Aging houses are fueling a home improvement boom

If you, or someone that you live with, are disabled, you might be able to get a disabled facilities grant for adaptations or providing facilities for the disabled person. By law, these rules must not discriminate against you because of your age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. In addition, a local authority might have policies which don’t allow other types of discrimination such as discrimination against older people. A local authority can offer different types of help with home improvements. It will have its own rules about the types of help it will offer, and about the conditions you must meet in order to qualify for help.

  • Occasionally, episodes also include information on how to maintain and restore antique furniture as well as short biographies of notable furniture makers from decades past.
  • If you, or someone that you live with, are disabled, you might be able to get a disabled facilities grant for adaptations or providing facilities for the disabled person.
  • Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete co-host the nationally syndicated The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.

Create extra storage in a snap with kits for bookcases, shelving, or cabinetry that you assemble yourself. Try a combination of open shelving and cabinets for a mix of storage and display space. Arrange wall-mount shelves above a desktop framed by cabinets or file drawers to fashion a home office or a kid’s homework station. With flagstone or cement pavers, you can easily make an outdoor patio in a weekend, no mortar required. Add potted plants and outdoor seating, such as a bistro set or an eclectic mix of colorful chairs, to create a quaint backyard escape.

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If running a power supply would be difficult, buy ones that run on solar power. Don’t stop at motion sensor lights; install a full home security system to match. Insulating an attached garage has some special considerations that you must address differently then a unattached garage.

Stain Wood Cabinets

“A lot more people are focusing on their family, their homes, you know, the stuff in our immediate vicinity. People’s bubbles have shrunk.” “Demand for outdoor living products is surging,” says Nancy Musselwhite, a building materials industry analyst for Principia Consulting. “Homeowners sheltering in place during peak COVID regulations developed a renewed interest in their backyards, really, as an extension of their home.” Whether it’s a conservatory or another kind of conversion, adding more space to your home will dramatically increase a property’s value. Just make sure the style and shape of your extension fits in with the rest of your house. Our remodeling experts will help you choose from a wide selection of doors that fit the look and feel of your home.

Garage Storage Shelves

Expand your storage space and learn the basics of home improvement woodworking by building and hanging custom shelving in your garage. Each garage is unique to the home, and storage needs are unique to each homeowner, so custom shelves make the most of your space. It’s better to be safe than sorry, which surely applies to your home security! If you want to add more safety features to your home but can’t seem to follow through, make it one of your top priorities in the new year. Participants of a Maytag survey prioritized upgrading their countertops to something more on-trend.

These loans are only available from some local authorities, so you should contact your local authority to check whether the scheme operates in your area. If you’re up for a little sweat equity, roll up your sleeves and remove anything dead yourself. Just follow the directions for planting, and keep it watered and mowed. “A good, sturdy garden rake can tidy up the borders, and instead of renting a lawn edger, a sharp, heavy-duty putty knife works just as well,” Matke says.

Recent years have seen an increase in the recycling or upcycling of household goods and fixtures. If you’re remodeling your home, you’ll likely have plenty to send to the landfill. You can rethink how you get rid of it, save some disposal costs and maybe make a few dollars selling reusable items. An audit simply tells you what you can do to improve the energy efficiency of your house. But, following the advice presented in the audit results can save tons of money on future energy bills.