If the list of your New Year's resolutions for 2015 contains some home improvement projects that will make your home more functional and valuable, you are looking for a decent portion of work, pitching and investment. Upgrading your home is perhaps the best way to ensure your safety and comfort in the years to come so you shouldn't postpone it for long, even if it takes time, manpower and money. In addition to this, carefully selected home upgrades can raise the price of your house and its sales prospects so that your time, money and effort will surely be valuable.
If you do not exactly have that much money at your disposal when it comes to home improvement projects, you can always choose the upgrades that fit your budget and are still practical in the long run. Today we have a short list of comfortable and cost-effective home upgrades you may want to consider before embarking on a home improvement project.
Hot and dry all winter: Install proper thermal insulation
One of the most common overlooked problems that seems to arise from nowhere will be the first winter days are adequate heat protection in the house. If your home tends to get all cold even after you maximize the heating, the odds are that your walls are not equipped with proper thermal insulation.
The best way to maintain optimum temperatures in your home is to install some durable heat insulating materials such as glass or stone wool, vermiculite, cellulose, cork, perlite, polystyrene or urethane foam. Choose the insulation materials that best suit your budget and your needs and set them up correctly on your own or with professional help.
When installing thermal insulation, pay attention to steam barriers, thermal bridging and ventilation to maximize heat loss efficiency while maintaining optimal air conditioning and fresh air supply.
Handle the mess: Choose a suitable outdoor storage solution
We don't have to be full-scale hammers to raise lots of useless things around the house. It is enough to leave a little of this and that around your home and its perimeter now and again, just for the future times of potential need, and you may end up with a pressing lack of storage space after a few months.
Unnecessary clutter reduces the functionality and comfort of our homes so releasing your home for unused or useless equipment is highly recommended at least once or twice a year. If you still decide to hang some of the stacked pieces and ends, you might as well get them out of view and the best way to do that is by going for some outdoor storage.
Choose a portable shed, extend your storage space by getting a container cover, or build a new garage to pack with belongings that don't necessarily have to stay safe and dry indoors – what works best for you.
Garden Patios: A lazy afternoon delight in the creation
There is no better way to spend a quiet afternoon than relaxing in your garden, terrace or patio – provided you have one. A beautiful patio is not all that demanding in terms of building and maintenance, and it can increase the value of your property by up to 20 percent, so it's a valuable effort you can make if you want to participate in a home improvement project that will prove equally rewarding if you sell your home or keep it for good.
The essentials for building a patio include some hard material, some concrete to bind the hard stick and coating and a bundle or two of paving stones or concrete slabs. The standard patio building procedure is simple and time efficient, as you can see in a number of tutorials available online, so don't wait too long – come first hot days, enjoy your weekends and free afternoons in the company of your loved ones outdoors, right there on your newly installed garden deck.
Although property upgrades require time, effort and money, home improvement projects are very functional and rewarding, whether you invest in the house you want to sell or settle in. If you want to increase the comfort, efficiency and value of your home, there are a number of affordable and yet practical house upgrades you can invest in years, so choose the one you need or like best and go to work ASAP!
