Local authority home improvement loans

Cut holes in the boards or sheets for outlets, phone jacks, and other wall necessities. Be sure to finish it with a waterproof sealant if you are installing it behind or around a sink. For a modern take on beaded board, try wider plank paneling. One of the first living walls, window boxes have been a longtime favorite of gardeners. Filled with a lush display of flowers, they add charm to any exterior window. Not only do they give windows a nice finish, but they also bring gorgeous flowers up and into view from inside the home.

• An audit simply tells you what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your house.
• “Nobody will install a skylight on a roof that’s not brand new,” explains Pacific-Northwest agent Dawn Rushton in HomeLight’s guide to the added value of skylights.
• It also comes with a long list of things to do to keep the home in working order or improve our surroundings.
• Here are our top 5 home improvement tips that can transform any home renovation project.
• If two tests give a high reading, consult a radon mitigation contractor .
• To quickly and easily rehabilitate your existing fireplace, a gas or wood-burning insert adds energy efficiency to your home without tearing apart your hearth and mantel.

Improve lighting and ventilation by replacing an existing light fixture with a ceiling fan. A ceiling fan will help you save money by not running the air-conditioner on those days when all you need is air movement. To keep your family comfortable and energy costs low, set your fan to spin counterclockwise in the summer and clockwise in the winter. The clockwise motion in the winter makes cool air rise and redistributes warm air. On-call handyman services to take care of all your small projects and home repairs – fast. Drywall, doors, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and so much more.

Maximum Value Mechanical Projects: Water Systems

They usually involve setting a collector in your home for a week or so and then sending it to a lab for analysis. (One manufacturer is Pro-Lab and charges $40; includes a postage-paid envelope.) Conduct the test in the lowest livable area. Motion detector lights are a proven crime deterrent, and standard hard-wired models cost as little as $15.

And a lot of the work going on in backyards slips under the radar of people like Anderson. Astoria Camille, for instance, is working on a scrappy project behind her mother’s home in Kansas City’s Troostwood neighborhood. The categories of home improvement surging the most, though, have to do with work outside the home — just outside of it, that is, primarily in the backyard. There has been an almost threefold increase in building decks, and the number of people putting up fences is up sharply as well, according to Anderson. Anderson says that rock-bottom interest rates also make home improvements more attractive. And he says that in unsettling times, spending on one’s home can be a comforting investment.

Home improvement ideas: what will help your home sell?

You can use the cash for home improvements or anything else you need – debt consolidation, tuition or even a newer car. Let’s look at how cash-out refinancing works, and what you need to know about using cash from your home for repairs and renovations. If cupboard and storage space is limited in your kitchen, just look up. Overhead pot racks can hold your bulky kitchen items right where you need them while making a rustic design statement in your home. Check out your home’s basement, and where there are I-beams or wooden support beams in the ceiling, that’s where the home’s weight rests and you can’t remove walls above it. Small homes come with even smaller nooks and crannies that feel dark, dingy, and end up making the room feel smaller when they’re ignored.

If you buy a ready-made mantel, don’t be afraid to paint it or add moldings. A simple fireplace makeover can begin with items you already have in your home. Shop your existing inventory of accessories and display a few on your mantel for a quick, no-cost refresh. If you’re looking for a quick way to change the look of your room, hanging a new light fixture is your best bet. A well-made light fixture looks better, lasts longer, and gives clearer light, so inspect your fixture’s construction the way you would a piece of furniture.