Home improvement gives value to a house and a sense of satisfaction to its owners. But home improvement isn't cheap.
Though money may be tight, this is still the best time to repair and upgrade your home. A few of these cost-conscious repairs will cost little or nothing at all, besides a health insurance co-payment.
Many homeowners have taken to compact florescent light bulbs, or CFLs, which are initially more expensive than traditional bulbs but use less energy and last far longer. A far more cost-effective option is to never replace the bulbs in the first place.
A good friend got himself down to one working bulb, which had to be unscrewed from the kitchen and carried to the bathroom if one wished to see the toilet. Needless to say, one did not wish to see his toilet.
Many homes come with the previous owner's leftover paint, tile, and wallpaper, in amounts sufficient only to touch up areas of the house. When considering a full room remodel, these materials can be utilized rather than expensive new paints or accents, creating a lovely collage or "fusion" of floral wallpaper, glossy kitchen tile, and durable deck paint.
With an appropriate ladder, gutter cleaning is quick and inexpensive. An appropriate ladder, however, is not inexpensive. Rigging together a makeshift ladder from lumber scraps is an option, but hospital bills are very expensive. In this instance, the cheapest solution is to have dirty gutters.
In a similar vein, when tempted to do your own electric work, consider both medical costs and fire damage to your home and personal belongings. After a careful cost-benefit analysis, consult an electrician.
Plumbing, while still likely to incur serious property damage, involves fewer personal injury risks. Before tackling anything major, try a few small tasks, such as repairing a leaky faucet handle or cleaning the aerator in your sink. If you do not know what an aerator is, you may want to reconsider adding a new bathroom by yourself.
A finished basement can add a tremendous amount of space to your home. The added recreation room or office can also increase your home's resale value. But before pricing materials or calling contractors, ask yourself what you will do with the items currently stored in your basement. If the answer is "store them in my new recreation room or office," consider spending the money elsewhere.
Older homes with plaster ceilings and walls may have unsightly cracks requiring costly skilled repair. Drywall can cover old cracks and prevent new ones from revealing themselves. Wallpaper is less expensive, though still labor-intensive. Encouraging additional cracks with a few well-placed hammer strikes is a free and unique decorating opportunity.
Replacing old windows is another cost trade-off -- the initial expense is significant but the energy efficiency and boost to resale value can pay off exponentially. Those interested more in short-term energy savings can consider stylish and inexpensive plywood boarding. After a few months, the city may no longer collect your taxes.
These are just a few of the countless improvements that can be made on a budget. Remember, improvements now will pay dividends later. And frequent visits to the hospital may increase your premium.
(Ben Grabow writes for the young, the urban and the easily amused. Contact him at thinlyread(at)gmail.com.)
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