Most of us like our Home or at least, most of us want to improve the place where we are living. And you’re right, you get more comfort, and you add value to your house. However, during this economic downturn, I believe that our hard-earned money has to be spent on important and urgent things, right? However, I’m the first to say that comfort, especially in my home can really bring me a nicer lifestyle. I feel better, my family feels better and my guests are enjoying the place.

So, there are more than money and furniture for a home. Yes, in some kind, it brings well-being. You do not have to sell your arm and your leg to improve your home, and I will show you in a minute, how you can maximize your comfort while minimizing your costs. Here are my little tips for home improvement that will greatly enhance the comfort and the value of your residence.

The first and easy home improvement idea, I can give you today is to face lift completely your home interior. You can reasonably spend around $1,000 to add real value to your rooms. For example, you can use fresh coat paint on all the walls of your rooms, very easily, and if you’re about to sell your house then you can add this cost to the final price without a problem.

Another tip is to renew your photos if you have any in your home. That’s a great way to change your environment easily. You only have to take down your old photos into an album. I believe that this part can be a fun part. My last tips here are to change your carpet and if you really do not have sufficient money then do your job and clean it more than the usual. Use professional tools and cleaners to have a real result (and not an average result). Maybe you can hire someone.

Let me be very clear about that, really spend around $1,000. Do not believe that $100 will be OK.

You can do the same for your outdoors and your yard. Paint your trim with a new and a fresh color. Pay more attention to your front door and some exterior elements like your mail box and the lights. Most of the time they are very used, eroded and a simple painting can do the real thing. You have to know that your “garden” contributes to around 15 to 20 percent of the value of your property. Maybe to add more value you can plant another garden. Always, if you are short on money then just make repairing.

And what about your bathroom… for less than $1,000 you can greatly improve the appeal and the value of your whole house. You know, if you are selling your home, the bathroom is sometimes very important to add some thousands dollars to your price. Yes, make a fresh coat on paint on your walls. Maybe, you will only have to change your toilet and to change the sink to make a great impact. If you hate them, do it now, you will love them. Search for a nice vanity and look for those luxurious towels.

For your kitchen, your main job is to impress your visitors and your guests, and you do not have to spend a fortune on it. Do not install new cabinets, simply paint the door or change the door. One good tip, I can give you here for your kitchen is to buy a beautiful counter top. You do not have to buy expensive granite or quartz (because it’s really expensive if you want to improve your home in a tight budget). A great alternative is to buy inexpensive stones that look like laminates. The overall look and quality are perfect.

That’s it. If you hire professionals, you will have to pay around $15,000 – $20,000, But you can do all for less than $2,000. That’s how you can enjoy home improvement at an affordable cost. Believe me, your well-being cost much than that.

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Help answer the question about living room improvement

Ladies: In general, does your husband like helping out with the home improvement projects around the house?
We bought a new home almost two years ago, and it's just as bare as it was the day we bought it. We have furniture for all of the rooms, but there are other things that I have been wanting to do such as: hang ceiling fans, install a garage door opener, hang curtains and valances, get our windows measured for wood blinds, install a screen door and a new front door, etc. The problem is I don't know how to do any of those things. My husband doesn't really know how either, but he's not interested in learning. I know how to use a power drill and hang pictures and other "no brainer" things, but I have a husband here, who's tall and healthy, and he won't even try.

I suggested we do things together. Since neither of us know what to do, I thought it would be a good idea for both of us to try and figure it out. On the rare occasion that I can get him to do something he wants to take control of it. After weeks of basically begging him he finally hung the curtain rods, but believe me when I say he didn't want to do it. A year or so after we were married I had to "convince" him to purchase a new living room set. He finally agreed. Earlier this year I was finally able to convince him that we needed a bedroom set. He finally agreed. I purchased a used dining table and china cabinet off Craigslist for a good price earlier this year, so that's the only reason he was in agreeance to that.

I understand he's a man and he's probably not interested in home decor like I am. That's my passion. But when I want to go find a picture, accessories for the house, furniture, etc. I have to do it alone. When I went to look for curtains I went by myself. There are times when I ask him to drive me somewhere to look at something for the house, and he refuses to go (because he doesn't like the fact that I walk around the store twice to make sure I'm not missing a deal). When he does agree to take me, which is rare because I try not to ask, he has an attitude. I can't even ask him to help me move anything around the house.

Yesterday, I asked him to help me move the china cabinet down a little bit. It's two pieces and I'm short and didn't want to turn the whole thing over. He was in the middle of playing a video game when I asked him. I didn't want to ask him to begin with but I had no choice. He acted like I was killing him. He told me I should have asked him when his friends were over (on New Year's Eve … as if I was thinking about it then) so he could have help. There's only a few glasses in the china cabinet and we moved those, and I was willing to help him … I just didn't want to move it by myself.

I just don't understand this. This is his house too, but it's almost like I have to beg him to do anything around here. I guess he figures because he's not interested in home decor and how things look, and since it's my thing, he shouldn't have to help. When I told him I was going to hire my cousin's handyman to help us out, he said, "I didn't think we had money for that" in a sarcastic tone. I've got to do something. I bought shelving for the pantry several months ago. After trying to get it up I asked him. He started talking about what I'd have to have to hang it, etc. … when all the stuff we need is already at home. He just makes excuse after excuse when I ask him to do something of that nature … and he always has something negative to say like, "That hanger isn't strong enough to hold that mirror" or "This isn't the right type of screw" when in reality it works just fine.

A little history – he is an only child and his mother has never been into decorating. His father is not a home improvements type of guy either. In their home it's just whatever … as long as they can use it they don't care how it looks. That's fine with me and I can respect that. That's their home and I don't look down on them because they're not into decorating, but I am …

I am sharp when it comes to computers and business stuff, but hardware, tools, and measurements just go right over my head. I'm horrible when it comes to math. But if I could learn how to do these things I would. I'm tired of begging him and as long as I sit and wait on him to become interested in what I'm doing (he'll never be that), I'll be sitting in the same place.

I have several relatives who know how to do flooring, ceiling fans, etc. and I asked one to come help me the other day. The first thing he said is, "Okay … but what about your husband?" I'm so embarassed because my family will ask if we've got this up and that up, and I have to say no … and they're all looking like "Doesn't she have a husband?"

What should I do?
Edit: I was able to find some people to paint the living room, kitchen, and master bedroom … after asking him to help me paint. I've never painted before, but I was willing to try because it couldn't be THAT hard.
Edit 2: Yesterday, I decided to return the curtains I'd bought for my living and dining room. The panels were easy to hang, but I bought a scarf and couldn't get it to act right. Because I'm so short, and because the scarf is so long … you really need two people to work with it. When I took it back to the store that's what the lady said … exactly what she said … it takes to people … I just laughed. I don't have a second person.

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Tags: Estate, for, health and wellbeing, home improvement, home improvement ideas, home improvement repair, home renovation, home service, Homes, Real, sale

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 at 9:13 am and is filed under Living Room Improvement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.