If you don’t make an effort periodically for home improvement, it is going to get away from you, and the next thing you know a “condemned” sign will be posted on your front door.
You don’t have to do it all at once. Pick a project and proceed. Spring is a good time to do this because it is a time of renewal and rejuvenation.
Here are the top ten spring home improvement tips:
10. Roof
If you need a new roof, now is the time to do it, when you’re not likely to be pelted with sleet, hail, and snow, although rain is always an issue in the spring. A new roof will give your home a new lease on life, probably the typical but achievable home improvement area.
9. Lawn
Re-seed your lawn. If your yard looks atrocious do something about it. A velvety green yard is going to do a lot to improve the appearance of your property.
8. Paint or siding
Yes, this is a big expense, but boy is it ever going to make a difference in the appearance and curb appeal of your home. Add shutters or gingerbread or a new porch railing or spandrels to give your house more character. Every little touch increases the value of your house and will give you pleasure. The devil is in the detail. Go to your local home improvement store and grab a swatch of exterior paint samples or siding samples. You’ll have a field day trying to select the perfect color for the body of your house and its trim.
7. Move
If you’re fed up with your house, your neighborhood and your neighbors, rent a U-Haul, toss in your stuff (don’t forget the kids!) and head for the hills. Of course, it would be in your best interest to secure a residence before leaving your pad, but if you’re filled with wanderlust, hey, just hit the road.
Send moving cards and let everyone know you’re no longer housebound. Being intentionally homeless, for a while, could be a real adventure. On second thought, it would be a lot easier to stick around and improve what you already have rather than gambling on what you might (or might not) find elsewhere.
6. Kitchen renovation
This is the time to do it when the weather is warm. Think new or refaced cabinets, a new countertop, and of course, some new wood or laminate flooring for a look you’ll love for years. You can barbecue in the backyard every night while your kitchen is in disarray, which is something you can’t do in the dead of winter. By the time cool weather rolls around and you’re ready for some chili and hot chocolate your new and improved kitchen will be ready to roll.
5. Fence
This can give you the privacy that you want as well as improve the looks and value of your property. Consider the different types of fences and gates: from wrought iron to cedar. It will also, hopefully, keep the little kids and pets in the yard. And don’t forget to add a sturdy safety gate around your pool to keep them safe all summer long.
4. Outdoor Kitchen
If you plan on barbecuing a lot this year (and in subsequent years), install an outdoor kitchen in your backyard, close to the back of your house. This will be quite an undertaking and require a large area and preferably one that is covered so that you are shielded from the sun and rain, but it’s do-able. It will make cooking (and eating) a lot more enjoyable. No one likes being stuck in a hot kitchen in the middle of July.
3. Create a poolside oasis
Create that backyard oasis that you’ve been coveting for years. Install a patio, using brick or flagstone or whatever your preference is around your swimming pool. Add a fire pit or install a real fireplace. Or for amazing drama, add a “Fire and Water” feature with flames in a fountain or pool-side bowls.
2. Landscape
Add a fish pond and water garden with features such as a waterfall. Plant trailing vines, roses, pampas grass, and annuals throughout your yard and around your house. Plant trees, including those that bear fruit. You can add to your landscaping every year until you end up with a virtual botanical garden that is the envy of the neighborhood.
1. Go all out
Actually, if you are really gung-ho, create an entire outdoor living space. Place your new outdoor living space next to your home, preferably next to a room that has lots of windows or doors so that the new living space is an extension of your home, and you have easy access to it. You might even want to install a wall of sliding glass doors that connect the inside to the outdoors and visually increase the space.
Your outdoor room can be a screened in porch, for instance. Alternatively, you can put up a decorative gazebo that is within walking distance of your home and that you can see, and enjoy, from inside your home. Create paths out of rock pebbles or flagstones that lead to the gazebo.
Surround your outdoor space, whether it’s a screened-in porch or gazebo, with plants and shrubs, placing hostas in the shady areas, and adding trailing vines and climbing roses and big, beautiful hydrangeas. It will truly be a quiet, relaxing haven for you and your family. Add solar lights and lit torches at night. Hang wind chimes in the trees and listen to them tinkle in the wind.
Contributed by Cindi Pearce, Catalogs.com Top 10 Guru