Another of Canada’s preeminent designers, Candice Olson hosted HGTV’s “Divine Designs” for all of its 16 seasons. Rather than flipping an entire house, Olson focuses on renovating and refurbishing single rooms and bringing the owners’ visions for interior decor to life. Since the show’s cancellation, Olson has devoted much of her energy to writing and publishing design books aimed at folks who want a little bit of her sparkle in their own homes. Funny, friendly experts with serious answers and great ideas to help with all of your home improvement projects. But you do need to keep the paperwork, long after you have discarded your older tax returns. The website costbasis.com even reminds us all that certain thermal receipts will fade away over time.
- Installing polyethylene to the warm side of a exterior wall is very important.
- If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to outdoor projects, begin with some easy plants.
- Eye-catching front doors might be handy if you have guests coming to visit but may be off-putting to potential buyers, so keep it neutral.
- 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.
Make sure your contents cover is enough to cover any extra furniture you’ve bought, too. In fact, when it comes to the garden, adding value is often a case of simply tidying up and perhaps putting down some turf. Buyers are most inspired by a blank canvas that they can project their own ideas and lifestyle onto. A garden hot tub – though lovely – could be viewed as something of a frippery and while it might set some hearts racing, it’s very much a case of taste. If you simply must have one, go for a deck-top one that can move with you.
Replace a traditional ceiling light with tracks if you want to direct lighting on multiple spaces — like shelves, work surfaces, or gathering spaces — in a room. Adding a simple wood trim to the ceiling will draw the eye up — a classic visual trick to give the room an illusion of height. It also adds some design flair to the room; depending on your style, you can try understated plain molding or ornate three-piece molding. It’s tempting to cave to the gallery wall trend, but the more individual items you hang on walls in an already-small space, the smaller it will look. Instead, pack a powerful punch with one piece of large-scale art on a wall in your living room.
It’s totally free, just click the Forums link in the top navigation bar. In their latest HGTV series, Drew and Jonathan Scott help celebrities like Brad Pitt and Melissa McCarthy surprise their loved ones with amazing home renovations. Aggregators are companies that bundle home improvement service offers and act as intermediary agency between service providers and customers.
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“Small” homes are typically defined at 1,000 square feet or less, but they can feel a lot more cramped with the wrong paint color or layout. Deane is a 30+ year veteran in the contracting, remodeling, maintenance, and home repair industry. His experience ranges from licensed building contracting to property maintenance company ownership.
Kitchens
Another PBS series, “Hometime” made its debut after “This Old House,” expanding on some of the tropes that made its predecessor so popular. Each episode takes a deep dive into DIY or contractor-performed home improvement projects, choosing to focus on a single installation rather than the renovation of the entire home. Dean Johnson was the series’ primary host, though he had a slew of female co-hosts over the years. Most people have to paint, so that’s generally a repair. Refinishing wood floors is maintenance, too, though installing new ones is an improvement that ought to count in your total. This is especially true in and around cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and San Diego, where home prices have increased smartly over the last decade or two.
Install a Ceiling Fan
Sharpen up.If you don’t love your everyday knife, get one you do — stat! Try an eight- to 10-inch chef’s knife from Wüsthof, Shun, or Zwilling to make prep work joyful for a lifetime. Switch up your switches.Screw on stylish new switch plates and you’ll lighten your mood every time you enter the room. Dress your windows.The Shade Store can install anything from ripple-fold curtains to wood blinds just 10 days after you order. Find your crowning glory.Hire a contractor to add crown molding, a chair rail, or wainscoting to a room or two — it’s a one-day job with architectural pow. Season 21 of Ask This Old House brings back Kevin, Tommy, Richard, Jenn, and the crew, as they help homeowners tackle their most challenging home improvement projects.
You can increase the appeal (and value!) of any home by committing to some simple home improvement tips that are budget-friendly and DIY-worthy. If an overhead rack isn’t the right fit for your kitchen, consider installing a pegboard. Popularized by famous chef Julia Child, use a pegboard with hooks to hang pots, pans, and other tools. Overhead racks start at $50 and need to be installed in the joists on your ceiling to make sure they can hold the weight of your pots and pans. If the wall you want to remove isn’t below one of these beams, it’s much less likely to be a load-bearing wall.