5 Easy DIY Home Improvement Projects to Attempt This Winter

Just because it's cold out doesn't mean you have to stay cooped up and bored in your house all winter. Instead of wasting away behind the TV or computer you can improve your living space and be guest ready by the time spring gets here. Here are some easy do it yourself projects that you can do to improve your home, save money, and avoid being bored.

Put Insulation on Your Water Heater

Add a thick blanket or insulation around your water heater in order to ensure that the water within the heater will stay hot even when it's not in use. This is a great way to save energy, and of course money, during the winter and throughout the year. Insulation kits can be purchased at most local home improvement stores.

Put in a Programmable Thermostat

Your utility bills in the winter can be overwhelming, but turning down the thermostat can be uncomfortable. By installing a programmable thermostat, you can set it to change temperature throughout the day, such as keeping the house cooler during the day while everyone is out and warmer at night when you're sleeping. This will save tons of energy and money and is an easy installment. The installation process includes hooking up a few low-voltage wires and most programmable thermostats come with instructions to help you with the set up. Most of these thermostats run around $25 and are available at most hardware stores.

Refinish Your Basement

Big, indoor projects are perfect for down time during the winter and refinishing your basement is no small feat. You can do a lot of the work on your own without a contractor, such as installing new flooring or carpet, painting walls, or dry walling. You will have a pretty basement ready for entertaining by the spring!

Paint the Walls

Spend your time inside not only repainted your finished basement but also the rest of your house. Painting can be a large task to tackle, so take your time and spread it out. You can really revamp a room with a just new shade of paint. Change the feel of the whole room or just add an accent wall to liven  it up a bit. You can get paint advice and tips from your local home improvement store employee.

Organize Drawers and Closets

While you're hibernating inside, why not be productive by dumping out those drawers and donating some of the stuff that you haven't used in ages. You can spend your winter decluttering your life and your home. You'll be feeling organized and light when the spring sun shows up.

Spend your winter months doing something productive and try one of all five of these easy DIY home improvement ideas!

About the Author: Valerie is a guest contributor from Coldwell Banker Hubbell Briarwood, Lansing, Michigan's premier real estate company.

Hardwood vs. Laminate Wood Flooring

One important factor in determining the market value of a home is its flooring. Wood flooring is a more popular choice because of its natural and warm appearance, and wood will always look timeless. In newer homes today, it is harder to find original hardwood floors because of the high pricing. Yet to achieve that natural wood look, one option homeowners can take to increase the value of their home is to install laminate wood flooring. There are, of course, pros and cons to both hardwood and laminate wood flooring. Let’s tackle these and find out which one is best suited for your lifestyle and budget. 

Eight Inexpensive Ways to Add Curb Appeal to Your Home

(Photo Credit)

Making sure your home makes a good first impression to potential buyers is crucial. A home with an unappealing exterior starts showings off on the wrong foot. If a buyer thinks the exterior requires a lot of work, it may affect the way they view the interior of the home; even if it is stunning! Sprucing up the outside of your home is important prior to selling, but it’s not something you have to break the bank to do. Check out these low-cost and free ways to improve your home’s curb appeal:

1. Clean out the gutters

The condition of a home’s roof is one of the many things buyers take note of when determining to buy a home so they may notice if your gutters are full of leaves and debris, which can be unattractive.

2. Unclutter the Yard

Put away trash or recycling bins. Buyers may think there isn’t a good place to store them if you leave them out. Also roll up hoses and tidy up toys if necessary.

3. Paint the front door

A fresh coat of paint will give your home’s front entry way a clean look that welcomes potential buyers inside.

4. Add potted plants

Adding container plants or hanging plants to your porch will give your home an inviting look similar to landscaping, but without the large expense.

5. Trim bushes and trees

Cut wild bushes and trees that block the view of your home or driveway so buyers can see what they are actually interested in, instead of the overgrown

6. Improve outdoor lighting

Lining the path that leads to the entryway of your home with small landscape lights adds safety value to your home.

7. Update house numbers

Modernize your home by replacing old and outdated house numbers. Vinyl numbers are becoming a popular and inexpensive trend for house numbers.

8. Revamp the mailbox

A fresh coat of paint and new numbers will give your mailbox a quick and easy facelift or replace your old mailbox with a new one. Mailboxes can generally be found at a reasonable price.

This post provided was provided by a contributor from Carolina Lanterns, a company specializing in custom-made copper and brass lanterns. Click here to view their products.

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Planning for Furniture

Every person on earth have one wish that is very common, every individual would like to have himself a house that can give him the best comfort and a peace of mind when he enters his house. A person may spend millions on renovating his home and make it look like a million bucks but unless the right things placed at right corners of the house it is not going to give you any peace of mind. Select from some of the finest and wide varieties of modern furniture and home decor items at discounted rates, shop online and win great offers and get great bargains on your old furniture items. Different materials give different feel and a different look, select from thousands of materials to make your home a real perfect holiday home so every day you are back from office it seems like a perfect holiday destination not only for you but also for your loved ones. Select from different categories going by your tastes and preferences and go crazy over patio furniture and more items on display for sale on the site. There are also different home lighting products you can select from like head lamps, night lamps, kitchen tubs, etc. Also, don't forget about the exterior of your house. It looks tacky if your furniture is starkly different from the theme of the exterior of your house. If you have a log siding home, then invest in wooden furniture made of the type of wood of the exterior of your home.

We have unique collections ranging from different parts of the globe, make your house parties a real warming occasions for near and dear ones with decorative lamps and center tables for cutting cakes, make your home look like a picture straight out of a fairy tale with amazing designs and artistic creativity. Living room is a special place for family comfort where people in a family meet up and talk about on a daily basis it’s like a get together place where family members interact and exchange ideas, so it’s very necessary to select your living room furniture which gives comfort and gives the feel of luxury, we have some of the finest and the most beautiful expert designed living room sets which are sold all over the world, people from different nations are relying on us to make their home a perfect home by selecting smart furniture from us.

Today’s lifestyle is fast paced and we know that time doesn't wait for anyone and so does the offers on the site, you get free home decor items like statues, mini lamps, etc. with each of your purchase, so start picking items and putting it in your online cart and get set to live a life filled with comfort and luxury.

This post was provided by a contributor from Town & Country Cedar Products, a manufacturer and supplier of cedar siding and cedar paneling. Visit their website: www.michigancedarproducts.com.

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