7 DIY Home Improvements That Will Save You Money

Whether you stay in a rental home or you’ve bought your own house, home improvements are necessary in order to make the space comfortable and appealing. While thinking of home improvements, you should beware that some improvements will only increase maintenance costs while adding no extra value. As a result, they should be avoided and replaced with those that are practical, cost-friendly, and provide real value for money. The following simple home improvements will not only keep your home in the best state but also save you money in the short and long run.

1.    Maintaining your lawn and garden

These may seem like the most obvious piece of advice that any person may give you, but if you pay close attention to your lawn, your property will end up increasing in value.  Keep the grass short and evenly cut and where possible call a professional to help you out. If you don’t have the time to maintain the lawn every time, ensure to use plants that are easier to maintain.

Apart from your lawn, the garden also plays a big role in enhancing the functional and aesthetic value of your compound. It provides you with a free area where you can unwind and hold functions. Ensure that the trees and hedges in your garden are well trimmed and cut.  While you are at it, add a few dessert plants and flowers as they will contribute to the overall beauty of the compound. Dessert plants and flowers are an advantage where there isn’t much water since they don’t require a regular watering.

Related source: Best garden tractor

2.    Have smart thermostats installed in your house

If there is one place that a home owner or renter spends a lot, then it is on electrical bills.  What most people don’t realize is that they end up paying for unnecessary high bills. This is where smart thermostats come in. Smart thermostats, for instance, regulate temperature in a room to what is necessary and also switch off lights in a room whenthere is no one inside. By keeping the temperatures to what is necessary and the lights on only when they are needed, power is not wasted.

3.      A big fan instead of air conditioning units

Air conditioning bills can be on the all-time high, especially when you have a big house and the climate around where you live in is hot.  Opting for a big house fan may be more ideal if you think you are spending more than you should. Big fans draw in air through the windows of the house and then outside through the fan and in the process, it cools down the entire house at a lesser cost.

4.    Gutters

This may seem like a very simple investment, but in the long run it may just end up saving you the entire building. Water damage is considered a leading cause in property damage. Water seeps slowly into the walls and floors and after a few years, they start to rot. Gutters will help direct water away from the house, therefore stopping the process.

One thing to note about gutters is that they should be regularly maintained and cleaned of all clutter so that they remain functional for longer.If you have a few extra dollars in your budget waterproofing the floors and walls of your house, for instance through painting, will also help keep it waterproof for longer.

5.    Update to energy efficient appliances and smart lighting

Old electrical appliances end up consuming more energy, which translates to high electrical bills. If your old appliances are still in use, then having them checked often by a qualified electrician will enable you to know if they are still energy efficient. However, when they get too old, it will make more economic sense to have them replaced entirely.

Lighting in the house also plays a big role in making our life more comfortable.  Normal light bulbs end up consuming more energy than necessary when compared to energy efficientlight bulbs such as compact fluorescent lamps and light emitting diodes. In addition, to take this a notch higher, have sensors incorporated into your lighting system.  The sensors will turn the lights on when someone approaches and off when someone leaves a room. In the end,they help you spend less on paying for electricity bills.

6.      Install tank-less water heaters & water filters

Tank-less water heaters help you save on bills each month; this is because they only heat the wateras you use it. On the other hand, the model with a tank heats up all the water  in the tank regardless of whether you are using it or not. In the process,energy ends up being wasted.

You should also invest in a water filter as explained here to provide you and your family with clean drinking water. Dirty water is the cause of most sickness, minor or major, in homes and having a water filter will help you save money that could have been used in treatment.

7.      Keep your Refrigerator full

A full freezer worksmore efficiently compared to one that is not. In addition, keeping the fridge fairly full will help prevent cold air from escaping very quickly when the door is opened. In the end, less energy ends up being used to return the fridge to normal temperature each time the door is opened.

If you follow these tips you will soon note a difference on the bills that you incur each month.