3 Practical Home Improvements You Can Tackle on Your Own

As someone who loves DIY, you are always looking around your house for something to re-do, improve or upgrade. While you wisely leave major electrical and plumbing projects to the pros, you can easily handle just about anything else.

Next month, you have some vacation time to use up. Instead of going out of town you want to stay home and tackle some home improvement projects. The catch? You want to focus on the most practical and valuable ideas possible, to improve not only your peace of mind but also make your home more functional and efficient.

To inspire and help you achieve this worthy goal, consider the following suggestions:

Boost Your Home’s IQ

One project that you should definitely consider involves installing a number of smart home devices. You can choose from things like smart thermostats and security systems, a smart doorbell, locks, windows and more. When it comes to weighing the pros and cons of a DIY smart home, the benefits definitely outweigh the advantages. For example, this type of technology will make your home more convenient and intuitive, and can also help to save you time and money. As for DIY vs professional smart home installation, it is quite possible for homeowners to purchase and install many of the devices themselves. Then, if you need assistance making sure the products can communicate on an interconnected network, you can always call in someone to assist.

Bathroom Makeover

Did you know you can give your bathroom a much-needed mini-makeover in two to three days and for less than $500? Start by heading to a local improvement store and spring for a new bathroom vanity top—many stores now carry stylish and beautiful granite options at reasonable prices. While you are there, treat yourself to a new bathroom mirror. Remove the top from the existing vanity, repaint the base and add new drawer and cabinet pulls. Next, repaint the walls of the bathroom in a color that will complement the new vanity, and then install the vanity top. Clean and shine the toilet, tub and floors and hang a new shower curtain rod and curtain. Your bathroom will look spruced up and modern.

Re-Stain Your Deck and Fencing

Nothing will make a backyard look tired faster than a faded and splintery deck and fence. To encourage your family to spend more time outside, consider re-staining these wooden surfaces. Start by pressure washing the wood, doing a test spot first to be sure you have the machine set at the correct level so as not to damage it. Once the wood thoroughly dries out—and there is no rain in the forecast—use a belt sander or regular sandpaper and plenty of elbow grease to smooth away splinters and rough spots. Then, use a high-quality thick stain to protect the newly-treated wood. This process should help bring back the natural beauty of the wood while making the deck much more user-friendly and safer to use.

Enjoy Your Working Vacation

You are to be commended for wanting to spend your time off from work improving the functionality and beauty of your home. By adding smart home devices, changing out the vanity top in a bathroom and re-staining wooden structures out back, your home will look and run a lot better.