When you hear the words “home improvement,” do dollar signs spin in your eyeballs like slot machine icons? KA-CHING! Don’t worry; take a few deep breaths and get ready for some quick and easy home improvements that won’t break the bank. Home improvements serve two purposes. They make your home a more enjoyable place to live, and they can increase your home’s value. Here are some home improvements you can do for under $150.
Paint your kitchen cabinets
Make your cabinets like new with a paint job that’s easier than you imagined. Shiny new cabinets can add color and class to a kitchen. Click here to watch a video that will show you how easy it can be to paint your kitchen cabinets. You can do this!
Get your wood floors shining
There’s nothing like the warmth of hardwood floors to make a home more elegant. Wood floors need regular maintenance to keep them looking beautiful. Dust, dirt, and heavy foot traffic can leave them looking old and dreary. Flooring experts recommend polishing your wood floors at least once a year, and more often in areas of heavy foot traffic. Be sure to use a product that is specifically designed for hardwood floors. Ask at your local hardware store if you are uncertain.
Crown molding adds a touch of class
Do you want to add some eye candy to walls, windows, and doors, look no further than crown molding. It’s easy to install, and it works wonders for giving rooms a fresh, new look. For an elegant, classic look, apply crown molding to ceilings. You can find a variety of affordable crown moldings at your local home store.
Clean your carpets
Were The Monkees still in their prime-time television run the last time you had your carpets cleaned? Even if you vacuum weekly for surface dirt, dust, and pet hair, your carpet has long been gathering stains, dust mites, pet odors, and even mold or mildew. It’s time for professional carpet cleaning. When choosing a carpet cleaning company, check out their references online, see if they are BBB members, or better yet, ask friends and acquaintances if they’ve had their carpets professionally cleaned and who they used. When interviewing carpet cleaners, ask if they are licensed and insured. Find out if the price they quote will include specialty treatments like pet stain removal. Will they move furniture during the cleaning? Will they finish the job with a low or neutral pH treatment to keep new stains at bay? And finally, what kind of guarantee to they offer, and for how long?
Spruce up your walkway with greenery
Nothing delivers the curb appeal of a tastefully landscaped walkway. Visit a local garden center with a photo of your walkway, and ask for easy-to-maintain landscaping suggestions. Low-growing shrubs and flowering perennials are great choices. Tuck them in with a thick bed of mulch for a clean, inviting look. Tend to your landscaping weekly, pulling out any weeds that might be popping up. It’s good exercise and better than spraying herbicides and poisons around your home.
Get a programmable thermostat
Did you know that a programmable thermostat can save you up to $150 a year in utility bills. Another bonus is they’re free of mercury, and that’s good news for the environment. They’re available at most home improvement centers. If you have a thermostat already installed, your new programmable thermostat is not difficult to install. Or, if you’re not the do-it-yourself type, call an HVAC specialist or an electrician. Either way, it should still be able to come in close to the $150 budget.
Low-voltage lighting
When it comes to front walkways and deck stairs, low-voltage lighting both beautifies and improves safety. As the name implies, they are low-voltage, so they don’t waste power or money. Applied to the right places, they can add a touch of elegance to evening outdoor spaces. Since these need to hooked up to an electrical source, most often with buried cables, your best bet is to employ the services of an electrician or highly experienced handyman to the job for you.
Buying or selling a home in Asheville/ Buncombe or nearby?
Avoid unpleasant surprises that can wreck a deal. Call Asheville Home Inspector Peter Young 828-808-4980 before purchase or sale of a home. Click the link below to make an appointment.
