Improve Your Home in Just a Few Days with These 32 Weekend Projects

They usually involve setting a collector in your home for a week or so and then sending it to a lab for analysis. (One manufacturer is Pro-Lab and charges $40; includes a postage-paid envelope.) Conduct the test in the lowest livable area. Just about anyone who has older hardwood floors in their home or has discovered they have them under their carpet has thought about refinishing them. It is true you could hire someone to do this task, but if you have ever gotten it priced out you were probably surprised by the cost.

  • And don’t forget about the charm of a nice throw rug when needed.
  • Reasonable and practical, given the age of your home and the condition it’s in.
  • Spend a few hundred dollars on lighting instead of many thousands on tearing the place apart and putting it back together.
  • A common DIY home-improvement mistake, especially when finishing a basement, is making access to essential plumbing valves difficult.

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.

Renovate your home using primarily neutral colors on walls, floors and ceilings. Add color with furniture and accents that are far less expensive to replace later when they fall out of favor. If you’re considering replacing an appliance, replace it with an energy-efficient product.

Add Beaded Board

For color, you can purchase a few bright annual flowers at your local garden shop and either plant them directly into the landscape around the house, or add them to pots near the front door. When trying to sell, a nice coat of neutral paint can give the entire house a facelift, and buyers really love to see a fresh blank canvas. A home equity loan or home equity line of credit can let you borrow against the equity in your home.

An unsecured loan, such as those provided by Admiral, can be used for anything from a new boiler to loft insulation without any financial risk to your home. Expanding the amount of physical space available in your home is one of the more expensive improvements but can also increase its value. Adding a conservatory is, on average, the most lucrative – just make sure it doesn’t eat up too much of your garden. Typically, you’ll not only make back what you spend, but double your money – and then some. Decking is a great way to improve your garden, giving prospective buyers the perfect place to entertain guests.

Spend a few hundred dollars on lighting instead of many thousands on tearing the place apart and putting it back together. Maintain everything to keep the expensive repair pros away. The single best way to save money around the house is by sticking to a maintenance schedule for as many of your home’s systems as possible. Beautifully highlight a coffered ceiling with colorful paint, and keep the trim white for a bold visual effect. Placing a ceiling medallion around a fan or light fixture is another way to add architectural flair overhead. Decorative ceiling medallions are available in all shapes, sizes, and styles.

Additional space

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.

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.