Monday, June 1, 2009

Top Home Improvement Dos and Don'ts

By Riche Goldmann

When it comes to home improvements, you should be clear on your end goals before you begin any work. For example, are you planning to increase the value of your home with your improvements or do you just want to make better use of the space you have available for family expansion?

Having an ending objective in mind will help you in deciding the extent to which you will complete your home improvement projects. Updating your home to make it feel warmer and more inviting can also have the dual advantage of increasing value as well. There are some things that you should look out for when doing home improvement projects. The following are some excellent home improvement dos and don'ts.

DO be sure that you have everything you will be need to complete your project before any work gets done. There is absolutely nothing more ridiculous than getting half through a project and then realizing that you do not have the all the necessary tools or materials to complete the project. If you are doing anything that requires high elevations or high reaching, be sure to get yourself a Little Giant Ladder to maximize your safety while working on your project.

DO being home improvements by completing minor work like fixing and replacing broken items in and around your home. Simple maintenance is often one of the biggest and best updates that you can give your home. It also improves the overall safety and security of your home.

DON'T put off minor maintenance jobs. When something does break or develops a fault, get it fixed as soon as you can. A home with minor unfixed problems is a sign to potential home buyers that your home probably has bigger problems, even if that isn't the case. These can also lead to costly repairs later on down the line.

DO give your home an instant face-lift be repainting the inside and the outside of your house. Nothing is cheaper or more effective than a $20 gallon of paint. Make sure that you keep you colors neutral if you want to sell your home in the near future, or if you want to make a room fell larger than it really is.

DON'T follow fads and trends with home improvement projects like painting your room in bright colored and contrasting paints. Bright colors can make a room appear smaller than it is even though they might coordinate with your current furniture selections. Again, they may not appeal to a future home buyer. If your goal is to increase the value of your home, you may want to rethink this idea. However, if you plan on staying for a while, wild colors may not be a bad idea.

DO take advantage of all of the space in your home to maximize effect. Lots of houses have unfinished basements and attics that can be converted into game rooms, guest rooms, media rooms, or office space. If you have a room like this in your home and you are not currently using it, consider one of the aforementioned suggestions. It can really have a huge impact.

DON'T overcapitalize on your home improvement project. You should not spend more money on any one project if you will not be able to at least recoup the cost of the project when you sell it. This is especially true if your plan on selling your home one day. The best places to renovate and get your money back are in adding additional bedrooms, renovating kitchens, and baths. It's fine to work on your home in stages as well if you can't afford to do it all at once, and whenever possible, try to avoid second mortgages, as it really isn't worth it to your financial health.

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