10 Inexpensive Tips to Recondition Your Home

Have you ever watched one of those home improvement shows and thought, “That SEEMS like a good idea, but how much would it COST?” Sure, we’ve all done that! Between the cost in both time and money, most of us never start a “do it yourself” project – it just seems too overwhelming. The article in this issue features 10 tips that can be done yourself for less than $100 in materials. Some of these projects are simple to do and some require a little more time. We hope you can use at least one of these tips to recondition part of your home affordably!

1. Add color and texture with cork
Corkboard is inexpensive and insulating. Consider creating a cork ceiling or using cork as a wall covering in a cold room. Cork can also make a decorative and functional wall in a kitchen. Pin recipes, menus, pictures etc. for easy display and reference.

2. Noticeable house numbers
Even though you have numbers on your home and likely at the curb, sometimes they can be obscured by vegetation, someone parking a car in front, or even the weather. Consider choosing a beautiful font and painting oversized numbers right on the front door! Just like “wall words” for your home, this is a beautiful way for important information to get noticed.

3. Wrap nylon rope around a handrail for non-slip grip
Slippery railings? Weave nylon rope around the rail so that it’s easier to get a grip. Nylon rope comes in an assortment of colors so your non slip handiwork will be functional and attractive.

4. Got the floor tile blahs?
Usually a tiled floor begins to look boring and tired as the grout gets dingy and worn. Replace that worn out grout with colored grout. It will accent those tiles and give them a fresh new look.

5. Oh that garage door!
A garage door takes up a great deal of “real estate” at the front of most homes. And yet homeowners usually paint them to blend in. Give that door some personality! Instead, repaint your garage door using the accent colors you’ve used outdoors and you’ll create an immediate curb appeal “wow factor” without breaking the bank. 

6. Perk up tile with decals
Is your kitchen backsplash or your bathroom tile feeling dull? Rather than replace them, how about tile decals? For less than $50 you could have a brand new beautiful look that won’t take long and doesn’t use the “elbow grease” required for a full tile replacement.

7. Got a problem with mildew in the bathroom?
Most of us do, but the idea of leaving the bathroom fan on all day seems like a waste of electricity. Consider putting that bathroom fan on a timer. Step out of the shower, set it and forget it! Now you can avoid mildew or mold build up without worrying about having the fan on all day!

8. Roll-away drawers
If you like the idea of ‘under the bed storage’ but you really don’t like the idea of flimsy cardboard boxes or plastic bags, this idea is for you! Recycle old dresser drawers! Glue wooden blocks on the inside of each drawer at the corners. Attach wheels to the bottom of each drawer and viola! Under the bed storage that will last and rolls out easily even with a heavy load! 

9. Let’s face it, dogs can be messy!
Contain dog bowls and their related mess in a metal tray designed for entryway boot storage. This keeps dog food and water off of your floor and makes Fido’s feeding area easy to clean up.

10. Faux Fancy Walls
Wallpaper looks nice but it’s such a pain to hang. Plus it’s expensive and then you have to worry about taking it down when it becomes old or dated. What if your fancy wallpaper wasn’t? For under $100 you can purchase wall stencils (Benjamin Moore). These fancy, large decals make it easy to create a stunning patterned effect on any wall, and unlike wallpaper, when you’re tired of it, you can simply paint over it.

We hope these ideas have inspired you to reuse, repurpose, rethink and refurbish some areas of your home. If you like these ideas but you would prefer not to have to take the time or energy to do it yourself, we’re here to help! Read on for our July Special.