Home improvement choices are somewhat personal in nature. If you will be living in your home for a l...

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Home improvement choices are somewhat personal in nature. If you will be living in your home for a
long time, then you can make decisions about what you like the best. If you are selling within a
relatively short period of time, then there are a lot of factors to take into account. This article will
give you ideas on how you can make good decisions when it comes to your home-improvement
projects.
When improving your house, there are some projects that you can do yourself and others that you
cannot. If you feel like you can complete a simple task like repainting the kitchen, then by all means
do it, in order to save yourself some extra money. Just be sure that you know what you're getting
yourself into before you start a project. You don't want to try and remodel your bathroom and find
out half way through that you're not sure if you can complete the task without hitting a pipeline.
Considering the cost of hiring a plumber, you will probably want to do some of the simpler plumbing
tasks yourself. An essential tool is the pipe wrench. It is adjustable, so it can fit a pipe perfectly, and
it provides an excellent grip and leverage. This one tool will more than pay for itself.
If your rooms are looking rough because of nicks and dents in your wall, then you should try putting
toothpaste in the hole to patch it up. Toothpaste can fill small nicks easily and can keep your room
looking great. This is a cheap alternative and a quick fix.
If you have a small bathroom, consider finding ways to save space as your next home improvement
project. It is easy to use an adjacent closet or to reformat an old kitchen cabinet into a new storage
facility for your bathroom. Always make sure not to remove any structural support that the room
has.
Basements generally don't get much in the way of natural lighting. If you want your basement to be
very comfortable, you should start with a good lighting plan. If you have some luck, you will have a
basement with high walls that stick out above ground level. If this is the case, putting in windows
might be an option.
Don't be frightened of large open spaces because you can easily divide them. Divide large spaces
with a ceiling mounted shade or curtain that you are able to pull down. It can cost effectively divide
a large area and you can just pull your divider back up when you're having a large gathering or
party.
If you are working on your own home improvement project involving laying brick, make sure you use
brick ties drilling tools in sufficient quantity. Brick ties are metal clips used to anchor bricks to the
wall structure (wood studs or what have you) behind them. Many do-it-yourself types are seduced by
the apparent sturdiness of bricks and fail to realize that they must be secured to the wall via brick
ties.
Covering every surface of your bathroom or kitchen with decorative tiles is a very expensive project
in terms of both time and money. Instead, add visual impact to these rooms by using glass tiles or
mosaics to create a focal point around the sink area. The project can be done in a single day and will

2. require far less materials.
Choose wallpaper patterns carefully. Avoid using
overpowering patterns in small spaces;
conversely, using a bold design in a very large
room will make it appear cozier. Never use a
patterned wallpaper if you have patterned carpet
or window coverings. For a room full of awkward
corners and recesses, pick a wallpaper with a
random design that the eye doesn't tend to follow.
This will help to disguise any imperfections in the
walls.
If you are looking to purchase new furniture, try not to get anything too big. The bigger the furniture
is, the more cluttered a room will look. Instead, try to go with smaller, tasteful pieces. Arrange them
in a way that the room is still easy to navigate in and out of.
To improve the look of the exterior of your home without breaking the bank, give your garage door
an update. Frequently, the garage is one of the biggest elements of your home that people can see
from afar. You can create a fresh new look for only a few hundred dollars by simply installing a new
garage door.
A good tip is to put some insulation on your plumbing, so that your water will stay hot in the lines
and will not freeze during winter weather. It's easy to find weatherizing tape or foam insulation to
use on on your pipes. When you use weatherizing tape, you will avoid damage to your plumbing due
to freezing.
Any time you must remove your toilet, have a new wax ring on hand for replacing the old one. These
rings are very inexpensive, and it's worth the peace of mind to maintain a good seal between your
toilet and the drain pipe underneath it. Old wax rings or those that have been removed and reused
can disintegrate, causing nasty leaks and damage to your flooring.

3. If you can't stand the smell of wet paint, try mixing a few
drops of real vanilla extract into each gallon of paint--so
long as you aren't using white. The lovely smell of
vanilla will overpower the paint fumes, so painting a
room or piece of furniture can become a much more
pleasant task.
Do not get too personal. When you over-personalize your
home to fit the way you want it to look, it is very
doubtful that you will be able to recover your
investments once you attempt to sell your home. Opt
instead for a timeless look that you still enjoy, and you
will quickly make your money back if you have to sell.
Educate yourself before starting any home improvement
projects. Be sure to research building codes and the
history of the structure before you tear anything apart.
Many projects are left uncompleted
http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh due to a lack of
understanding of how something goes back together after it has been taken apart.
Unless you are an experienced electrician, don't try and do the electrical work yourself. You may be
tempted to run a bunch of extension cords, or change the number of prongs on an outlet, but you
shouldn't attempt it because it can be dangerous if you do it incorrectly. For safety, hire a
professional electrician to do all of the electrical work.
If you are making home improvements near places that require gas lines, be extra cautious. Most
gas lines will have a shutoff so that you can turn the gas in the line off. Be sure to turn this off before
starting a project near a gas line. If you fail to turn off the line, you could have serious trouble.
Using the ideas presented here to make decisions about how, when and why you are going to make
remodeling changes or updates to your home or investment property, will net you a greater return
on your investment and give you some leeway in making greater gains in your home equity.