Help with home improvements

Products that earn the Energy Star label are independently certified to save energy, save money, and protect the climate. Homeowners can safely and properly dispose of broken or outdated appliances by selling, donating, or recycling them. You don’t have to go big when it comes to kitchen projects. Install new kitchen cabinets or give current cabinets a refresh. Upgrade old kitchen countertops and add a kitchen backsplash for a new look. Indeed HHI were the company that pioneered roofline in Northern Ireland and extended ‘maintenance free’ to a whole new market.

• Use a similar procedure if you have a hinged door that leads to the attic.
• Skylights are best suited for homes with slanted roofs, and you’ll generally want it to face north for all-day soft lighting that won’t overheat a room.
• For more information about your landlord’s responsibility to do repairs, see Repairs in rented housing.
• Try replacing your showerhead with a newer model so you can achieve a spa-worthy bathing experience in the comfort of your home.

Simple metallic hardware work best and is guaranteed to look great with any paint color for future cabinet makeovers. For a unique, eclectic look, scour antique shops for hardware pieces. One of the first living walls, window boxes have been a longtime favorite of gardeners.

Qualifying for a disabled facilities grant

You could gain access to some of your equity and lower your mortgage payment at the same time. The minimum amount of equity you’ll need to leave in your home when you refinance varies by loan type and by lender. If you want to take cash out with a conventional loan, you’ll typically need to leave at least 15 – 20% equity in your home. When you opt for a cash-out refinance, you refinance your mortgage for more than you owe and take the difference in cash. The more equity you have built up , the more money you can convert to cash.

Upgrade Flooring

“Hiring landscapers is at 238%. Fence construction installation is at 144%,” Anderson says. Home improvement spending has been on a long steady rise, so it’s not too surprising that U.S. homeowners are on track to spend more than ever this year, but the surge in demand is striking. “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.” In the Brookside neighborhood in central Kansas City, Mo., John Buhr has do-it-yourself projects going from top of the garage to the basement. You should also check you have the right amount of cover through your home insurance when the work’s finished.

Perfect for a kitchen or den entrance, a sliding door provides privacy when needed or acts as eclectic decor when not in use. They are relatively easy to install; all it takes is assembling and mounting the hardware and door to a doorway. With just a stud finder and a drill, you can install a medicine cabinet in less than an hour. For quick installation, choose a flush-mounted cabinet that can mount directly to the wall above your bathroom sink, rather than cutting away drywall and recessing the cabinet between studs. A flush-mounted cabinet will probably be shallower than a recessed cabinet and will protrude into the bathroom space. For good looks, paper the back of the cabinet with adhesive shelf liner.

Ensure the ladder is stable and won’t slip or move before climbing up. Part of the trick in plumbing is to avoid scratching fragile chrome or brushed nickel finishes on faucets or exposed drain parts. Plumbers use smooth-faced pliers and wrenches to achieve perfect results. You can avoid buying special tools for one-time use by wrapping your soft-leather work glove around the fitting and using your standard pliers or pipe wrench over the protective cover. A common DIY home-improvement mistake, especially when finishing a basement, is making access to essential plumbing valves difficult. When you remodel, leave space or an access door to the main water valve, exterior spigot valves, water heater valves and any others your home may have.

Installing a hardwood floor can take longer than a weekend, so choose a material that’s less time-consuming. Start with anything that comes in a roll, such as sheet vinyl, which looks better and lasts longer than it used to. Loose-lay sheet vinyl is unique because it doesn’t require adhesive.

Refinancing is a low-interest way to get tax-free cash for remodeling your kitchen, finishing your basement or anything you choose. The best time to get a skylight installed is when you’re getting a new roof. “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. Why install complicated light fixtures when natural light can pour in from above? Adding a skylight to a room brings the outside in, and the sky view will make a room feel more spacious.