I guess you could say I’ve been involved in-home improvement projects quite often in my life. At this very minute my husband is finishing the drywall in our living room, and will soon be painting it. While it’s great to see the finished product, the process can be very messy.

Upgrade your thermostat to a programmable model designed to regulate temperature based on occupancy to make a comfortable improvement to your home. These easy to install thermometers allow you to set the temperature differently throughout the day based on preference and occupancy. For example, you can reduce the heat during the day when the home is empty or outside temperatures increase.

Do not skip scraping off old flaking paint before beginning your painting project. Painting over old flaking paint will never yield good results. Go buy a paint scraper and scrape off the old paint before starting. Then take a sander and sand down any rough areas so that your new paint coat will look good.

Use family members and friends as great aids in your home improvement projects. With family and friends, you can cut the need for help from a professional that could cost quite a bit, while you also get a great deal of fun from the project. Also, you will find that they come in handy in the clean up portion of the project.

If you have the extra yard space, you should add a sunroom to your home. This adds value to your home because it will add more square footage to the home and it will also give future potential buyers, the extra living space that they may be looking to have.

If you have a simple bathroom in your house, why not improve it? Upgrade the shower into a steam model, or take the bathtub from a grungy built-in to a clawfoot. Replace the toilet with a new push-button efficiency model to save money on water bills while enhancing the look of your loo.

One way you can improve the exterior appearance of your home, is to plant brightly colored flowers. Chose ones that are appropriate for each season. Further, trim the bushes and hedges, and keep your lawn mowed and manicured. These simple improvements can instantly boost the look of your home.

Paint worn kitchen floors. If you have a wood floor in your kitchen, it will suffer a lot of abuse over the years. If it gets to the point where sanding and re-staining won’t do the job, try painting it. A coat of oil-based outdoor paint is strong enough for everyday wear, and it will give your kitchen a cottage feel, which is very fashionable nowadays.

We have a home which is over 100 years old and updating it has been an ongoing process over the past five years. We have a new dining room, two new bathrooms and half of a new kitchen. Recently, my husband installed four new windows and put new siding on half of the house. I can’t wait for the whole thing to be done!