With the property market the way it has been, there are a lot of people out there who are thinking about doing work on their property instead of looking for somewhere new. After all, buying a new home is hard enough without having to worry about how chaotic things have been on the market over the last couple of years. But it can be tough to know where to start if you are trying to keep your costs down. We are all keeping a careful eye on our energy bills over the winter, even with the government’s recent announcement. You want to make sure that you are keeping to your budget and preferably have a little to spare as well.
So, how can you work on your home improvement projects to make them feel fresh and reinvigorated without breaking the bank? There are a few easy steps that everyone should take and a few ideas that could be just the thing you are looking for. Let’s get started.
Start By Working Up A Budget
First things first, before you even get into the projects themselves, you need to make sure that you know exactly how much you have available to spend. This is going to be important because DIY and home improvement projects are the kinds of things that can get quite expensive if you are not paying attention. Sit down with your bank statements and settle on a number that is your absolute ceiling. Then, think about how much you would need to create a little wiggle room just in case you need it. There are always going to be unforeseen extra costs and delays when you are doing a large-scale home improvement project, so it is important to give yourself a little extra just in case.
Identify The Key Areas You Want To Work On
Focus is one of the best assets that you can have if you are working on large home improvement projects. The last thing that you want is to lose track and suddenly find that you are working on three different rooms at once, and that your timetable has gone out of the window. Once you know exactly how much money you have in your budget, think about which areas of your home are at the top of your list. The chances are that there will be at least one that has been in the back of your mind for a while. If you want to make sure that you are staying on budget, try to tackle one project at a time and make sure that you know which ones are crucial and which ones would be nice to get to if you can.
Think About Doing More With Your Outdoor Space
Before we get into any ideas for the inside of your house, why not think about what you could be doing with your garden? Autumn is well and truly here, but just because the days are getting shorter, that does not mean that you need to say goodbye to your garden. In fact, a great home improvement project to focus on this autumn would be finding a way to make it feel welcoming all year round. Think about building an extension to allow for a sunroom or patio. Why not put in a shed that could serve as a bar or little getaway for you and your partner at the end of a long day? Garden projects like these require polycarbonate sheets or plastic roofing sheets, and these certainly do not have to break the bank if you find a supplier that knows what they are doing. ClearAmber Shop has an excellent range of roofing and decking options, and you can find out more at clearambershop.com
Plan For Keeping Your Bills Down
If you are thinking about home improvement projects already, this is the perfect time to think about how you can make sure that you are losing less energy during the autumn and winter. This is important for two reasons. The first is that it will keep your bills down at a time when we all need to be doing our very best to achieve that. The second is that it will also help to reduce your carbon footprint. The news about climate change over the last couple of years has been grim reading, and we all remember the summer’s heatwave here in the UK. Start by thinking about how you could improve insulation in your home. Your attic and cellar will be two of the most likely culprits, but if you do not have double glazing on your windows, now is definitely the time to upgrade. A water butt in your garden will also help if you are watering garden plants.
Be Careful With Your Kitchen And Bathroom Updates
When you think about the rooms that you would most like to change in your home, the chances are good that the kitchen and the bathroom are going to be at the top of the list. Everyone has their own idea of what their perfect versions of these rooms would be, and they very rarely match the reality of what they have been left with by the property’s previous owners. It is a very exciting moment when you realise that the time has come to put your own stamp on the kitchen and bathroom, but you will need to be careful. Both of these rooms can be massive money-sinks if you do not plan out your upgrades carefully. Whether you are putting in new fittings or gutting the rooms entirely, you must have a detailed plan of action. The last thing you want is to be halfway through a major project on either of these rooms only to find out that you need to wait because of a lack of money or because of a supply issue. Construction supply shortages have been widely reported over the last couple of years, so watch out.
Rethink Your Rooms
The more time we spend in one home, the more prone we become to accepting the layout as it is. Even if we have always wondered what it would be like if we converted a bedroom or if you turned the garage into a home entertainment room, it is hard to shake the idea that it has always been that way so that is probably what it should stay. Well, if you are looking for home improvements that will not break the bank, then this is one of the cheapest major changes that you could make. For example, if you are still working from home at least some of the time, why not turn your spare room into a home office and stop working at the kitchen table? If you are thinking about giving up your car, find out what you would need to do in order to turn that garage into a gym or home cinema. Whether it’s relocating the master bedroom to the other side of the house to take advantage of the light or turning the box room into a guest room, these changes can alter the whole feel of a home without requiring major expenses.
