Whether you just moved into your new home or have lived there for years there are always going to be projects that you need to take care of. Some of these projects might leave you feeling you spent a lot of money for no real benefit but others are simple things you can do that make big differences in your life.
Adding Storm Doors
Storm Doors are a great project for your home. They range in cost from about $100 to $300 depending on the style that you purchase. They come in Steel Clad or Aluminum and some are full length tempered glass. The biggest benefit that you will find is that no longer do you have heat loss or drafts around your doors. This can save you a lot of money in your heating and cooling but it also makes your house more comfortable. As an added bonus it will improve your home’s security. Now when someone comes to your home you can open your main door and your storm door is still separating you from your visitor. You can tell them no thank you or just close your door and not have to deal with that nasty sales person or whoever they may be.
Adding Or Changing Ceiling Fans
Ceiling Fans are something you never realized you needed until you get them. In the Spring and early Fall they can allow you to cool your home without the need to run your Air Conditioning and in the Summer they will allow you to reduce your dependence on your Air Conditioning to a Minimum. Some people also say that they can reduce your heating in the winter by pushing hot air down to the living space but I personally haven’t found that to be true even in rooms with vaulted ceilings the fan still seems to have a cooling effect. In homes with great rooms this would be a definite plus but in average bedrooms with eight foot ceilings probably not. Your experience will be different and its worth a try.
For ceiling fans to work well they have to be sized correctly for the room. Larger ceiling fans are needed in the living room and kitchen while average fans will do well in bedrooms. You might find changing out your fans is helpful if you can increase the amount of air they move. They can also double as the primary light source in your room and dimmable bulbs and light switches are a good way to make their use more efficient. Remember regular LED Bulbs can’t be used with a dimming switch so you need to make sure they are dimmable bulbs.
If you are into home automation there are fans with remotes and you can even install a switch that will allow you to control your fans and lights over the internet.
Changing The Type Of Flowers And Plants Around Your Home
Everyone likes their home to look nice and flowers add to that. However planting annual plants every year can be a difficult job. For that reason you are better off looking at perennial plants and flowers that only need to be planted once and will come back year after year. There are many varieties of Perennial plants and flowers the most common would be bulb flowers like tulips and daffodils. Other choices include Day Lillys that can flower at different times of the summer for early, mid summer and late summer blooms. Iris, Hosta, Ferns and many other bulb or root based flowers and plants that you never have to replant. An added benefit of perennial plants is that they propagate and then you can divide them to expand your garden. I personally have a large long bed of plants and flowers on the side of my home that I use to transplant into other parts of my property to replace or add plants. It usually takes a plant 2 years before you can divide it in half or more to make more plants.
Another benefit of Perennial Plants is that they need much less watering and care than other plants. They simply grow and unless you have an extremely dry drought condition you can normally have very healthy and happy plants and flowers that never need watering or trimming.
With proper planning you can have flowers blooming all spring, summer and fall and never have to tend to them like you would perennials. And unlike Roses that have thorns and are not fun to care for your perennial flowers and plants will bring you enjoyment every time you look at them and know how little work they are.
Adding A Hose Bib For Outside Watering
Every home will have outside hose bibs for use around your house but you might find that the contractor that built your home decided to leave one out near the garage or driveway or maybe they didn’t put one on the side of your house where your garden is.
This can make life really difficult but adding a hose bib is really not too difficult. Normally you can do the work yourself in half a day or less depending on the location of water lines and the hose bib outside. If your location requires a plumber to do the work you can normally share the work with them and reduce your cost.
The difference of dragging a hose through your bushes to water your garden or wash your car will make it worth the $100-200 cost the first time you use it.
Motion Sensor Lighting
Motion sensor lighting is a big thing for security and you are likely to already understand their use for security lights around the outside of your home but they are also useful in other places.
For instance your front door light can be outfitted with a motion sensor that will turn on the light when someone enters the porch area. Some lights come with this option or you can purchase special bulb inserts that activate the light. This gives you added security on a standard light but also allows you to have a lighted entry when you come home at night and need to find your keys and get in the door.
Inside you can also benefit from motion activated lighting in areas where it might be difficult to reach out and flick a switch. Hallways and stairs are a good place for motion activated lighting especially if you have your hands full with packages or carrying the kids up to bed. Bathrooms are another place and motion sensors can control both the lights and the bathroom fan. You can either install switches or lights that replace what you have or you can add lighting to a hallway outlet that adds motion activation without changing your current home wiring.
USB Outlets
Everyone hates searching for or dealing with wall warts to charge their devices. One thing you can do to reduce this is adding outlets that have a USB port for charging your phone. A good plan is to find a place in your bedroom or maybe your kitchen where you can install one and make a charging station.
Final Note
These are a handful of the most common easy changes to your home that make big difference in the long run. Your home will have its own needs and these types of projects can be done whenever you feel the need. While other projects like painting and appliance upgrades and remodeling might add to the appearance of your home these type of projects add to the livability of your home and are for the most part pretty easy to do in a night or weekend.