Home Improvements on a Budget

There are many first time homeowners these days, due in part to the first time homebuyer tax credits. And for most new homeowners, home improvements are not something you might have a lot of experience in. Chances are your first home isn’t perfect, which means you may be considering making some changes. Here are some simple tips for those first time homeowner improvements.

The first thing to remember when doing renovations is to not price out the house or the neighborhood. If the neighbors don’t have in-ground pools, Jacuzzis, and built in saunas, then chances are you won’t get the return on investment for adding that to your home either. This same theory applies to the type of countertops, appliances, and building materials you use.

Once you decide which rooms you want to renovate, the key is to find building materials that match the pricing for the neighborhood. After all, you don’t want your home to look too cheap or expensive compared to the rest of the block. For actual renovations, you don’t necessarily need to hire everything out. For home improvements that have room for mistakes, like ones that don’t entail messing with the gas lines, you can do yourself relatively easily. All you need is internet at the house, and learning how to “Google the rest.”

You really can learn nearly everything from watching instructional YouTube videos, and reading blogs and construction websites on how to do home improvement. Soon you’ll feel more comfortable with tearing apart cabinetry, installing new ones, and removing walls.

Begin with small projects like painting, and maybe refinishing a floor. Then, if you feel more confident, research thoroughly – then go for it. The truth is you can save thousands of dollars by doing the work yourself. And being a homeowner does mean quite a bit of maintenance anyway, so learning along the way doesn’t hurt.