once you are done removing the grime and debris from your gutters, you should check if any of them are broken. If all is well, you can finish the job by applying a gutter guard to protect your gutters. This is an effective method of preventing leaves and debris from gathering in your gutters.
Spruce Up Your Outdoor Areas
Most people usually think of the inside or exterior surfaces of their home when it comes to home improvement. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, you also need to give your yard some attention. Chances are you are going to be spending a lot of time outside this summer. To enjoy the time you spend in your yard, you must invest in some affordable outdoor renovations. The good thing with outdoor improvements is that most of them can be done as DIY projects. For instance, you can set aside time for landscape design on your own.
There are lots of renovations that you can make in your yard. You can add a garden too. This is a great way to make your home more aesthetically pleasing. Gardens are also cited among outdoor features that increase home value. Summertime is the ideal time to plant your perennials. You can find lots of beautiful-looking flowers that are low maintenance. Landscaping experts also suggest lupine and hydrangeas. These are beautiful, low-maintenance plants that can improve the look of your outdoors.
You should consider adding plants or flowers in the area leading up the walkway to your front door. This is one of the best ways to get instant curb appeal. You must also do the same kind of sprucing up behind your house. It’s important to ensure that your backyard is as nice as the front. Take time to eliminate all the dead and overgrown plants. If you don’t have some already, it’s also a good idea to add some patio furniture. If your current patio furniture is old, you can restore it by adding a fresh coat of paint. This will make it look as good as new.
Refresh Your Front Door
If you are interested in curb appeal, then you can’t afford to ignore the front door. This is the first thing that anyone who comes to your home will lay their eyes on before they get inside. This is why you need to ensure that your front door makes a lasting impression. There are several front door ideas that are great for instant curb appeal. For instance, you can consider adding a fresh coat of paint. This will work wonders, and it can make your front door look as good as new. This also generally improves the entire exterior of your home.
But if your front door has had its day, it’s advisable to replace it. Investing in a new one will not only work wonders for your curb appeal but will also improve security. When you get a new front door, this is an opportunity to install things like smart new knockers or handles. All you need to do is to find door guides, and you can complete the entire project on your own.
Once you have either refreshed the paint or installed a new door, you should consider adding trim around your door. If you have a handy family member, adding trim around your front door can be one of the most budget-friendly ways to improve the look of your home. This will make such a difference in the way your front area looks. Many people report that adding trim to your front door is a great way to give your home a finished and cohesive look.
Update House Number, Door Hardware, and Mailbox
When it comes to small projects that have a huge impact, these three are certainly at the top. After dealing with your door, you must start updating all the other elements on your porch. For instance, you can start replacing the lights, mailbox, and even the house numbers. The idea is to get new elements that coordinate with the door hardware and with each other. Most exterior design experts recommend keeping your metals in the same tone. That will give your door a very expensive and cohesive appearance.
As you are doing all these updates, you must remember that you don’t necessarily need to do everything all at once. You can write a list of all the porch elements that you want to update and then eliminate them one at a time. You may obviously start with the door, then move to the lights and end with the mailbox and address plaque. The address plaque is a good DIY project that you can do with your family. Taking these projects one at a time ensures that you are sure of all the choices you will be making. It also awards you enough time to save the money needed, so you don’t end up getting substandard items.
Once you are done with all the other items, you can move to your doormat. Doormats are so adorable. Most people feel the same about wreaths. It’s important to change these each time the seasons change. Even if you have a covered porch, you will find that doormats can get dirty pretty fast. Apart from that they also fade because of all the traffic. You will be surprised how much of a change people will notice when you get a new door mate and a charming wreath. This is a great way to breathe new life into a tired front door area.
Update Little Details
One of the most overlooked areas of any home is the fixtures. These include your doorknobs, light fixtures, ceiling fans, hinges, and drawer pulls. Most people aren’t aware of how much updating these items can improve the look and functionality of your home. Fortunately, you don’t need much to update your fixtures. If you are really on a budget, there is a lot you can do with a can of metallic or black spray paint. If you have some money to spare, you visit cabinet stores and get some new futures.
Ensuring that your fixtures are updated is a great way to make your home look modern and fresh. Even when you are planning to sell your home, having old fixtures can give the impression that your home is old and it needs hours of work.
When it comes to ceiling fans, you can spray-paint the existing blades instead of buying new ceiling fan kits. You can also spray paint all the other metal components before you hang the ceiling blades back up. By the time you are done, the fans will be looking as good as new. Apart from the fans, you can also spray paint the door handles and hinges. This is a great way to modernize your home. You can do the same with the fireplace frame if your home has one.
Spray painting works on the outside of your home as well. Instead of hiring a painter or buying new fixtures, you can freshen up the dated light fixtures on your yard and exterior of your home. This is an easy job that can be completed in a single afternoon.
If you don’t have the budget for cabinet replacement, you can achieve a fresher look with new handles and knobs instead. All these are relatively cheap improvements that have a big impact on the way your home looks. Some people also advise painting stair railings and banisters. It can take a while to complete this job, but you will save money. If your railings are made of wood, a great idea would be to seal them. That can turn your staircase into a focal point instead of an eyesore.
DIY Roof Maintenance
Roof maintenance is one of the most important energy saving home improvement tips. However, when working on the roof, you should keep in mind that safety comes first. This is why some people would rather hire a roofing company. A roof is a dangerous place, and you must only do some work on it if you have the right safety equipment. If not, it’s better to hire a professional roofer to do it for you. Before you start working on the roof, you must consider getting gloves, wearing shoes with rubberized soles, and putting on safety harnesses, so you don’t fall. You must also observe ladder safety. Lastly, you must never work on the roof at night.
The first thing you might want to do on your roof is check for leaks. Early leak detection can help you save a lot of money. It can also prevent the disastrous consequences of having water enter through your roof. Leaks can also damage your foundation, and this threatens the structural integrity of your home. The most common signs of leaks are water stains on the water and ceiling, odors in certain rooms, and spots on exterior walls. You can also notice cracked paint on the walls.
Once you are done with the leaks, you can inspect your entire roof. To do this, start from the ground and check for obvious signs of shingle debris and any other indication that your roof is not well. You should also inspect the flashing on the edge of your roof and around the chimney just like a roofing contractor would. If there is any damage to these areas, you must fix them with corrosion-resistant paint. If your roof is too damaged, the best you can do is get roof estimates from reputable roofers and invest in some tile roof repair.
These are some home renovations and energy-saving home improvement tips that you can use on a budget this summer. It’s important to ensure that you buy the right materials and that you are safe as you tackle these jobs. If you feel like you are not qualified or skilled enough to perform a task, it’s always a good idea to hire a professional. Contact us if you need help finding plumbing companies or other service providers near you.