To many, the arrival of summer represents amazing times with school breaks, outdoor events, camping, and BBQs. For homeowners, summer is an ideal time for some overdue home improvement projects. If you’re worried about these projects taking a lot of time and funds to complete, we’ve come up with a list of simple DIY projects that are easy to do, but could have massive effects on the entire look and feel of your home.
1. Landscaping
Amazing landscaping continues to be one of the top home improvement projects during summer. It is also one of the most important projects you can undertake that can significantly add value to your property. Experts say that a beautifully landscaped home significantly adds to curb appeal and can increase home value by up to 30 percent.
How to start improving your landscaping? You can start by checking the condition of the grass and any other plants in your front yard. Start with the grass, checking for dirt or burned patches that make your property look old and neglected. Most of the time, simply watering the yard regularly and perhaps planting seeds will fix this problem. For more severe cases, you might want to consider installing artificial grass. After you’re done with the grass, you can now move on to checking for overgrown or dying bushes that either need to be removed or trimmed. You might also want to consider adding a fresh layer of mulch or a few flower beds to a more appealing front yard.
2. Pressure wash
Pressure washing is perhaps one of the easiest and most satisfying ways to create a huge impact on your home’s appearance. With a high power wash in hand, give your walkways, siding, deck, and driveway a good cleansing spray after a long bout of winter and snow. You don’t even need to own a pressure washer, you can just rent one near you. With a little effort, you can make your house’s exterior look brand new and a more enjoyable place to relax this summer.
3. Installing new windows
If you have a home with old or damaged windows, then investing in new windows during summer is one of the best ways to increase your home’s energy efficiency. Worn out windows can cause drafts that result in a chilly house. Replacing old windows may not be the most exciting home improvement project, but the long term return on investment can be quite significant, especially on savings from cooling and heating costs.
4. Energy efficient home appliances
It’s no secret that modern households are one of the major contributors to dangerous greenhouse gases due to appliances that use up a lot of energy. As responsible citizens and homeowners, we should do our share to help save energy and protect the environment. Smart thermostats can help save up to 15 percent on cooling costs. Some models even give the homeowners the ability to control their home temperature from their mobile device, from anywhere in the world. How cool is that?
Refrigerators typically make up around 13 percent of a home’s energy consumption. The fridge is indeed one of the hardest working appliances in any home. Choosing a more energy efficient model, thus makes sense, financially and environmentally. So which one to choose? According to experts, top-mount freezer refrigerators are the most cost-effective ones, consuming less energy than a 60 watt light bulb. By choosing the most energy efficient option, you can be looking at saving around $200 per year in electricity bills.
5. Painting your house
Summer is the perfect time to indulge in bigger painting projects. You can paint entire rooms or your house exteriors, if you wish, as the warm weather works well to help cure the paint properly. If you’re not confident about carrying out a DIY paint job, hiring a professional painter can be a great option.