The summer is the perfect time to focus your efforts on a bit of home improvement – long days and warm weather allow you to spend more time on maintenance and different renovation projects that you may have been putting off for quite some time. There can be many benefits to creating a living environment that is aesthetically pleasing, spacious, practical and, most importantly, specifically tailored to your needs, an improvement in your overall mood being one of them. There's still plenty of time before winter rolls around, so you can slowly start making changes – look at renovations as an extended project that can be done bit by bit during several months. Here are some of the best renovation projects you can do to make your home look great.
Custom herb planter for the garden
The garden is the perfect place for spending some quality time with your friends and family during the summer, but if your garden is a mess of weeds, forgotten toys and knee-high grass, then you can't really expect to have a fun and relaxing time. Apart from regular maintenance, you should consider adding some exciting new plants, and the best way to simplify the process of planting all the lovely new flowers is to make a planter out of a small cart. You'll be able to get everything done quickly, and you'll be left with a nice little garden decoration afterwards.
Create a garden dining area with a campfire
Nothing beats a nice barbecue or some light conversation with friends over a few drinks around a campfire. This is not an experience only reserved for hiking enthusiasts, however. It doesn't take much to create a small dining area in your garden – pave a small area, add a large table and a bunch of chairs, and you have a perfect spot for entertaining guests or just kicking back and relaxing on your own. The campfire can be as simple as a small clearing surrounded with rocks, but there also are plenty of unique hearth designs that require a bigger investment, but look incredibly lovely.
Build a little bar in the backyard
Now, if a full on dining area with a stone hearth, is a bit tough to pull off with your current budget, particularly if you've got some other renovations lined up as well, then a simple bar and a few chairs might be a better option. It can be a fairly simple affair, with a couple of shelves, a sunroof, and an ice bucket to keep the drinks cool – the fact that you have a bar in the backyard will be enough of an incentive for people to come, so you don't have to go crazy with the details.
Bring your deck back to life, or build one
If you own a deck, chances are that it has gotten fairly beat-up over the years. As long as everything is structurally sound you won't have to replace it – just give it a nice resurfacing treatment. You'll need to clean it up first, making sure to deal with any rot, loose boards, splinters or nails that stick out. Then you can wash out the old coating and sand the deck down before applying a fresh coat resurfacing coating. It takes a few days for the coating to completely dry up, so make sure that you do this during a bout of clear weather.
Inspect your tools, sharpen them and replace faulty equipment
The tool shed is something that most people neglect when it comes to maintenance and home improvement, but your tools are essential for any kind of DIY project, so keeping them in good working order should be a priority. You should clean out the shed and inspect all your tools to see what needs to be repaired or replaced, and take the time to renovate your shed while you are at it.
Install a few safety measures
A thick and durable front door is important for a number of reasons, including safety, insulation and reduced maintenance costs. In fact, all the exterior doors should have a solid wood construction, and have deadbolts. You can even opt for a second lock, e.g. a floor lock, to make it more resistant to physical attacks, but you'll need to make sure that the door frame is reinforced as well. Apart from this, you can install motion sensor lights, an alarm system, a surveillance camera to monitor the yard, and get thicker energy efficient windows that are less likely to break.
Liven up your living room with a fresh coat of paint
Something as simple as painting the walls a different color can actually have a huge impact on how your interior looks and feels. Even if you're not a firm believer of feng shui, auras and such things, it pays to spend a bit more time choosing the right shade, as the color of a room can definitely have an impact on your mood. People usually go for the cheerfulness of lighter tones, or the understated elegance of cool pastels, although there is something to be said about the power of stronger colors to break up the monotony. Whatever you go for, just make sure that your furniture and décor do not clash with the new color.
Modernize your kitchen with the latest fittings
From a practical point of view, kitchen restorations are a great option since they offer an incredibly high return on investment. In fact, repainting and working on your bathroom and kitchen are the three projects that will raise the value of your property the most, particularly if combined with other ideas on this list like strong front doors and a lovely garden. The kitchen is usually praised for its utility, so people put off renovations for a long time, and if this is the case with you, let's just say that you are going to be surprised at all the bells and whistles that come with modern kitchens. Even if your finances can't handle large granite surfaces and high end mosaic tiles, you can upgrade your faucet and metal fittings, get some nice tableware, and upgrade your fridge or stove. In certain cases you may also need to have someone look at your electrical wiring, to make sure that your new layout doesn’t cause problems when it comes to plugging all your appliances in.
Insulate your home
Cold winters cause you to spend more money on heating than you'd like, but that's just the price of staying warm, right? Well, it doesn't have to be. You can actually look at it this way, heating a house with poor insulation is kind of like trying to keep a spaghetti strainer full of water – you can just keep pouring more and more water in, or you could try to plug some of the holes, so that you lose less water. Good insulation will keep your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, which is not only incredibly convenient, but saves you a ton of money in the long run.
Maximize your balcony space
If you have a balcony and you’re letting it go to waste by using it as an improvised storage space for all manner of items that you don't want lying around in your home or a jungle of flowers and vines, then you should definitely consider this little home improvement gem. With things like vertical planters, balcony tables that hook to the railing, folding furniture and a few hooks, you can make more room for people without sacrificing any of the functionality.
No one likes to think about the winter while they are having fun during the hottest months, but it comes all too quick, and it’s best to get all your major renovations done by then. With these interesting tips you can make a big positive change in no time, particularly if you get a bit of professional help.