Cost-saving DIY tips for improving your home

You are on a stringent budget, but you want to improve your home. You may have to think about a diy
project that will allow you to be frugal.

For individuals who like beautiful homes and are on a fixed income, you should try these simple, cost-saving ideas that can improve your surroundings:

• Examine your home and write down the improvements you’d like to see.
• Start with your favorite room, or an area outside.
• If you want to start remodeling your bathroom, think about the changes you would like to make. Do you want to change from vinyl to tiles? Do you want to paint the walls? Thinking about doing electrical work?
• Stop into a Home Depot Store. They are very helpful. In fact, they frequently host classes on diy projects for all areas of the home – interior and exterior.

Yusef Williams, a lead generator at the Home Depot in Ewing, N.J., said, “For people going from vinyl to ceramic floors, they can use an adhesive remover to pull up the vinyl.”

He continued to explain that when you choose ceramic you would first have to lay down either a Wonder Board or a Hardie Backer, then mix your cement and lay on either boards. Then, you should place your ceramic tiles on top of the cemented boards. He said that if you see Hardie Backers that are half-inch thick, then you should use those for your walls. You are to use the quarter-inch ones on your floors.

When on a budget, you will want to pay extra attention to how you choose your ceramic tiles. Williams explained that tiles are made of natural stone, porcelain or ceramic. Porcelain is the most expensive, with ceramic being the least costly.

If you were to hire a contractor to tile your walls and floors, he will charge you for each sq. ft. of tiles he lays. The Home Depot classes can teach you diy tips in laying your tiles.

Do you also want to change your bathroom fixtures? These vary in price according to brand names. Williams said a name such as Glacier Bay is not as popular as Delta, Moen and Pfister. But he cautioned that people should choose a brand based on their budgets and preferences.

Next, you may want to shop for paints to give your bathroom color a lift. Edie Ellison, a paint associate at the Home Depot, advised that you should first decide on a color before visiting the store.

By having your color, Ellison can help you to find a match, based on work that needs to be done, your budget, brands, and prices.
• For those who like high quality paints, but cannot afford them, use coupons, wait for sales, or buy comparable products that are less costly.

Ellison said that Behr paints are the most popular. These paints are available in both paint and primer as one product. She said this combo makes them a more economical way to shop for paints. However, if a shopper cannot afford the Behr, she suggested the comparable Glidden Duo. They also have paint and primer in one, she said.

So, when you have started the painting job, it’s important to make sure your paint is enough for the area to be painted and that your paintbrush will last for the entire job.

More tips:
• Keep a Ziploc bag handy while painting. Instead of continually washing your paintbrush when you take breaks, stick the brush inside and seal it to keep it fresh and clean until you pick it up again.

• Also, if you have Vaseline at home, use it to grease your hands and the brush handle so the paint will not stick to you as you paint. You may still need old rags and T-shirts close by.

You can also save money by performing simple diy electrical repairs. However, some people might be terrified of getting shocked by electrical wires, so they pay contractors.

Nevertheless, when on a limited budget, you can learn how to replace outlets, switches, bulbs, and other electrical pieces yourself.

• Use a flathead screwdriver to remove the outlets and study the inside wirings, then you will be able to reconnect and replace the old ones with new ones.
• Use a box cutter to draw a mark around the old outlet you’ll be removing so the paint won’t peel when you remove it. Study the color of the wires that wrap around the screws so you can similarly rewire the sockets. Typically, white wires wrap silver screws; black wires wrap gold screws, and the bare copper wires wrap green screws.

There is a standard electrical outlet and a preferred one. They differ in price with the preferred one being more expensive. However, the installation is the same for both.

And, changing a light switch is similar to changing the outlet but it does not matter which color wires you wrap around the screws.

Electricians charge about $70 for these jobs that take about 10 minutes to complete.

DIY projects are gratifying, cost saving, and are fun.