Home Improvement

@hmkoct5 (2065)
United States
June 15, 2010 12:28am CST
What home improvements projects have you done in the past or do you plan to do in the future? Our big project that we are trying to save money for is to replace our carpet. We also would like to put up a new fence. It is so costly to do home repairs. Have you found a way to do things economically?
6 people like this
12 responses
@veejay19 (3589)
• India
15 Jun 10
at the end of last year i did plastering of the ceiling of the front verandah and rear balcony of my apartment.It was 70 years old and was coming down in pieces and crumbling.It cost me quite a bomb.After that i had the house painted after an interval of 12 years and that too was quite expensive.After the painting was over i had got all my wooden furniture varnished with walnut colored polish.Then just last week i had the waterproofing of the open terrace above the front verandah done as the monsoon was due.This too worked out to be quite expensive.house improvements and repairs are very expensive nowadays as in my country we do not do them ourselves but give it to contractors to do them.Therefore we have to pay for the materials, the labor and also for the contractors fees.
@hmkoct5 (2065)
• United States
16 Jun 10
I hate that it costs so much! I wish I knew how to do more things myself, but I am very bad at that kind of thing. Thankfully, my husband can do some things. Thanks for your response. It sounds like you have done some very nice things.
@thedaddym (1731)
• United States
17 Nov 11
It's been a while since we have actually done anything although our baememt did flood about 8 months ago and we had to rip out all of the carpeting and remove the first 4 feet of drywall in the basement, I guess you could call that the opposit of a home improvment. Now we need to put the dry wall back in and maybe get new carpeting down there, although I don't know if we will put carpet down there again, maybe just an area rug in one area. We are getting our dryer and dishwasher fixed next week.
@hmkoct5 (2065)
• United States
18 Nov 11
I bet you will be really glad when those two things are fixed!
@KrauseHome (36449)
• United States
18 Feb 12
We desperately need a New refridgerator and am considering ways to make sure and get this replaced this yr. We also would Love to replace all the carpeting in our house and tile in the Bathroom, kitchen etc. with wood flooring. We know both of these do take money, but these are things that really need to somehow get done. We have the light color carpet all over our house which always looks dirty so being able to replace it with something else would be a huge plus.
@ajithlal (14716)
• India
1 Apr 12
I also think home improvement projects are very costly now a days. Even simple painting can cost a lot of money. Now a days I am putting back lots of improvement ideas that I have in my mind. I hope they become more economic and some day I hope to complete the home improvement step by step.
• United States
2 Apr 12
We've ripped out our entire kitchen (cabinets, sink, counter), the flooring in all the rooms, sanded the wood floors, put in a wood floor, ripped out the sink and toilet in the bathroom, removed ton's of wall paper, installed a few new window wells, new exerior doors and screen doors, and some new basement windows. There is no true way to do things economicially unless you know people who work in various fields and you can barter something you are good at for their help or next to nothing in pay. Or if it's something you can do yourself you do it the best you can as every lil thing if you pay a professional is expensive!
@kingparker (9673)
• United States
15 Nov 11
I am a lazy type of person, and I didn't do much of home improvement work. Lately, I just paint my house, and that is all. Other than that, I didn't do much. I wish that I can download one of those do it yourself guide in PDF format, so I can do some home improvement on my own.
@ladym33 (10979)
• United States
15 Jun 10
We have not and do not plan to do a whole lot this year. We did have some dirt brought over and we covered up a large bare area in our grass and my husband planted seed which due to all the rain is comeing in really nicely. I also planted a small garden this yeat, but that is about it. We need to fix two of our toilets. Last your my husband and a friend repaired broken posts on our fence and then painted the fence. My husband also painted the swing set and the shed to match the fence too. But that is about it. About 5 years ago we did a lot, got new front doors, windows, siding, roof, and hardwood floors on our entire lower level.
@Opal26 (17679)
• United States
15 Jun 10
Hi hmkoct! I am also trying to save for new carpet! I live in an apartment, but I have had light beige carpet for way too long now in my living room and just want it gone! It was a "gift" from my Mom and Stepfather years ago, they picked it out and I was horrified! I had dark brown carpet before it and didn't want such light colored carpet so have been miserable because it shows every stain and now it is about 15 years old at least! If my floors didn't look so bad I wouldn't mind having bare floors! My bf said he could probably buff and re-finish them, but that also costs money and is a big job so I don't know what we are going to do yet. All I know is that this carpet has to go asap! I have been re-doing the living room bit by bit by buying new lamps, pictures, small pieces of furniture. But, nothing matters unless the floor is finished one way or another~
@icegermany (2524)
• India
15 Jun 10
i know investing for a little thing for home is going to be very expensive. buying things for decoration or for the house interiors is expensive and i some times do it when i like a particular thing and i take it but we are trying to own a house and hence we are trying to save money but one or the other responsibilities come up and we need to commit for it but trying our best to it. owning a house is the major project for us now and i am just hoping to complete this task and looking forward to it.
• United States
27 Aug 10
I am planning on removing the drywall off of the walls and painting the wood underneath. The wood underneath is brown and it looks so ugly. I am also planning on painting the kitchen and both bathrooms. I have the bathroom paints thanks to my cousin who bought too much paint (she and her husband had a slight communication problem and when they agreed on what colors to paint their bedroom and kitchen each went out and bought the paints they needed) and instead of one of them returning the paint they decided to ask my husband and I if we could use it. As soon as it cools off a bit my husband and I will be painting. Hopefully out cat Smyles will stay out of the paint. He is a sweet cat, but he is so nosy.
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
15 Jun 10
A couple of years ago, we redid the bathroom. It was long overdue, as it had been on the level of some public restrooms. Now it looks as nice as a bathroom could look. I guess, there is really no area. Then the kitchen was redone as well. That looks nice as well, with a new stove, new refrigerator, and a new floor. Of course, it took nine months to get done but the end result is more than acceptable. The next huge project is the basement. I think this is going to take a while but it will be habitable once it is done. Right now, its just a place to do laundry. Already, the stairs have been redone and it is much safer to go down there. The stairs were rather rickety before and there was a fear that someone might get hurt. Right now, its a very long term project for the rest of the basement.
@puccagirl (7294)
• Israel
15 Jun 10
I have to fix my garden, which looks horrible now. I have the cash for it, but not the time or the knowledge since it is my first own garden. But I will just have to read a lot of stuff online I guess, and make time, even if I always feel like I do not have it...