Helpful Tips For Taking Care of Your Home and Landscape
Plenty of people call themselves homeowners across the United States. As of July 2019, the country boasted nearly 140 million residential properties. And the real estate market continues to grow, even during economic fluctuations caused by the 2020 pandemic. Is it any wonder that so many individuals and families are interested in learning which home updates will give them the most return on investment (ROI) and pleasure for their time and money?
If you’ve been putting off home updates because you’re not sure where to begin, this is the tip sheet for you. Follow the following straightforward strategies to ensure that the home updates you choose for your residence will add value, functionality, and aesthetics.
Pay Attention to Your Landscaping
Owning a house with a lawn can be exciting. Yet it takes some manpower and commitment to keep the landscape looking good and working well. Remember that a huge part of lawn care should include drainage and soil considerations. Two factors impact how much soil erodes off of a landscape: the amount of bare soil exposed and the length of time it is exposed. When you notice signs of soil erosion, you know that there is probably too much bare soil in the vicinity and that the spot’s been bare for a while.
Covering patches of bare soil with grass and plants will help anchor the soil in place. You may also want to consider adding some landscaping stones or small retaining walls to allow water to flow rather than soil to erode.
After tackling any bare places on your lawn and ensuring the soil can drain efficiently, make upgrading your garden beds high on your to-do list. It isn’t necessary to spend a fortune to add curb appeal with flowers and plants. Even taking an edger around mulched areas and pulling up weeds can boost the attractiveness of your front, side, and back yards.
Remember, you don’t have to call a landscaper for these outdoor home updates, either. Your local home improvement stores should have just about everything you need from tools to equipment to give your property an exterior facelift. The exception would be if you require tree or tree stump removal. It can take up to two hours to grind down an exposed stump, so leave the heavy-duty work to the professionals!
Fix Your Driveway, Roof, and Gutters
Before diving into interior home updates, let’s talk a little more about your driveway, roof, and gutters. Your driveway gets a lot of use, and it may be prone to cracking if it’s made of concrete. Be sure to get any cracked concrete driveways or walkways fixed fast. Otherwise, you could cause damage to your car’s tires or shocks by driving over highly uneven concrete slabs season after season. Fortunately, concrete driveway repair can be done without having to remove and replace all the concrete. That’s a relief for homeowners working on a budget.
In terms of your roof and gutters, you can save money by staying on top of any necessary maintenance or repairs. Keeping safety in mind, clean out your gutters at least once if not twice annually. If your roof shingles start to wear down after many years of service, call a roofing contractor a year or two before you intend to replace the roof. Giving yourself a head start on saving money to make pricier home updates helps eliminate sticker shock when the time comes and you schedule a roof replacement.
Pay Attention to the Way Your Kitchen Looks
As one of the most trafficked rooms in your home, your kitchen deserves a lot of TLC when it comes to home updates. In fact, just freshening up your kitchen with a coat of paint, new flooring, and updated appliances and lighting can pay you back with an ROI of nearly 81%.
Of course, if your kitchen is extremely dated to the point of being unsafe or difficult to navigate, you may want to consider redesigning the layout. If you plan to stay in your house for many years, opening the kitchen area into the dining room or adding new cabinetry could allow you to fall in love with the space all over again.
Spend Time on Your Bathrooms
Looking for other home updates that will pay you back with an enviable ROI? Modernize your bathrooms. Buying and installing new toilets, sinks, and tubs can completely transform any bathroom. While you’re at it, consider repainting the walls and adding different floors.
Let’s face it: You and your family are going to spend a lot of time in the bathroom. Shouldn’t it be one of the most appealing places in your house?
Deal With Any Signs of Moisture ASAP
As you’re considering where to spend your money on home updates, accept that you may have to put some dollars toward necessary repairs. For instance, do you suspect that you may have a moisture issue in the basement or garage? Moisture can lead to mold, high humidity, and rotted floorboards and walls.
The last thing you want is a plumbing disaster. Therefore, at the first indication that you may have a water leakage, unusual moisture, or water damage, call an expert. It’s always better to pay now for something that could cost a lot more later.
Stick to Your HVAC Tune-Up Schedules
Tempted to skip a year or two on tune-ups for your furnace, air conditioning unit, sump pump, or boiler? Think again. Routine maintenance on your HVAC system will enable you to get the most out of it. And if you’ve recently purchased heating or cooling equipment as part of your home updates, regular check-ups will ensure that the equipment will stay in good shape for longer.
As a side note, if you do have to replace a water heater or other similar appliance or system, consider buying a product that’s energy-efficient. You’ll reduce your expenses in terms of monthly utility bills, which will help the unit pay for itself over time.
Whether you plan to stay in your current residence for a few more years or a lifetime, make home updates a priority. You don’t have to go overboard to get the most out of your house, or to make it look like a dream.