Right now it is pouring outside,  and all I can think of is the water leaking into my basement. I am sitting here contemplating of all the repairs that have to get done to my house this spring! if spring ever comes!? Being a homeowner is rewarding yet also a lot of work! Home improvements and Repairs also require money. You will find out that all the money you used to go out to dinner with, or spend on new stuff every time you went to Target, is now spent on your home!

Yes buying a home does cost money, money for down payment, closing costs etc, but I cannot stress this enough! Save as much as you can for repairs to your home as they occur, that way you are not stuck in a rut, with no money and no way to fix your furnace when it’s out in January and your freezing your butt off! You may also want to do home Improvements to your home to make it “your own”.

It doesn’t matter whether you just built a home, bought a newly remodeled home or condo, or even purchased a fixer upper. Finally having a place you can call “Home” brings out the itch to change things about it we didn’t see before! Here are a few pieces of advice when it comes to making your dwelling into a better home for you and your family, whether it’s just general maintenance and repairs or big ticket remodeling.

Choose Home improvements that will add value to your home, incase you sell it down the road. Some things that will give you that return on investment are a bathroom and/or kitchen remodel, Finishing the basement/ Water proofing, adding a deck on the back of your home for entertaining, or even new exterior doors can add value to your home! Think of your newly purchased home as an investment and if you treat it as one you will get the highest return!

 

 

Great inspiration for your new projects always helps too! Speak with friends and family, and look on houzz.com for ideas. Pinterest is your best friend already, use it as a great tool for tips to redo anything in your home. These ideas are if you are tackling a home project on your own. If you are doing a large remodel I do not suggest you do it your self, unless you are a very handy mechanically inclined person, if you’re not you may make something worse. Then its best to call a couple of contractors, compare prices and let the experts handle all the dirty work!

Some Home improvements are urgent and could cause large amounts of damage when left unattended. These are things to tackle as soon as possible, to prevent a catastrophe. In regards to a leaky basement, adding a sump pump can be somewhat expensive but will also prevent water in your basement in turn preventing mold and mildew growing where you don’t want it! Or a leaky roof! Roofs can be patched too instead of fully replaced, when the roof overall is still in good shape! As almost every home owner has experienced, one day you will go down in your basement to see it flooded and ohhh %^&$!!! look its the water heater, it has reached its end of life and decided it wanted to explode or leak all over your floor! There goes another expense. Do not let these things wait, you will be paying way more money later after more damage is done.

Owning a home is somewhat of a hassle, but as long as you are on top of issues as they arise, and budget your money, it will not break your bank and will pay off in the long run! Keep in mind maintenance items highlighted in your inspection report as well, that you can budget for. If your furnace is 30+ years old, start saving your money to replace it. Same goes for your roof, water heater, etc… Having these items replaced and staying on top of your investment guarantees you more money in the future! Now you’re a homeowner and have a place to raise your kids and you can also get that dog you always wanted because now he will finally have his own yard! No landlord to hassle you, and a new-found respect for responsibility. Good for you!