Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Cheap Do It Yourself Ideas

You don't need to spend a lot of money to improve the appearance and value of your home. Make a checklist of several small, inexpensive tasks that can be easily completed, and work on one project at a time. With a little time and effort, your home can be better than ever without a big financial investment.


Cleanup and Landscaping


Just cleaning up the property around your house can make a big difference in appearance. Look at the yard from the street from the perspective of people passing by on the sidewalk or driving by in cars. Pick up garbage, paint the garage door, sweep the front porch, clear spider webs from door frames and clean the windows and screens. Fix the drooping gutter, edge the lawn, and repair cracks in the driveway asphalt or cement. Pull weeds, rake leaves, clip bushes, cut the grass and take out any dead plants or shrubs. Make a plan for weekly maintenance to keep the property neat, clean and orderly. Remove items such as garbage cans, garden tools and bikes and toys and store them in the garage or shed. Consider planting a couple of flowering shrubs, adding a landscape rock or boulder, placing a comfortable bench or installing a decorative fence.


Front Door


The quickest way to improve the appearance and value of your home is to spruce up the front door. Look at the door with a critical eye. Check for rusty or stiff hinges, splits or cracks in the wood, a loose doorknob, damage to the door frame and threshold, level of the step to the threshold and the area immediately around the door. Consider painting an older door that you don't want to replace. Taking an old door completely off the frame, sanding it, painting it, replacing the hinges with a slightly larger and heavier set and replacing the doorknob can dramatically improve the appeal of the entryway. Consider adding a decorative doorknocker, new doorbell or brass house numbers to the door and a large flowering plant, either potted or hanging, near the door. An ornamental doormat, painted trim and new porch light are other front entry improvements.


Painting


A fresh coat of paint in a clean, bright color will improve any surface or item it covers. Drab, scuffed interior walls are instantly more attractive and inviting when freshly painted with an updated color. Exteriors take on new style with fresh color on trim. Introduce drama and style to any room in your home with a painting technique such as spattering or sponging over a complementary solid color.









Related posts



    Using flyers to advertise your business is an effective way to tell neighbors and local businesses about the work you do without spending a lot of money. Easy to make on your home computer and pri...
    Start a Home Improvement Referral BusinessA home improvement referral business benefits clients by eliminating the time involved to search for reputable contractors to perform home improvement pro...
    You have a knack for home improvement and, like any good entrepreneur, you've started your own home improvement business. You know you have the talent and the skill to be profitable, but as soon a...
    A home's color announces its personality.The paint color of a house tells a good deal about a home and who lives inside: it establishes itself among other homes; it either wants attention or rests...
    A neutral color palette is calming and good for resale.Choose a color palette that you like for your home interior, not just one that is popular or trendy. If blues please you when you enter your...