Welcome to Gaia! :: View User's Journal | Gaia Journals

A comfortable, beautiful home is all you dream of. When you do your homework before embarking on a DIY project, you can be sure of performing your task successfully and well. This article delves into the different techniques to achieve what you desire.



When it comes to home improvement, be sure that you are not causing your home to awkwardly stand out from the rest of the neighborhood. This will ensure you will be able to resell it and also, that you will not receive scorn from your neighbors. Be creative, but try to lean toward conservative with colors. With additions, keep your the total size of your home somewhat near that of your neighbors.



Add shutters to the outside windows on your home for a dramatic change in architecture. If your exterior looks a bit drab or flat, you can use this simple tip to give it much more depth and interest. Paint them a coordinating color to your house, often the color of the front door.



For the best quality home improvements, consider what you want to accomplish before you begin. The more original it is, the more excited you'll be about it. This means that you will really want to do a great job. Talk to friends and family before you engage in a home improvement project.



To keep your toilets clean, pour bleach inside the bowl. Bleach has a strong smell, but it is terribly effective at killing germs. Scented bleach can also help keep the odor at bay.



Rearranging your furniture can be fun, but oftentimes you need visual aides to determine where to put everything. A great way to arrange furniture with visual aiding is by taking a piece of graph paper and cutting out square shapes in a scaled format to represent your different pieces of furniture. You can easily toss your graph paper pieces around and decide how everything can fit together. It definitely saves you the trouble of pushing your furniture around first.



If you're looking to add variety to your rooms with paint you can do it very quickly and cost effectively. Paint one wall a different striking color in your room that doesn't match the other wall colors. This will create a new focal point in your room and make your space feel like it just had a real update.



To raise your home's value without spending a lot of money, take the time to replace your light fixtures. Light fixtures are one of the first things that catches a buyer's eye, and a dingy and dated one can change their opinion of the whole room. An inexpensive new light fixture will make the room feel fresh and new.



Pile your home improvement lumber behind your couch! Don't have a place to store your long pieces of lumber while you're working on a project? Just pile it neatly behind your couch and no one will ever know it's there. You'll keep it dry, safe, and ready for the next time you are inspired!



You should drain all of the water out of the hot water heater once every six months. When you take the time to do this, you will find that it it will run much more efficiently, and you will help to improve the life of the heater, too. This can be as easy as finding the valve to drain it and putting a hose on it to drain.



If you are renovating your bathroom, consider installing a steam shower. Steam showers have many health benefits, as well as being more comfortable to use than a standard shower. Steam showers are great after exercise, to soothe tired muscles, or for people with asthma and other breathing difficulties. There are even steam shower products that can be added to your current shower unit.




<img src="http://www.furnituredepot.com/cachedimages/8/8969aadfc12b80b5aeedc18b5e92c61b.image.1196x809.jpg" />



Installing new door knobs in place of old ones will increase safety and improve home appearance. It doesn't take a lot of time to do this. A screwdriver is going to be the biggest tool that you will use. Replacement knobs can be found at your local hardware store.



Painting is one of the quickest and least expensive methods to improve more resources . If you are contemplating repainting the exterior of your home, you should evaluate whether you can do the job yourself. Painting is a job that requires only a few basic tools and a moderate level of skill. If you do your own repainting, you can save a significant amount of money. When evaluating if you can do it yourself, you need to consider how much available time you have to do this time consuming job, your health and fitness level and whether you possess the skills to get the job done.



Something that can be done in the way of home improvement is to theme your rooms. For example you may want to have a teddy bear theme in one of your bathrooms and have a native Indian theme in your living room. Doing this will add a level of flare and comfort to your home.



Having new windows installed in your home can be very beneficial. Old windows often do not have a tight seal and allow heat and air to escape, causing an increase in your monthly electric bill. Double pane, vinyl windows are a great choice. Not only do they make your home more energy efficient, but they are easy to clean and increase your home's value.



Look at home improvements as an investment, not a costly endeavor. You can save on electricity with newer appliances. Heating costs will go down as you will be improving your insulation. Make it your goal to budget your finances well and keep setting goals.



Extend the life of your hot water tank by draining it completely once per year. Water tanks that are never emptied may have several inches of sediment in Recommended Internet page , which can contribute to premature wear on the tank. Shut the gas or electricity supply off before draining the tank by using the valve located at the bottom.



Be prepared for http://www.geekwire.com/2015/angies-list-shares-drop-following-amazons-move-into-home-improvement/ to take longer than anticipated. Whether you are installing a shower, a sink or a toilet, have a backup plan in case you and your family have to go without for a while. Make sure everyone showers before beginning the work or arrange with a family member to let you spend the night if need be.



When considering any home improvement project, it is important to evaluate whether you can do it yourself, whether you can afford the costs, and whether the results you will achieve are worth it. Your home is one of your greatest assets and can serve you and your family for generations to come if you take care to improve it and upkeep it wisely.