Tools used for home projects

Money Saving Home Projects

Not all home projects are created equally. Some you do just for yourself and others you do to protect your home, save money and add value. If saving money is on your mind, here are some projects that you can do that will save you money over the course of time. Things that will bring you enjoyment now and eventually completely pay for themselves. Let’s have a look.

How would you like to do spend money on your home and get every penny of that money back, plus some. Well, there are literally dozens of projects that you can to that will not only pay for themselves, they will actually make you money. Here are our top 4 picks.

Attic Insulation

If you have an older home, you are probably under insulated in the attic. For the average home, you need 10 to 14 inches of insulation. The warmer or colder your climate, the more that you need. How do you know if you need insulation? Easy, just go into the attic. if you can see the rafters, you need more insulation.

If you need to add insulation, you will be happy to know that doing so is a very user friendly project. The most economical way to get things done is with loose fill insulation and no, you do not have to use the exact same kind that is in your attic now.

The cost of the project will depend on the level of insulation that you have in your home now and its size. On average, expect to pay about $500 – $800 to get the job done yourself. Most home improvement stores will include a free insulation blower with a minimum purchase so that estimate includes the equipment needed. If you want to have a contractor do the job, expect to pay about 2 to 3 times that amount.

As far as recouping your investment goes, if your insulation was below the rafter level, you should be able to save an easy $300 a year in heating and cooling costs. If you did the project yourself, you should start to break even after the first year and then it is all savings.

In addition to the energy savings, there is another great benefit to attic insulation. You will make your home fare more comfortable. The temperature will be much more even throughout your home with no more hot areas in the summer or cold areas in the winter. You will immediately feel the difference.

Exterior Paint

As a home owner, you are probably very familiar with painting your rooms and you know that every few years, you need to give them some attention. What you might be forgetting about is the exterior paint and it is far more important.

A good exterior paint not only makes your home look better, it also protects it. It protects the wood from rot and damage from the elements. In addition, the caulk around the trim helps to keep water and moisture out of your walls. Very important stuff and if you fail to take care of your exterior paint, it can cost you thousands of dollars in repair costs.

Exterior painted surfaces should get a re-coat once every five years to protect them from the elements. As far as the cost goes, it can cost anywhere from $200 to paint your own brick home with just wood trim to $3000 to have a painter paint an entire stucco exterior on a moderately sized house. There is a huge difference in the estimate but there is also a huge differences int he types of houses out there.

Carpet Cleaning

Carpet is something that is hugely neglected in a home even though it is very expensive to replace. The average carpeted space in a 1500 square foot home could easily cost $3000 or more to replace. The average lifespan of a well maintained carpet is 10 to 12 years. If you do not take care of your carpet, that lifespan can be cut in half.

Maintaining a carpet means having it cleaned. You should have your carpet professionally cleaned, not a rug doctor, once a year to keep it in good condition. Doing so will make your carpet last the full lifespan of 10 to 12 years.

The cost of carpet cleaning is about $150 to $200 right now for the average home carpet cleaning making it a service that will easily pay for itself in added life to your carpet. Not only that, you will also get more enjoyment out of your home living on a clean floor. No more dealing with spots and/or odd odors.

Tree Planting

Do you know how much a mature tree can add to the value of a home? Thousands of dollars. Do you know how much a tree costs? With all the supplies to plant it, about $50.

Planting a tree is the ultimate home improvement project if you want a return on your investment. The first thing that you should do when you get a home is plant a tree. Even if your home came with the builder minimum of one tree in the front yard, you could use more.

If you just moved into your home, go out and get two trees to plant. It will cost you about $100 and a little time. Over the years, the trees will contribute to the enjoyment of your yard and they will give you shade for cooling. They might even help you save on energy bills.

Then, when time comes to sell your home, list our home for several thousand mores than compatible ones, all because you have nice trees.