When it comes to home improvement, many homeowners believe in an all-or-nothing approach. They prefer to wait for a total remodel rather than tackling a series of smaller, more manageable projects. Choosing the latter can save money and make your home a more attractive and enjoyable place to live. Here are some tips and tricks to get you started.
Changing a tire can be problematic if you don’t happen to be a very strong person. Loosening the lug nuts, in particular, can take more strength than many of us have. Use a cheater bar! A yard long piece of pipe that is just big enough to fit over the end of your lug wrench will give you that extra leverage to get the job done.
Add weather stripping to doors and windows to give your home’s energy efficiency a big boost. This very inexpensive fix from the hardware store, will seal out the hot or cold air and make your heating and cooling system much more effective. You will notice, too, that you can cut down on the drafts that you feel on those chilly nights.
Organize your closet by purchasing some designer paper boxes. You can usually find paper boxes with a nice patterned design at your local store. Use these boxes to organize your seasonal clothing, hide winter accessories, purses you aren’t using or shoes you won’t need for a while. Using patterned paper boxes makes the layout of your closet appear more organized and provide a hiding spot for things you’re not using.
Cutting boards are an important asset to your kitchen. A great way to prolong the life of your wooden cutting board is by heating mineral oil in a bowl of hot water and then rubbing it on the scuffed spots with a soft cloth. This should help repair your cutting board for quite a few more uses.
Add a bit more swing to your home run swings when playing baseball, by putting a little uppercut into them. When it’s a higher pitch, add a bit of a slight uppercut to your swing to really send that ball flying. That kind of swing relies more on powerful hip and midsection muscles to be successful, so you also get a great workout.
The tools you use will have a significant impact on the quality of your work, so don’t skimp on this important investment. You may spend more initially, but you’ll save money down the road. Better quality products survive wear and tear and last longer. Tools aren’t exactly cheap, so replacing them often isn’t something you want to be doing.
Be aware of the type of product you are using to clean out stubborn clogs. Not all cleaners are made the same, and some are extremely harsh. Drain cleaners with active ingredients that are crystallized, for instance, may adhere to the interior of pipes, causing long-term damage. If you have a septic tank, be especially careful to use only products that are approved for use with it.
Rather than wait decades to save up the money for a total remodel, why not look for home improvement projects of all sizes and scales? By following the advice in this article, you can discover the joys of making occasional enhancements and upgrades to your home without waiting for a day that may never come.