When you’re in the market to buy a house, you may end up finding the perfect dream home with every feature and amenity you could possibly want. But sometimes, there’s a catch: it’s a bit of a fixer-upper. With just a little bit of home improvement, you can turn that fixer-upper into the jewel of the neighborhood.
Simple Home Improvements Tips for Any House
Start with a Plan
No matter what needs to be done to your home, it is essential to come up with a concrete and comprehensive plan for your home improvements. This plan should contain the total project cost, materials to be used, time requirements and the intended design.
You should come up with a budget, a schedule and you can even craft preliminary mock-ups using design tools like SketchUp or Floorplanner.
Once you’re done with the first round of home improvements, you should come up with a year-round maintenance calendar to keep up with seasonal repairs and also set aside funds every month for inevitable maintenance down the road.
Check the Essentials
In any fixer-upper, there’s going to be some things that need more work than others. However, when you move into a new home, you should always start with the most important parts.
These essential components include:
- Roof
- Plumbing
- Heating
- Foundation
- Electrical
- Doors
- Windows
Every other home improvement is mostly for aesthetic, but these are the real key elements that can have a big effect on your life if they aren’t working properly.
Consider Home Value
Even though you may have just purchased a home, it’s always good to make sure you’re paying attention to its home value. Think of your home as an investment. You want to ensure everything is done with precision and with the highest quality materials.
Therefore, the next areas of focus should be the kitchen and bathroom, these two rooms contribute most to home value. You’ll probably end up spending the most time in these rooms, so why not make them count? Even the smallest repairs can make a huge difference in the long run.
Hire Wisely
Somewhere along the way, your house may require professional work. For these improvements, you’ll need to hire a licensed contractor. This decision should not be taken lightly.
To protect yourself from a nightmare contractor, make sure that before you hire anyone that you:
- Field recommendations from people you trust.
- Meet the contractor in person.
- Check online reviews.
- Get a quote.
If you take these steps seriously, you should wind up with a contractor that can help you get what you’re looking for out of your home
By following these tips and tricks, your home will go from fixer-upper to dream home in no time!
