Handyman & Home Improvement

The Mighty House radio show has been a labor of love for over a decade (another number I should know… but I don’t… it’s been longer than that). If you are a listener or a viewer over this amazing internet thing, Your feedback is what keeps us going. Please comment on Facebook or call the show – you can say whatever you like – it’s your dime. These days “home improvement” spans a gamut of possibilities. So, as we all take shelter from the storm in our big house, little shotgun shack, trailer home or cardboard box….

  • For example, its rules might say you can’t get a grant if your savings are over a certain limit.
  • “Small” homes are typically defined at 1,000 square feet or less, but they can feel a lot more cramped with the wrong paint color or layout.
  • Add natural light in a dark room or hallway with a skylight.Velux Sun Tunnels funnel a diffused glow into any space; it’s a day job for a pro.
  • This mother-daughter duo has taken the world of home renovation by storm with their super popular HGTV show.
  • Perhaps the most important or visible professionals in the renovation industry are renovation contractors or skilled trades.

These are the builders that have specialized credentials, licensing and experience to perform renovation services in specific municipalities. Energy-efficient thermal insulation, replacement windows, and lighting. Upgrading rooms with luxuries, such as adding gourmet features to a kitchen or a hot tub spa to a bathroom.

Install a Ceiling Fan

Even if your neighbor’s house has a high level of radon, that doesn’t mean yours does. Each house is different, and age doesn’t matter and can be found in new homes. Radon test kits are available at home centers and hardware stores for about $10.

Redesigning your front yard can completely change the feel of your house. Something as simple as planting flowers in the entryway will draw in party guests, and, when the time comes to sell, curb appeal is attractive to prospective buyers. Improve your front landscaping, paint your front door, power wash the front walk or complete another curb appeal project this year. “You simply will not get your money back on those types of additions, and buyers might be more apt to reconsider if it’s not something they’ve always dreamed of, too,” Matke explains. For professional flooring installation, expect to pay between $10 – $12 per square foot for faux wood, and up to $30 for real wood. An average quality carpeting will cost about $8- $12 per square foot, installed, says Matke.

Browse Ideas by Room

“Small” homes are typically defined at 1,000 square feet or less, but they can feel a lot more cramped with the wrong paint color or layout. The Property Brothers aren’t the only siblings in the home renovation game! Brother-sister duo Leanne and Steve Ford specialize in transforming quirky spaces with unusual layouts into cool and contemporary homes. With Leanne’s interior design expertise and Steve’s experience as a carpenter and licensed contractor, there’s no stopping this dream team. This hit HGTV home makeover show made stars out of Chip and Joanna Gaines—and made shiplap lovers out of us all. Fixer Upper focuses on the design and transformation of homes in the Waco, Texas area while highlighting the power couple’s built-to-last love.

In addition to the amount of cash you can gain, getting a cash-out refinance can come with other benefits, too. Some jumbo products may not be available to first time home buyers. You can subtract your current loan balance from the appraised property value to determine how much equity you have in your home. And a lot of home improvement happens right before and right after a sale. She projects that home improvement spending will grow 17% this year nationally, partly driven by inflation.

Help you can get to improve your home

Equipping your fireplace with glass doors blocks heated and cooled air from escaping and amplifies the fire’s heat, which in turn reduces energy costs. Closing the damper when the fireplace is not in use will help keep cold out of your home and add to heating efficiency. Having your fireplace and chimney professionally cleaned will also improve fireplace efficiency. A cheery front-door color and a touch of landscaping can do wonders for your home’s curb appeal and make a lasting impression on guests.

Even if you’re not planning on moving, adding these can promote a sense of wellbeing. Conventional wisdom among estate agents is that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes, so if you’re thinking of improving with a view to selling on, this is a good place to start. A new kitchen can add 5% to the value of your home while a new bathroom can add 3% according to figures from Zoopla. 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.

Please seek the advice of an attorney, tax professional and/or financial advisor for guidance to properly evaluate particular investments and/or strategies. The resurgence of the farmhouse chic aesthetic can largely be attributed to “Fixer Upper” and the design preferences of its hosts Chip and Joanna Gaines. In each episode of the ultra-popular series, a couple buys a home in need of renovation and then “hires” Chip and Joanna to complete both structural and cosmetic work.