Since we were affected by a difficult economic environment, we have learned to save money and maintain a decent quality of life. We look for low interest rates, quantity discounts, only buy when they’re on sale, look for private label products, and most importantly, DIY is a mainstay. While there are other DIY opportunities that may already be in your life, home renovation is one area where DIY can save you thousands.
We always strive to improve our quality of life and it starts within our own home. We invest our hard earned money in monthly mortgage payments and ongoing repairs and upgrades. I can only assume that in recent years you’ve taken a closer look at your home improvement budget and because of the cost, you’ve probably scrapped some major projects and replaced them with minor fixes. For example, perhaps instead of tearing down the wall in the family room to open up the space, simply paint the wall a lighter color to make the room feel larger. You saved in two ways, your material cost is significantly less, and you most likely hired a contractor to do the job. Or, perhaps instead of replacing the interior doors and trim, you’ve removed the doors and trim, brought them into the garage, sanded, and stained them until they look like new. I could give you many more examples, but my point is that we can save money while improving the value of our home and the quality of our life.
Tip of the day: Try to avoid doing it yourself if the project is honestly outside of your woodworking realm. How do you know it’s not a DIY? Try this checklist.
- You did before?
- Are you 100% sure you can do it?
- Do you have the necessary tools or are you willing to spend the money to get them?
- Do you have a friend who has done this before and can help you out in a bind?
- Do you have a plan from start to finish?
If you can’t answer most of these questions with a YES, then maybe the job was done for a contractor. Remember, it is generally more expensive for a contractor to fix her work and complete it rather than simply starting the job from scratch.
Ready to start your DIY interior decorating updates?
I hope you had a fun summer painting the deck, mending the fence, and building your yard, but winter is coming and it’s time to look into interior decorating improvement projects. Take a walk around your home and find as many DIY upgrades as you can, pick the upgrade you think will have the biggest impact, and then decide if it fits your budget. If so, good luck! Here are some DIY upgrade ideas that pack a big punch without undergoing a major renovation!
Add decorative moldings and moldings
A little expensive, but quite easy to do and can really make a big impact on the design of any room, especially the dining room and living room.
Add a tiled kitchen backsplash
Moderate price depending on the size of the area you want to cover. This is easier to do than you think. It will require patience and attention to detail. You’ll be amazed at what you can do with the look of a kitchen…amazing.
Replace white plastic nameplates with decorative brass, nickel, or oil-rubbed bronze nameplates
It costs around $50-$100 per room, depending on the style you choose and the number of switches and outlets in each room. What a difference this can make, and it’s probably the easiest upgrade I’ve ever done. You may not notice your switch plates and outlet covers, but just like a bad pair of shoes, everyone else does…and like a good pair of shoes, you’ll want to show them off.
Replace door hardware
Each gate should cost around $30 to $50 depending on the hardware. Just follow the instructions and this is an easy job. You might not think door hardware is much of a problem, but just like switch plates, everyone sees and touches it. It is remarkable and can really accentuate your decor.
By Ricardo Mariano
