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10 Home Improvement Tips That Will Transform Where You Live

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If you have just purchased a house and have all the excitement of a complete home renovation project ahead of you, or have recently been looking over your outdated home wondering what you could do to spruce it up, then read on. Here is a run-through of ten home improvements tips that could transform where you live for the better.

1. Reface The Exterior

Excellent curb appeal instantly elevates a house to the next level, and if you can afford to, refacing your home is a brilliant way to achieve this. Recladding or rendering the exterior brickwork or siding of your property to something sleeker, lest weather-beaten, and more modern can transform the way your house looks from the outside - and even add value to your home. [Check out a good siding contractor for ideas.] You may not have the budget to beautify and protect your home with new siding, but if you have it there it’s well worth it! Your new siding can make a big difference to your house in ways that you may not have realized.

If a complete refacing is a little ambitious for the size of your budget, then a brand-new front door can transform a house just as much. Alternatively, replacing old roof tiles can instantly give your house a cleaner, fresher look - plus, people pay good money for reclaimed tiles online. [Finish the job off by either renewing the guttering or if it is in sound condition, getting gutter cleaners to make it look like new.]

2. Replace Outdated Plumbing

A poor plumbing system can cost you hundreds or even thousands over the years between boiler break downs, leaky pipes, inconsistent water pressure, and blocked drains. If you have the time and inclination, then consider a complete overhaul of your outdated plumbing system by bringing in a specialist to reconfigure the pipework in your home.

Drainage is particularly important when it comes to plumbing, and poor pipework can lead to corrosion or damage to the exterior of your home. Consider investing in polymer trench drains to help stop this problem and avoid being part of the one in 50 homeowners that suffer from water damage to their home every year.

3. Loft Conversion

A great way to add additional space and value to your home is to convert your attic space into additional rooms. If you are fortunate enough to own a larger Victorian-era home, then you are likely to have access to quite a sizeable loft and high ceilings to convert into. Whether you can afford to is a different matter, as a loft conversion can cost quite a bit, but it’s worth consideration.

If you have plans to have children and start a family but don’t necessarily possess the number of bedrooms you’ll need right now, then a loft conversion could be the perfect solution, without having to move. The additional space is bound to transform your home for the better and gives you another exciting blank canvas to decorate in whichever way you please. 

4. Kitchen Renovation

A brand-new kitchen can transform the value of your home and the way that you use it. If you and your family are big entertainers and enjoy hosting friends or relatives, then this might be the home improvement to consider first. Many homeowners dream of a kitchen island, breakfast bar, or huge adjoining dining and entertaining space. Whatever it is that you have your heart set on, be sure to seek the help of an interior designer to get things right.

Ensuring your renovated kitchen blends in with the rest of your home is key. Take inspiration from the other rooms in your house and pick out colors or design features that can be incorporated into your new kitchen.

5. Add a Lick of Paint

Sometimes, all it takes is a new coat - or two - of paint to completely transform a room. Color palette trends go in and out of style very quickly. So, while your living room might have once looked like an Instagrammable masterpiece, it could now look rather outdated or cliché.

The best thing about repainting walls is that it is a home improvement you can carry out yourself. No need to pay an expensive professional! Head down to your local DIY store and pick out some paint samples before investing in one single color - that way you won’t have any regrets when it comes to finishing up the final layer. Want to start over? You're only one tin of white paint away. That’s the joy of redecorating.

6. Reimagine Your Outdoor Space

If you are fortunate enough to have a garden or courtyard to renovate, then completely reimagining this space could transform the whole feel of your home. If you aren’t much of a gardener, then why not consider decking out the bulk of your outdoor area and adding in a water feature or outdoor bar and cooking area with a pizza oven or charcoal barbecue.

In the age of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of homeowners have utilized their gardens as a place to build a dedicated home office space. Consider a useable shed kitted out with all the home office comforts you’ll need, and run a Wi-Fi booster from your house to ensure you stay online. [Storage shed builders Urban Sheds is a great place you can look for deals on the shed that you need.] Alternatively, you may wish to reimagine this space as a bit of a home pub and install a pool table, dartboard, widescreen wall-mounted TVs and a drinks cart for all of your home entertainment needs.

7. Smart Devices

Smart home appliances are an expensive but easy-to-install solution that can truly transform your home, and the way that you live. For instance, a Nest smart thermostat can help you intelligently save on your energy bills, while also offering you the convenience of being able to control your central heating or air conditioning away from your home.

So, if you are heading home from work and want to come back to a nice, cozy kitchen to cook your dinner in, then your Nest smart thermostat can help with that. If you want to go even further, then a smart oven device could also have your appliance pre-heating and ready for you to pop your pre-prepared meal in as soon as you get through the door.

Smart lighting is another intelligent solution that can also be voice-activated with services such as Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant - they even work with Siri on your iPhone.

8. Brand-new Bathroom

Another room in your home that can seriously add value to your property if renovated is the bathroom - or bathrooms, depending on the size of your property. Adding new life to a tired bathroom doesn’t need to be too expensive either. Sometimes it’s just a case of retiling, adding in more light, or creating the impression of more space with the clever use of mirrors. [Check out this site for affordable plumbing services in Olympia, WA.]

You can splurge a bit of cash on your bathroom if you fancy it though. Why not install one of those walk-in showers you’ve always dreamed of, or reconfigure the layout of the room to accommodate a classic freestanding bathtub? If your master bedroom is large enough, then you could also reduce it in size somewhat to create an extra large master bathroom, really transforming your home and adding serious value to it at the same time.

9. Build an Extension

Transforming your home sometimes requires you to create a brand new part of it altogether. Building an extension is a brilliant way to reimagine the layout of your house and the arrangement of each of your rooms. Adding on space towards the rear of your property might allow you to create a sense of open plan living. Alternatively, you might wish to turn your living room into your kitchen, or your living room into a brand-new kitchen-diner combo. [Another option is to reimagine this space as a bit of a home pub and install a pool table, dartboard, widescreen wall-mounted TVs and a drinks cart for all of your home entertainment needs. Check out TriBilliards for a selection of amazing recreational tables.]

Whatever you choose to do, an extension is a surefire way to generate value for your property - even despite the expensive outlay you have to frontload into making it happen. If you have excessive garden space or land to the side of your home that you can expand into, then this is well worth considering as an extension really does transform where you live and how you think about each and every room in your home.

10. Create More Space

If a costly loft conversion or extension is out of the cards, then you could try and create more space with what you already have. For instance, why not consider built-in "wardrobe" for your bedrooms? These are far more convenient, give you more storage space, yet also take up less floor space at the same time. If you can find the right carpenter and negotiate the right price, then this needn’t be all that expensive either.

Alternatively, you might be able to turn an unused closet under the stairs into a small bathroom or study space. This could be a little more expensive to realize but is an excellent way to create yet another room in your home and add to your property’s value - so it is definitely a transformation worth investing in.

Overall, there is far more that you can do to transform a home than just what has been suggested. Countless DIY hacks can help you make a real difference in no time at all. Nonetheless, whether you opt for a bigger or smaller home improvement project, it is bound to make a big difference in how you feel about where you live, and will ideally become a happier home for you and your family.

Bathroom, Extension, home, House, Improvement, Kitchen, Loft Conversion, Outdoor Space, Paint, Plumbing, Real Estate, Reface Exterior, Renovation, Smart Devices, tips

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