Give it a New Coat of Color

A can of paint is a simple and inexpensive way to refresh your home. This is probably not news to you, but it is important to pay attention to the details when painting to get maximum value out of it. Firstly, try to select a neutral color that makes your home looks bright and clean. Good colors include light grey, beige, and shades of white. Stay away from extreme colors like bright red, bright yellow, or dark purple. If you can, pay for a professional painter, as they will be able to do a neat job and can help with removing hardware from walls, as well as patching up large holes or cracks. If you decide to tackle the job yourself, do purchase the right equipment and seek the advice of your local DIY or paint store to make sure you apply the paint correctly and don’t make a mess of your house instead.

Reface the Kitchen

Kitchen renovations can be extremely costly, time-consuming and difficult. However, if you wish to give your kitchen a new look without investing too much time, effort, and cash, consider simply refacing the kitchen. This is a great option if your kitchen cabinets are in generally good condition, but are looking dated or have worn-out surfaces. The simplest option is to re-paint or re-stain the cabinet doors, and change the counter-tops, sink and stove if required. If your cabinet doors are badly damaged, you may opt to change all the doors entirely. A good carpenter or kitchen refacing specialist will be able to help you on this, and they can paint or apply laminates or veneers to the exposed parts of your kitchen cabinets to match the new doors.

Refinish the Floors

If your floors are starting to show their age, a simple refinishing may help to restore them to their former glory, and you. For hardwood floors, have them sanded down, re-stained and sealed. It is highly recommended to hire a professional to due this, firstly for health and safety reasons. Wood dust is carcinogenic, and you don’t want to be inhaling it due to improper equipment or poor sanding technique. Secondly, sanding machines may be difficult to operate if you do not have the proper training. Pressing down too hard on the machine may cause your floors to become uneven. Furthermore, hardwood floors can only be sanded down a limited number of times before they get too thin to be further sanded, so you it’s not something that you can try and try again if you fail to get it right the first time. If you have marble or tiled floors, consult a professional to see if you can have them polished. It may be possible to grind down the topmost layer of the flooring to remove stains, small chips or hairline cracks.

Re-grout the Bathroom

Grey, moldy grout between the bathroom tiles is one of the biggest turnoffs in a space where you’re supposed to get yourself clean and feeling fresh. If your bathroom grout is in relatively good condition with no cracks or holes but perhaps looking a bit dirty, you can try cleaning it with bleach first to see if you can get a good enough result. This is the least expensive method as all you require is bleach (oxygen bleach is a more environmentally- and health-friendly alternative to chlorine) and a brush. If that doesn’t do anything for the grout, or if your grout is full of gaps, you should try re-grouting. Although this may sound daunting, it is actually not too difficult to do this yourself with the right tools. First, get yourself an inexpensive power grinder such as a Dremel-type grout remover. This will make your job much easier when you are removing old grout, compared to using hand tools like a grout saw. Next, re-grout using a grout float to push the new grout into the spaces between the tiles. Finally, wipe the excess grout from the surface of tiles with a damp sponge.

Spring Clean and Get Organised

When you have lived in a house for many years, it is typical to suffer from a build-up of clutter (unless you are super-neat and organised, in which case, well done to you!). It is amazing what simple but thorough deep-cleaning and organising can do for your home. First, identify all the things you no longer use, and are not likely to use within the next 12 months. Either throw or recycle it, or find someone to take it off your hands if it is in good condition (donating to charities, garage sales, eBay or Craigslist are some good options). Next, decide on a “home” for each object in the house. This means no toys lying on the floor, or books and magazines strewn on the dining table. Everything has to have its own storage area. If you don’t have enough storage space, consider adding some wall shelves, storage bins, or drawer and cabinet organisers to help you utilise existing storage spaces more effectively. Finally, now that everything is neatly put away, deep clean your house, going through areas that are not usually cleaned, for example the top of the fridge, door frames, inaccessibly high windows, behind large furniture pieces, and so on. While it can be time-consuming to purge your house of years of accumulated dirt, the results will definitely be worth it.

Ten Good Reasons to Remodel Your RV:

1.Remodeling is the most economical way to get a true upgrade. As opposed to trading in your RV, remodeling enables you to add the features you need and the look you’ve always wanted at a mere fraction of the cost of a new RV.

2.Remodeling is the process of customizing and decorating an RV to suit your specific lifestyle as well as your personal tastes. There’s no other way to accomplish this task.

3.Tasteful and competent remodeling adds value to an RV. This added value ultimately results in a higher selling price. Remodeled RVs also tend to sell faster because interested buyers don’t want to miss out on an irreplaceable item.

4.Remodeled RVs tend to be of a higher quality than those that that haven’t. Remodeling, when done properly, is a successful collusion of creativity, quality materials, and workmanship. While some companies claim to accomplish this feat at the factory, it’s hard to compete with a proud owner that has all the time in the world.

5.The primary difference between a $175,000 RV and a $375,000 RV is the interior. Shrewd owners use skillful interior remodeling and selective upgrades to create a luxury RV at a fraction of the cost of a new high-end model.

6.Remodeling is extremely enjoyable as well as rewarding. Whether you’re changing the style, or adding new features, remodeling projects are often filled with excitement and anticipation of a new living space.

7.Even though high-end RVs cost considerably more than a typical home, many lack even the most basic amenities including dishwashers, garbage disposals, book shelves, desks, and Internet access.

8.Remodeled RVs have significantly more storage space than new models. RV manufacturers don’t have the time to install closet organizers, drawer dividers, rotating shelves, and pull-out cabinet inserts.

9.Even though there are more than two million full-time RVers, there’s no such thing as a special model for full-timers. The qualities that make a good full-timing RV have to be implemented by its owners.

10.A huge number of people routinely remodel their RVs. The five most commonly performed remodeling projects are:

a. Replacing or upgrading the flooring

b. Reupholstering the furniture

c. Upgrading the window treatments

d. Painting or wallpapering the walls

e. Replacing the dinette with a table and set of chairs

When it comes time to replace your boat’s carpet, the most common question consumers have is “What is the difference between marine grade boat carpeting and the outdoor carpeting offered at local carpet and hardware stores?”

Though there are many similarities, and the look or feel is very similar, there are many key features which make these two carpet styles very different. These specific features are the determining factors of how long your new carpeting lasts. Not only will marine grade carpeting last longer, but it will also maintain its look and feel under the harsh marine elements for years to come.

Marine Grade Boat Carpet Features:

• Rubber Backed
• Ravel Resistant
• Fade/UV Resistant
• Stain Resistant
• Mold/Mildew Resistant
• Rot Resistant
• Weather-proof
• Polypropylene Yarn
• Non-Flammable
• 3 Year Warranty
• Porous Backing for Quick Drying

Though some of these features may also be found in standard outdoor carpet, you will notice one major difference. The one key factor which makes these two styles of carpet so different is the carpet’s rubber backing. Marine grade boat carpet has a true rubber backing which the polypropylene UV resistant yarn is directly woven into. This enables the carpet to be breathable, making it resistant to moisture which causes mold, mildew, and rot overtime. Due to constant exposure of your boat’s carpet to the harsh marine environment, the above features are crucial to look for when searching for replacement carpeting for your boat. Many carpeting suppliers and stores will endorse their outdoor carpet for replacement on boats, but the fact of the matter is when boat manufacturers are installing carpeting, they always use marine grade carpeting.

There are many reasons why you shouldn’t use the outdoor carpeting you find a local carpet and hardware stores. What you will find with almost all outdoor carpeting is that it has an indoor carpet backing with rubber applied to it. This primary backing is a woven or non-woven fabric in which the yarn is inserted by tufting needles. After the yarn is inserted, a secondary backing that consists of another fabric is laminated onto the primary backing to increase its dimensional stability. Due to these organic and fibrous backings, it is almost certain that deterioration will happen quickly with any marine application. Not only will these backings deteriorate, but the threading will disassemble from the rubber applied to its backing. With the carpet having multiple backings it creates breathability issues, resulting in excess moisture underneath the carpet causing sever mold and mildew damage. In most cases not only will the carpet disassemble, but it will also cause future issues with the wood flooring and decking of the boat. Overall outdoor carpet may be a cheaper and more convenient solution, but in the long run it may turn into a much more costly project.

When the time comes to replace your boat’s carpet, make sure you look for the recommended replacement marine grade carpet, manufactured to handle the harsh marine environments and abuse. Not only will it look better and last longer, but it will protect your investment.