Have you looked around your house recently and started making a mental list of the improvements you need to make? If so, you know you’re not the only one in the family who does. If home is really where the heart is, such situations could cause one to grieve. Should you start considering which wall to tear down or which wing of the house is ripe for an addition? There is no need to go to such extremes. Get started with one of these smart moves that will make your home improvement master plan easier.
1. Remove anything that is damaged first. It will be monstrosities like broken floor tiles, crooked chairs, and awkwardly tilted tables that deserve your attention first. Anyone who walks around the house and picks up one of these things will tend to think that their home is being neglected. Get out your home repair toolbox and get to work for a weekend so you have nothing to feel guilty about. With just a little effort, things will start to get better.
2. Start replacing windows. Window replacement is nothing to jump into unless you’re prepared, as it’s one of the most difficult DIY jobs out there. However, old, poorly insulated windows are the enemy of energy efficiency and could cost you more each month in utility bills than you should be paying. Try to go from room to room with this job if you’re figuring out how to pay for it. Obviously, the front of the house is the place to start.
3. Go behind the kitchen counters. Your kitchen counters will face you every day of the week, several times a day, when they are in disrepair. You just can’t get around them, whether it’s for a drink or cooking a meal. Correcting the problem is not that difficult, since there are countless options in the counters. If you want to take the big step and go to granite, that option is always there. Cheap options abound, too, so check out what upgrade shops have to offer.
4. Next, attack the cabinets. Perhaps even more than countertops, kitchen cabinets can make a room look rundown and rundown. Capping is one of those repair jobs that does a lot with little effort. With new cabinetry, new pulls and knobs, it will be hard for a casual observer to tell if you have new cabinets or not. Don’t feel guilty about misleading them in this regard.
5. See how everything looks with a fresh coat of paint. Even after making a number of repairs, both large and small, you may feel the need to continue. Don’t keep touching up until you put on a fresh coat of paint. It could be the move that keeps you focused on the big picture, or just the one that puts the finishing touches on Phase One. Either way, you’ll know where you stand once you take care of this step.
