Fixing up your home

There’s nothing like the feeling of straightening up a messy room after a long week. The motivation, the feeling of a fresh start, the sense of accomplishment you feel while looking at clean surfaces. Imagine this feeling, but after cleaning your entire home.

We spend so much time indoors that it’s worth fixing things up to make your house a home. Home improvements can mean any project that makes you feel happy and comfortable in your environment. This article will discuss some affordable, easy improvements as well as some more involved projects you can potentially finance using your home's equity.

The best fix ups to do on the weekends

Clean out your closets

Cleaning out your closet can be a cathartic experience. We all have the tendency to hold onto items for longer than necessary. This is a great rainy-day activity. Go through your dresser then closet and make piles of clothes you’re keeping and one for donating. This frees up storage space and provides room for new items. 

Plant flowers

Head over to your local nursery, farmer's market or home improvement store and pick up some new plants. This is a great way to spruce up your back and front yard. Line your driveway with flowers to welcome your guests and cover your backyard in colors that make you smile.

Paint

Throwing some fresh paint on your walls, doors and window trim can be an easy, relatively inexpensive way to fix-up your home. It can also be a fun activity to do with a partner, family member or friend.

Start brainstorming which rooms and pieces you want to paint. Remember that you don’t need to choose one color! An accent wall can be a fun addition to switch up the design of a room without making significant changes.

Make sure you have proper tools for the paint job. This could mean brushes, rollers, sandpaper, painter’s tape, tarps and more. Once you purchase your paint, make sure to prep the room by covering what is needed and opening windows, when necessary, for ventilation.

Replace bathroom and kitchen fixtures

A simple update that goes a long way is replacing bathroom and kitchen fixtures, especially if you’re looking to sell in the near future. Stainless steel appliances can be affordable and are well sought after in the homebuying market. This can be anything from doorknobs, sinks, faucets, to cabinet fixtures and more.

Clean your gutters

Gutters, when left unclean, can be a cause for flooding, especially in basements. Although it isn’t the most exciting project, it can go a long way for preventing irreversible damage in the future. Grab some gloves, a tool to remove the debris, a sturdy ladder and take time each year to ensure your gutters are free of debris.

Rent or buy a power washer

Power washers use high pressure streams of water to remove dirt and other materials from outdoor surfaces. You can rent a power washer for a couple of hours or buy one if you plan on doing it more than a few times a year. Use it to clean off your deck, patio and any other surface you’d like on or around your house.

Bigger budget fix ups

Replace your roof

Replacing your roof is a bigger project. The cost varies depending on the size of your home, the damage to your roof and the quality of materials you’re looking for. Because of this, it’s hard to narrow down a price range. A roof replacement may cost anywhere from $5k to $30k. It may be worth looking into financial assistance for this kind of project.

Bathroom remodel

Minor bathroom remodels have a 102 percent average return at resale. A bathroom remodel can cost anywhere between $3-$15k depending on how much you are redoing, the size of the bathroom and the materials. Some homeowners will replace the toilet and sink, but leave the floor, walls and cabinetry.

A full bathroom remodel takes longer and can become more involved during the process. It’s possible that problems are uncovered as construction moves forward, so always be prepared from both a budget and timeline perspective.

Landscaping

Landscaping has a high return on investment (ROI) as well. You can find inspiration from your neighbors and possibly even go to a local garden center for free design services. Adding fun focal points like fountains, floral arrangements, pathways, a gazebo and stylized shrubbery is a great way to bring life back into your home. It also enhances your home’s curb appeal.

Kitchen remodel

Major kitchen remodels have an ROI of about 90% in resale and can cost around $40k in a midrange home. A major remodel usually means gutting the kitchen and putting it back together, re-doing the layout or replacing most kitchen items. If you’re planning to sell, staying with neutral kitchen colors is always a good bet.

Exterior renovations

There are various projects to take on in this realm to fix up your home such as:

• Painting your house
  
• Replacing doors
• Re-pave your driveway
• Replacing windows
• Installing fiber cementing
• Adding accents (e.g., shingles, decorative trim, panels)
• Adding a porch
• Putting up new fencing
• Installing outdoor lighting

You can’t go wrong with any of these improvements and it will only increase the appeal of your home for a buyer in the future.

How to pay for your new project

You can pay for home improvements in several ways:

• Savings account
  
• Home remodel or home repair loans
• Credit cards
• Home equity
• Refinancing your mortgage with cash out

Updating your home through both small and large improvements can be an empowering experience. Whether it is cleaning out your closet, replacing your roof, redesigning your kitchen or landscaping, any improvement can go a long way. It's important to live in a space that makes you feel good, and we are here to help get you there.