Perhaps you’ve lived in the same house for quite a long time, and it’s beginning to lose its luster. Maybe you’re thinking of putting your house on the market in the near future, and want to get the best possible return on your investment. You could have a recently purchased house on your hands, which you perhaps bought as a ‘fixer-upper’ and wish to know how to begin with your renovations. Either way, you may be overwhelmed by the amount of potential house home improvements that can be done.
However, not all home improvement ideas are worth investing in. Some could potentially decrease your home’s value in the long term, especially if they’re based on trendy ideas that aren’t necessarily going to stand the test of time. You need to be wise about your house home improvement ideas and should approach them with a discerning eye. Consider not only what will make you happier as a homeowner, but what will make your house more valuable in the long term.
1. Clean Up Your Yard
This may seem remarkably simple — almost too simple. But there is more to cleaning up your yard than what meets the eye, and it’s one of the house home improvement ideas that can make the biggest difference in the long term. When people are driving by your house, your yard is going to be their first impression. While you focus on the interior home improvements, it’s easy to accidentally neglect your yard, which will result in potential buyers passing your home buy; or if you don’t intend to sell, simply a bad feeling when you step foot outside. What’s the point of having a good interior if your exterior looks poor?
Firstly, we recommend seeing any debris you may have in your yard. Many people put debris (if not exactly trash) outside in their yard while they’re improving their homes. If your roof’s shingles need to be replaced, for example, the original shingles may end up out in your yard. If you’re in over your head with debris and working on house home improvement ideas inside the home, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. For that reason, you should consider calling a junk removal company or a residential and trash removal service to take care of the issue for you. A junk removal company will remove your debris not only efficiently but safely, taking the issue out of your hands. Once your yard is clear, you can focus on other matters, like improving your home’s landscape. A landscaping company can change your home’s exterior in a big way, creating a beautiful appearance that is not only great to look at but amazing to experience. You simply can’t do that, however, until your yard has been cleaned up.
2. Fix Your Foundation
Fixing your foundation isn’t just a simple house home improvement idea. It’s instrumental to the integrity and stability of your home. Your house’s foundation, which will typically be based on concrete, is essentially the last barrier between your house and the ground. It bears all of the weight of your home. While a foundation can last for anywhere from 10 to 12 years, eventually it will need to be updated or in some cases replaced outright. If you attempt to sell a house with a poor foundation, the issue will typically be discovered during the inspection and the sale could be jeopardized entirely. Few lenders will give buyers a mortgage loan for a house that has a bad foundation.
Therefore, you need to be active and prioritize fixing your foundation over other house home improvement ideas. Usually, foundation issues will be detected through formal inspections; so if you have concerns about your foundation or plan on selling your home soon, you should be proactive in working with an inspector. Furthermore, you may want to move forward quickly once you find out about the problem, as it will only get worse over time. Once you know that you have an issue with your foundation, get in touch with contractors and asphalt companies. Your foundation will typically be repaired through hydraulic jacking or slab jacking. But the sooner you talked care of the issue outright, the better for everyone involved.
3. Install New Light Fixtures
There are many problems in the home that can be linked back to subpar light fixtures. If your house doesn’t have great lighting, that could very well be linked, at least in part, back to the light fixtures involved. Furthermore, if you have a high electricity bill, you may find that the issue can be linked back to inefficient light fixtures. Light fixtures can take away from your home’s value simply because they’re aesthetically dated and unappealing to new buyers. However, in many cases light fixtures are relatively simple to update, while at the same time yielding a high return on your investment. This is why you may want to consider adding them to your list of house home improvement ideas.
The question is, how should you move forward with updating your light fixtures? First, you should ask for advice from a residential electrician. An electrician will not only be able to give you recommendations on updating your light fixtures — they will also be able to inspect your home’s electrical wiring and ensure that the fixtures are properly installed. An electrician can also address issues with your electricity bill, making sure that the issue can be resolved through a light fixture, rather than other tactics that you may not yet be aware of. Once you’ve consulted with a residential electrician, you can begin shopping. Keep in mind that if you plan on selling your home soon, you may want to keep your fixtures relatively simple. What appeals to you may not necessarily appeal to everyone, and you’ll want to make sure that your home reaches as many potential buyers as possible.
4. Update Your Patio
Do you have a patio in your backyard? If so, great! Patios are great additions to the home. They essentially expand your home into outdoor space and can add a great deal of value over time. However, your patio isn’t going to add much value if it’s extremely dated or damaged. In fact, it could very well take away from your home’s value. For that reason, updating your patio should be a potential house home improvement idea that you should consider. The question is, what can you do to update your patio? If you’ve been living with the same patio for years, you may not necessarily understand how it can be improved upon. But trust us when we say that virtually anything on your property can be improved with the right amount of ingenuity.
Typically, patios are made with a concrete base, which may initially be strong but can erode or crack over time. If your patio’s base is looking rough or worn down, you may want to think about replacing it outright. While repairs can be made, in some cases it may be more cost-efficient to replace your patio rather than repair it. Otherwise, there are some quick patio improvements that can be added to your list of house home improvement ideas. Think about adding a fire pit; this will enable you to easily enjoy your patio at night, as well as the autumn and even wintertime. Furthermore, you could consider adding string lighting to your patio area. These are easy to turn off and on and can illuminate your patio, accommodating a lovely evening meal. Your patio can also be updated with improvements to your surrounding landscape, as well as the addition of a BBQ grill. It’s relatively easy to update your patio inexpensively and simply while increasing your property’s overall value.
5. Update Your Water System
You may think that your water system is the best that it can possibly be right now. However, just because your water is clean and drinkable, doesn’t mean that it can’t be improved upon. Many house home improvement ideas surround updating your water system, and with good reason. You may have drinking water with a bad flavor, making the entire experience negative rather than positive. Furthermore, you might notice that your skin is irritated after your bathing. These two issues are often linked to high levels of minerals in your water. Though this is not necessarily toxic, it still takes away from the quality of your water. These issues can often be addressed through water treatment systems and water softeners, which create a great deal of value for your home.
Another thing that you may want to consider is delving into your water’s heating system. Typically, a water heater will need to be replaced every 10 years or so. You may notice that your shower is cooling far too quickly, or is susceptible to ‘running out of hot water when your kitchen or additional bathrooms are being used. This can be addressed by updating your home’s water system and perhaps adding in a new water heater. An updated water system may require some initial investment, but you’ll be much more comfortable (and much more easily able to sell your house down the road) if you have a fresh system.
6. Inquire About A New Roof
In some cases, a new roof is a pressing house home improvement issue. Depending on the location of the home and the materials a roof is made of, a typical roof will last anywhere from 15 to 25 years. If you know that your roof is damaged (whether that damage is visible or internal) you should have it inspected as quickly as possible. At that point, you’ll be able to know whether your roof should be repaired or replaced. But there are other reasons why you may want to inquire about a new roof.
Some roofs are more energy-efficient than others, saving your money every month. For example, certain roofs made with metal fabrication processes reflect heat rather than absorb it. Ultimately, this will ensure that you spend less money on your energy bill while enjoying a new, updated roof.
7. Transform Your Spare Bedroom
Do you have a guest bedroom that you barely use? You may want to consider adding a spare bedroom transformation to your list of house home improvement ideas. The great thing about this kind of improvement is that it can be based on what you as a homeowner want, rather than a ‘need’.
Some homeowners find that they have the space to turn a spare bedroom into a mini home gym. Others consider transforming their extra bedrooms into personal spa spaces, where they can indulge in everything from facials to laser hair removal. Your spare bedroom could be a utilitarian space, where you store items that you don’t constantly use. Or it could be your dream come true. No matter what you want to do in your spare bedroom, try to have some fun with this house home improvement!
8. Have a Garage Sale
If you’re looking to undertake a house home improvement quickly, you may simply want to gather up everything that you don’t need or want anymore and conduct a garage sale. A garage sale is simple. You can conduct it right at your home with little effort and can advertise it through posts to your neighborhood’s social media community. Not only will this get rid of things you don’t want — it will also generate some money for you, especially if you’re selling jewelry!
Having a garage sale is also a great way to facilitate community service opportunities. You could easily make money for your favorite local charity while helping yourself out in the long term.
You may not want to execute all of these house home improvement ideas right now. But undertaking a few of them at least could make a big difference for your home. Dive into improving your house, and take up the challenge head-on!
