With winter having lasted more than half a year, many homeowners around the Minneapolis and St. Paul MN metro area are scrambling to get in their planned home improvement projects while the weather is still nice. If that's you, make sure you've taken a good look at what is involved before you get started. In these somewhat tight economic times, it's important that any home remodeling makes good financial sense. By making a strategic approach to choosing the right improvements, you're able to increase the safety, comfort and value of the home that you own without wasting your money.
Here are five different home improvements that can be done to boost the comfort, safety and value of the home that you own and won't cost you a bundle.- Obtain a standby home generator: This is usually installed right outside your home and can come on automatically when the power goes out. You can then keep things in your home up and running when everyone else in the neighborhood does not have power. It is able to increase the comfort in your home because you can continue to run the fridge and freezer and keep the air conditioner or heat on. An add-0n like this can be particularly beneficial here in the Twin Cities where our storms frequently result in power outages.
- Install the right lighting: Having the right lights throughout your home can be beneficial, and this includes both interior and exterior lighting. You can highlight the features of the home when night falls, plus exterior lighting can help make your home less attractive to burglars while making your walkways and steps safer. Try solar lights that are more energy-efficient, or motion-detector lights to illuminate areas only when they are being used. And when the inside is lighted properly, it makes the home stand out more and it's more inviting to be in. And be sure to choose light bulbs that save on your energy bills. Consider adding dimmer switches so that you're not using more power than you need.
- Replace your front door: When you change the way the front door looks, you're making a better first impression for your home. This is what people are going to notice the most and first so you need to ensure that it looks nice. And of all the home improvement projects that can be done, real estate professionals are in agreement - this is the #1 booster of curb value, and it's also on the top of the list of those projects that deliver a great return on investment due to the value it can add to your home - sometimes more than 100% of the cost.
- Install a security system: Give everyone in your home peace of mind, whether you're at home or away. And a home security system is a plus for a potential buyer.
- Add a sump pump: With our sometimes heavy rain and flooding here in the Twin Cities, you need to make sure that you are prepared for anything that comes up - and that includes water in your basement. Basements can flood, so you need to make sure that you have all that you need to deal with that excess water when it happens.
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