Hidden Home Improvement Hacks That Only Contractors Know About

When it comes to transforming fixer uppers into forever homes, few are as skilled and savvy as twins Drew and Jonathan Scott. The Property Brothers are on a mission to help couples find, buy, and transform houses into the homes of their dreams—and they do it all on a strict timeline and budget. The reclaimed yard provides a nice place to relax in a controlled outdoor environment, another factor driving the pandemic building boom. 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.

  • “In terms of like measured history in the United States, this is the, the highest levels of, of home improvement spending we’ve ever seen.”
  • With a few inexpensive tools, an informational article or two and a little patience, you’ll be surprised how simple some of the fixes really are.
  • If, however, you can’t afford to upgrade to wood, new carpeting is still a major selling point.

The Taylor residence is filled with the typical odds and ends that you would expect from a series firmly entrenched in the 1990s. The set designers brought those pieces in from two specific sources. Boost curb-appeal in one day.Invest in a garage door made from solid wood and decked in stunning hardware — especially if it sits at the front of your house.

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. “As soon as COVID hit, we needed someplace the kids could play,” Buhr says, noting that neighborhood parks were closed. “So we put a playhouse down first and then found the kids liked it so much that we went ahead and built a living room. And then my wife needed the space to work.” Why Home Improvement Has Surged And How It’s Changing America The pandemic has sparked a sustained, unprecedented tidal wave of home and backyard projects.

This is particularly important with extensions and structural changes that can affect the rebuild cost of your home. Make sure your contents cover is enough to cover any extra furniture you’ve bought, too. If you plan to carry out any home improvements, you should tell us before the work is carried out.

Despite Devastating Effects on the Broader Economy, Pandemic Has Been a Boon for US Home Improvement

Big or small one of the biggest challenges of keeping your reno project on time and budget is having a plan and a organized work space that is safe. So as your incandescent bulbs burn out, you are thinking it may be a good time to switch to LED bulbs. LEDs have been around for a few years now and we all know basically 3 things about them. They are pricey, they last much longer than incandescent or CFLs and they are more energy efficient… Hi all, we have a 1960s cottage that we are finally updating. I am at a loss as to how to go about finishing the window that is located in the shower.

Upgrade Light Fixtures

However, to remove a wall safely, it needs to be non-load-bearing, meaning a wall that isn’t integral to the structure of your home. Laminate flooring comes in a variety of shades, and costs between $3 – $8 per square foot. You can pay, on average, $2,352 for a professional installation, or measure precisely and DIY it on your own. Instead, for the interior walls of your small home, opt for cool colors that give rooms an open and airy look.

Put Up Motion Detector Lighting

The rain gutters on your house are more than just convenient. They’re essential for keeping your home’s foundation free from excess water stress. Your foundation already has a big job to do holding up the house. The quantity of water in a small rainfall event is surprisingly massive.

We are always adding new articles and videos, so be sure to add us on your favorites and keep checking back to see what’s new. We are also on facebook if you want to check out our fan page. Home improvement was popularized on television in 1979 with the premiere of This Old House starring Bob Vila on PBS. American cable channel HGTV features many do-it-yourself shows, as does sister channel DIY Network.Danny Lipford hosts and produces the nationally syndicated Today’s Homeowner with Danny Lipford. Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete co-host the nationally syndicated The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.