DIY at Home – Money Saving Tips

It’s a well known fact that hiring professional help for home improvements or small renovations can make a serious dent in your wallet. It’s a catch 22, as often we spend a lot of time within the home, so want it looking its best, but the cost implications can be a little off putting. This doesn’t have to be the case, there are some great ways to utilise what you have around you and improve your home on a modest budget. CNM Online; a leading heating and washroom specialist, have shared their top ideas for sprucing up your abode without breaking the bank.

Plan

Plan! Before you start any work, make sure you’ve got a clear plan of what you want. This is the same for any purchases you may need to make, ensure you’ve got measurements and know exactly what you’re looking for. The last thing you want is to either have to decorate more than once, or repurchase things as they don’t fit.

shop-around

Shop Around! You can’t just go for the first bits and pieces you see, even if they are exactly what you’re looking for, you’ve got to be resourceful. Large home stores and supermarkets often won’t have the best prices. Take down the name and brand of the products you like and get yourself onto google. Internet shopping is a great way to save money.

Thrifty

Be Thrifty! You may be able to repurpose instead of replacing some items around the home. Again, the internet is your best friend here. Get yourself onto Pinterest for some inspiration and ‘how to’ guides. You might not need to replace your kitchen table, you may be able to just paint it. You can sometimes find real gems on the freebie or bargain pages too, so make sure you’re checking them regularly.

HELP

HELP! You shouldn’t always do it completely by yourself. There may be some jobs which are a little out of your current skill set, but before you pay mega bucks and hire a professional, put the word out about what you need doing. Facebook is great for this, as you may have lost touch with an old family friend who is a jack of all trades, and doesn’t mind putting a few shelves up in return for a cooked dinner and nice bottle of wine. You’ll be surprised with how generous people can be, and you could save a packet.

Don’t Rush

Don’t Rush! If you’re in a rush, you’re almost always likely to spend more money. Try to give yourself a realistic timeframe for things to be completed in, and do it in stages. We aren’t saying to half decorate then leave it for 6 months, but you don’t have to have completely transformed your home within a few weeks. Take it a room at a time, and have a clear list of things you need and what you’re wanting to achieve.

Understanding Roof Pitch and Its Overall Importance

Handling roof installations and repairs isn’t for the faint of heart. But even if you’re going to let a licensed roofer take care of your needs, that doesn’t mean that you get to ignore the process entirely. There are still some terms and procedures that you should understand. This is because if you don’t know anything about the roof, you could be getting the wrong estimate…and not know it at all. When it comes to most homeowners, they want to absolutely know that the repairs they’re requesting are the ones that they actually need. Contractors want to bill honestly, because they want you to tell all of your friends about the incredible service that you received.

Roof Pitch

So what do you really need to understand? Roof pitch. No, we’re not saying that your roof has a song or anything like that. We’re talking about the measurement of your roof’s overall slope. It’s the number of inches for the vertical rise over the horizontal “run”. So if you have a 4/12 roof, it means that the roof rises 4″ for every 12 inches it runs. The run is usually always going to be about a foot long. If you can get to the top of your roof, then you can just take the measurements. But if you can’t get to the top of the roof, you can take the measurements you need from the end of the rafters. Either way, you should get similar results. Continue reading “Understanding Roof Pitch and Its Overall Importance”

5 Common Repairs that Save You Money and Protect Your Home

As the season turns to fall, homeowners across the country are thinking more about how to protect their homes. We’re honestly glad to see that the trend is moving in this direction. When credit seemed to be more ample, it was difficult to have people actually take this seriously. But now that they can’t just get loans quickly, they have to take care of the property as it stands. But we’re not here to condemn anyone; we just want you to understand how important it is to take care of these problems before they get out of hand.

Let’s get down to business!

1. Walls

wall cracks
It’s a good idea to check your walls for cracks and other signs that the wall may be buckling or bending. This is an issue with the drywall. If it wasn’t properly installed at the beginning, it will start to sag and fall to pieces. Weaknesses in the wall can and will otherwise weaken the structure of your home. Over time, this leads to disaster.

2. Floors

Cracks in the floor

Broken floorboards? Cracks in the floor? Like with the walls, cracks in the floors invite in other problems. Be sure that you seal cracks and patch holes. Cleaning your floors regularly is the key to keeping them looking their best.

3. Windows

fixing windows cracks
The spaces around windows can warp and cracks can appear, letting out the cold air and warm heat that you pay good money for! Instead of letting the heat escape from your home, take the time to seal up these cracks right away. You might look at a hole and think that it’s really too small to do any damage. The truth is that the hole can always get bigger over time. With everything on your plate, you might not see the hole growing slowly but surely over time. This means that more and more of your heating and cooling are going out of the home instead of circulating around the home. This is a big waste of money and can really hurt your budget in the long run. Continue reading “5 Common Repairs that Save You Money and Protect Your Home”