Doing home improvement projects yourself is a wonderful way to beautify your home and make it the dream house you have always wanted. There is a lot you need to remember about home improvement projects in order to do them right, so here are a few tips so you can work smart instead of just working hard.

To keep electric costs down while illuminating your yard, change out your regular porch light for one that has a motion sensor. These types of lights can be manually turned on and the sensitivity can also be adjusted.

Stained baseboards offer an excellent alternative to traditionally painted ones. Warm, natural wood brings classic style to any decor. Stained backboards also serve the benefit of defending against stains and marks, which can increase its longevity. Make sure that you choose the right color to match the style of your home.

Once a week, at least, dust your home. If you live in a dusty home, you will be more likely to develop allergies later in life. If you clean your home accessories you will rid yourself of bugs and the dirt!

Prior to installing paneling, paint stripes on the old wall. No matter how carefully you install paneling, it seems the old wall sometimes peeks through. Be sure to measure the paneling before you install it. If you paint the wall to match the paneling, you will not see any cracks in between the panels.

Keep your floors protected while painting. Any paint that gets on the hardwood flooring or the carpet can be really tough to clean up and may actually cause damage. A cheap way that this can be done is to employ the use of newspapers. Plastic sheets and paint cloths may be used as well.

If the doors to your bedroom are filthy, avoid just throwing them away. Remove the door from its frame, then sand it until its bare wood is visible. After that, pick up a can of oil based paint and take a paint roller to your door. For a brand new feel, opt to change your doorknobs to a fancier design.

Consider updating the insulation of your house for your next energy saving home improvement project. Weatherstrip your windows and doors, for example. Keeping air out of your home will help your cooling and heating systems work better. That will also lower your energy bill.

Store building supplies between floor joists or ceiling rafters. You can place longer strips of molding and large materials, especially two by fours in these areas. Just nail a few furring strip across those too exposed floor rafters or joists and slip your material inside to store it.

Empty 2-liter bottles can be used as easy storage containers. You can see what is inside them, and can store and protect dry goods like flour or sugar. They keep well in the fridge, freezer and on a shelf. Simply pick up and pour whenever you require its contents.

Seal cracks and openings to save on heating bills, as well as preventing bugs from entering your home. Caulk the baseboards, areas around windows and any other areas that require it. Once the caulking is dry, bugs will be hard-pressed to find a way inside, and air will not be allowed out.

You need to check your gutters on a regular basis, especially if you live in an area with a lot of trees. Clogged gutters causing rainwater to leak down the side of a house is actually one of the main causes of leaks in the basement. Make it a priority to clean your gutters every season.

As much as a fifth of all heat and cool air in homes is lost through windows. Adding a second glaze to your larger windows can easily reduce this amount by half, making your electric bills much more reasonable and also making your home more comfortable during extreme temperatures.

A good idea for a home improvement project is to put a chandelier in your home. Even some very fancy and very attractive chandeliers can be purchased for well under $500, and they can add over a thousand dollars worth of value to the home. For more brightness, get a lighting fixture with wattage between 200-400.

Have an electrician install an electrical outlet in the cabinet above where you are going to have your microwave installed. This will allow you to plug your microwave in without having to see the cord. This simple forethought will prevent that cord from dangling where you don’t want it to.

If your renovations will require using your street then you should take the time to let the neighbors know what will be going on. Major renovation work often calls for blocking part or all of the road to make deliveries and shift equipment. Letting your neighbors know about these details beforehand is the courteous thing to do.

If a contractor tells you they will finish the job in time period that is not realistic, do not use him. There are good reasons your builder wants to finish the work fast. They may want to rush their workers so they can move them to other jobs. But this can be harmful to your budget if they try to charge for overtime work.

Outlet Covers

Replacing your outlet covers with new ones will add a fresh look to a tired room. Over time, outlet covers show their age and start to look discolored. These new outlet covers add a fresh look to your room with just pennies of cost.

There’s no need to go overboard with costs when you are remodeling a bathroom. You can make nice changes with a tiny budget, changes that look pricier than they really were. Changing your towel bars, holders, lights, and the bathroom mirror can help. Make the room brighter with some paint. Your bathroom will look modern and updated without leaving a dent in your pocketbook.

The tips that you’ve just read can help you improve your home immediately. That will help you create a home that suits your needs, looks amazing, and functions perfectly. Your efforts at competently completing your home improvements will provide you with new skills and a more beautiful home.