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Do you have some detached clock time this calendar week to commit to home alimony tasks , but do n’t have a destiny of dough to put into a large project ? These well-off upgrades and stamping ground do n’t cost much and can be completed middling quickly , but they can have a big encroachment on your wallet , your calibre of life , and your home ’s appearance .
1. Replace Weatherstripping
If you recall the only prison term to guess about replacing your weatherstripping was right before wintertime to keep out wintry drafts , think again . Give your weatherstrip another once - over ( and supplant any careworn pieces ) before summer arrives . With those disruption sealed up , your rooms will be more comfortable , you’llsave on air conditioning costs , and you ’ll keep bugs from sneaking in .
2. Add Window Well Covers
If your windowpane well fills with weewee every time it rains , install a water - molt window well cover to keep out the cloudburst and reduce the risk of leaks in your basement . This practice to both stock basement window and egress window wells . ( Although egress window well are typically design to channel body of water to your home ’s drain - tile system , over sentence the pipage can become clotted . ) By installing windowpane well covers , you ’ll protect your basement from water and you ’ll also keep out leaves , debris , and the occasional toad that hops in by chance event .
3. Attach Downspout Extensions
water supply and foundations do n’t amalgamate . When water pool around the foundation , say , from roof and gutter runoff , it can seep down and wetting throughbasementwalls . chroma causes some types of soil to well up , place undesirable lateral pressure on foundation walls and increase the risk of cracking .
To understate the amount of water that collects around your base , consider sum downspout extension , like theAmerimax Home Products Stealth Flowdownspout extension . They are simple to install and will direct pelting overspill away from your founding where it wo n’t cause structural job . We like the Amerimax downspout ’s humble profile , which can be veil under mulch in your garden bed .
4. Install Frost-Proof Exterior Faucets
Many householder block to shut off the water supply to an exterior spigot before stop dead weather condition arrives , and the oversight often results in pipe breaking and costlywater damagerepairs . All of that grief can be avoided by flip-flop out standard exterior faucets forfrost - free faucetsthat have shut - off valves inside the firm , where they ’re less likely to freeze .
5. Prune Shrubs Near Your House
They might look pretty , but branches from shrubs and pubic hair plant closely to your home can scrape and damage worthful siding when the wind blows . Even your prized rose can do attrition damage to some types of siding in airy conditions . train Dubya and bush frequently during their growing time of year , andprune shrubsthat have any branches that get along within a groundwork of your siding .
6. Treat Your Sewer Lines
A clogged sewer is mussy and smelly , and can result in high-priced pipe fitter ’s fee to recreate . Protect your sewerage — and your wallet — by using a primary line cloaca cleansing Cartesian product , likeGreen Gobbler Main Line Opener & Toilet Clog Remover , two or three times a year . The product works overnight to clear away any residue that ’s beginning to sink in the lines , thereby protect your home ’s plumbing system pipes from costly clogs .
7. Switch to LED Light Bulbs
Light - emitting diode ( LED ) bulbsdon’t just get out minimal free energy , they also last much longer than incandescent bulbs . Recent improvements in the colour of the sparkle emit by LED makes them worthy for every room in the house : puritanical - tone LEDs are great in the home plate office staff , whilewarm - flavour LEDs , which blandish peel pure tone , are a dear pick for the light fixture over thebathroom vanity .
8. Replace Furnace Filters
After the furnace has been shift on for a calendar month or two , filters can clog with dust , making your home warming system less effective and make the air you breathe less fresh than it should be . Cloggedfurnace filtersreduce airflow to the furnace , forcing its motor to work hard . A good rule is tochange furnace filtersat the start of every unexampled time of year to keep both indoor air timbre — and your furnace — in top chassis .
9. Seal Concrete Cracks
Not only are crack cocaine in sidewalks and terrace unsightly , they allow water supply to ooze into the soil below the concrete . When the temperature drops , that trapped water can stop dead and expand , drive up against the concrete and stimulate further harm . Protect concrete sidewalksby clearing debris from the cracks and thenfilling them with exterior concrete urethane caulk . Choose a gray - people of colour sealant to tight match your survive concrete .
10. Install a Smart Thermostat
If you still have a manual thermostat , you ’re squander energy , and your dwelling in all probability is n’t as easy as it could be . Smart thermostatsuse your home ’s Wi - Fi to allow you to adjust the temperature from anywhere , using your smartphone . Asmart thermostatcan also “ learn ” your preferred temperature preferences for every day of the week and line up your home temperature to fit . Quit waste vigour and get smart about your comfort !
11. Improve the Appearance of Your Entry
You do n’t need topaint your whole houseto give your house ’s exterior a saucy look . advance a date front door knob by replace it with a substantial lockset and handle . Add a fresh pelage ofhigh - timber outside paintto a pass off entry room access , and position a couple of great flower pots on either side of the door for a bright flavour . Replace a rusty mailbox or outdated porch light with fresh models to increase your home ’s “ wow ! ” ingathering . Your node and neighbors will acknowledge the remainder .
12. Install a Ceiling Fan
Enhance yourroom ’s decorand increase your quilt by replacing a spare ceiling light fix with a ceiling buff - and - light jazz group . A ceiling fan allow for gentle , welcoming breezes on hot summer days and helps recirculate the heated air that settles near the cap during cold - weather months . Winter or summer , you ’ll be more comfortable , and you ’ll save on cooling and heating cost .
13. Dim Your Lights
Bright lighting is overnice when you ’re preparing food , but is overkill when you ’re trying to relax and unwind after a long solar day at work . The solution ? Install dimmer switches in station of your even on - off light switches ( Lutron ’s DIVA LED+ Dimmer , a top performer in ourresearched guide to the best dimmer switches , is an editor favorite ) . dimmer will allow you to lower the lights , say , during movie night — and lighten them back up when there ’s housekeeping to be done . Be certain to pair off your new light switches withdimmable lite bulbs , too .
14. Open and Close Water Valves
This quick task have very little clock time — and it ’s free — but it can prevent costly valve replacement down the road . Over clip , piddle valve , those footling on - off regulators found under your sinks and behind the chiffonier , can arrogate up due to scale buildup . Twice a year , twist the valve closed and back open . That ’s all it take for your valves to stay on operable and functional .
15. Clean Faucet Aerators
Tiny pebbles , junk , and hard water deposits can clogfaucet aerators , leaving you with behind - running urine . doubly a year , or more oftentimes if the water is running slowly , twist off the aerators ( located on the end of the spigots , sometimes tuck just inside the opening ) and drop them into a cup filled with vinegar . rent them soak overnight to unfreeze scurf , then supersede them to keep your pee break away efficaciously .
16. Clean the Dishwasher Filter
Have you point out that your dishes are n’t getting as clean as they once did ? Most dishwasher these days have a filter that should be removed and cleaned a duo of time a year . When thedishwasher filterbecomes clogged , it preclude H2O from reaching the atomizer arms , which are creditworthy for clean the upper stand . off the lower rack , then draw out the filter , clean it in the cesspit , and return it to its billet .
17. Tighten Interior Door Knobs
Constantly opening and closing midland doors can eventually cause thedoor knobsto become loose and jiggly . The more they loosen , the hard it is to get them to close and latch properly . For newer homes the fix is well-fixed : but tighten the exposed piece of ass on the room side of the door . If you have an older home , however , the knobs may have hidden screws . Just entreat a small screwdriver or awl into the hole on the neck opening of the thickening to release it , then remove the escutcheon dental plate to reach the shtup .
18. Adjust the Entry Door Threshold
Notice a draught issue forth in below the front door ? The fixing is much easy than you might opine . The answer lies in the large screwheads on the door threshold which , you may be surprised to learn , are n’t there to secure the threshold to the floor . wrench them adjusts the superlative of the brink , allow you to close any gaps that may be allow Old Man Winter to mouse in under the doorway . It ’s an easy fix that can save you money on your usefulness bill .
19. Touch Up Wall Paint
The walls in the gamey - dealings areas of your home endure all manner of bump and scrapes throughout the year , making these parts of your theatre look tired and dingy . Unless thepaintis very old , there ’s no demand to enter on a full repainting effort . Simply take out a diminished container of match pigment and expend 30 minutes touching up all those imperfectness . The time dedication and effort are minimum , but the impact is pregnant . To make occasional touch modality - ups more convenient , leave a small bottle of touch - up rouge and apaint brushhandy in the back of a nearby closet .
20. Upgrade a Light Fixture
Say goodbye to the intimate affluent - mount lights that , for some reason or other , have long been the standard for overhead lighting in entryways and hallways . you could easilyreplace a visible light fixturewith a more trendy and stylish design . While some tasks involve your home plate ’s electrical should be left to an linesman , changing out a light fixture is n’t one of them . The job is not complicated , requiring just three wire connections , and it can unremarkably be completed with nothing more than a Phillips screwdriver .
21. Change Your Cabinet Hardware
Jazz up your kitchen by trading out boringcabinet hardwarefor fresh knob and pulling . This strategy works especially well on white cabinets , which offer the good canvas for new pull and node that add a noticeable pop of colour . Golden finishes can add a luxurious touch , while flatness blackness creates a swish appearing . Make indisputable to measure the breadth of your pull and choose alternate that match the size of it .
22. Upgrade Your Shower Head
Replacing the shower headcan commute a rant bath into a spa - comparable retreat . This prosperous upgrade accept fewer than 5 minutes and expect only a simple crescent wrench and some plumber ’s tape . Just unscrew the old shower head , use the tape to the togs of the raw one , and screw it in position . To truly featherbed yourself , opt for arain shower headwith an extension weapon .
23. Recaulk and Regrout
Over prison term , the caulk that make a waterproof roadblock in the seams between your tub or sink and the circumvent paries will stretch , crack , and at long last pull apart . If you comment caulk peeling aside or a buildup of mildew , it ’s fourth dimension to recaulk . While you ’re at it , curb the roofing tile on the floor and in the bath . If there are places where the grout has fall aside , creating a disruption , mix a small amount of grout and satisfy the spaces . Not only does caulk andregroutingprotect the lav rampart from bunkum , it also freshens up the distance , making it look clean and new .
24. Install Under-Cabinet Lighting
Brighten up your counter blank with affordableunder - cabinet light . chair hockey puck inflammation is chintzy , installs easily , and produce a mountain of lighting , illuminating food homework space while adding a warm radiance to the kitchen counters . Most under - cabinet kindling set plug away into a standard outlet , eliminating the need for particular wiring — or an electrician visit .
25. Clean Your Dryer Vent
sporadically cleaning out thedryer ventis something everyone should do on a regular basis , but most citizenry put it off . give that 3,000 drier fervour occur in the United States each class as a consequence of built - up lint in the dryer vent organization , this is a occupation that should be high on the house maintenance priority lean . If you acknowledge that your dress are n’t dry out properly or find that there ’s no exhaust air come out of the outside vent , you probably have a serious clog . Toclean the drier vent , simply unplug the duct from the drier and hoover both out .
This Is the Year for a Kitchen Renovation
Whether you ’re selling or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . Learn why we consider this renovation the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
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