The products and services we review may not be right for your individual circumstances. Replacing your carpet means tossing out all of the old floor covering. Save several scraps of carpet, whatever kind, for use on the top of sawhorses, as a creeper mat for working on the car, to pad your knees while fixing your plumbing or use as drop cloths. It’s probably less expensive and certainly more convenient to install a backyard shed or hire a handyperson to create access to hidden places in your house than renting space long-term.
- Drywall, doors, ceiling fans, light fixtures, and so much more.
- Tierney McAfee is a freelance writer and Country Living and The Pioneer Woman contributor who covers entertainment, holiday & entertaining, food & drinks, design ideas, DIY, and more.
- Architectural salvage-and-reuse centers are hotspots for ideas and materials.
- 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.
- Dirty or clogged gutters allow water to spill over the edges and possibly too close to the foundation, which could create problems even if the landscaping slopes away from the house as it should.
- But like most TV series, it doesn’t matter where you actually are as long as you act like you’re somewhere else.
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.
Buhr says this kind of resourcefulness is part of the new normal, finding alternative sources for material, finding workarounds and just doing more with less. He says the pandemic has forced many people to prioritize family life and adopt a more agile approach to their well-being. Musselwhite says the supply of treated lumber, the kind that’s going into all those new decks and fences, shrank early in the pandemic, as stay-at-home orders slowed production. With the huge spike in demand, prices for deck boards and fence posts more than doubled — and supply dried up. Similar with framing lumber, the type used to make the skeletons of single family homes. “Deck construction is up 275%,” Anderson says, quoting increases from March to July of this year.
Despite Devastating Effects on the Broader Economy, Pandemic Has Been a Boon for US Home Improvement
The cost of a mid-range bathroom remodel averages between $3,000-$12,000 according to Zillow. Professional landscaping can cost anywhere between $500 – $3,000 according to Matke. Victoria Araj is a Section Editor for Rocket Mortgage and held roles in mortgage banking, public relations and more in her 15+ years with the company. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in political science from Michigan State University, and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Michigan. Apply online for expert recommendations with real interest rates and payments.
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One of the first home improvement shows to hit airwaves, “This Old House” began airing on PBS way back in 1979. Hosted by Bob Vila, Steve Thomas, and Kevin O’Connor, the series follows the remodel of a house — typically in the New England area — over the course of several episodes. The longer timeline allotted to each flip allows for an in-depth look at different aspects of the process and lends the show more of a how-to feel in comparison to many of its competitors.
Therefore, the rate and payment results you see from this calculator may not reflect your actual situation. You may still qualify for a loan even in your situation doesn’t match our assumptions. To get more accurate and personalized results, please call to talk to one of our mortgage experts. 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. According to him, years of underbuilding following the mid-2000s housing crash have pushed up the overall age of the housing stock, along with demand for updating homes.
An interior door’s materials could affect how well it works and how long you can wait before buying a replacement. Or simply upgrade with solid-core doors, which dampen noise far more efficiently than the hollow-core doors common in new construction. Before you choose your sink design, though, consider your needs. You might want to try standing in front of the model you’re considering and acting out your morning routine.
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.