Home improvement

We often describe a habit as behavior formed by repeating the same act. No matter what the act-good or bad-it takes three days to start a habit and the same amount of time to break it. Certainly, some habits are more destructive. Smoking, drinking, and drugs can all lead to serious physical distress.

What about habits we think are innocuous? Habits like procrastinating or watching television. How destructive are those?

I watched quite a bit of television in my life. I didn’t break the habit-television did that. When everything I watched became either inane or sickening, my brain cells packed their bags and left a note with a brief explanation on the table next to the remote. Where they knew I would find it. I caught some of them before they took off and promised the only reality show I would view would be reality. For me, it was a good decision. I don’t miss it and my brains cells have returned to milling about in search of knowledge.

Experts recommend learning to play a musical instrument instead of watching television. That news delighted me since I’ve played the guitar for forty years. It also made me understand why I felt better after I’ve played for a half hour or so. It increases blood flow to the brain and increased blood flow keeps the old logbook healthier.

Some suggest that your brain becomes numb by watching television shows, which programmers intentionally design, not to entertain, but to hold your attention. The short little segments they fire at you, keeps your brain trying to sort through the information. You actually become inactive and unresponsive. Of course, if that happens, you can run for a political office.

I’m not saying that television has no redeeming features, but I can’t find them. I am, however, not without my own habits.?I read after I finish working. I become downright cranky if I don’t have my reading time. Some believe that any habit can be dangerous and that may be true. Personally, I could see myself standing on an expressway entrance ramp with a sign that said ‘will work for books’ before I’d quit that particular vice.

It’s difficult to be completely objective about our own habits. We can rationalize that the benefits outweigh the problems. I can do that with a candy bar if I work at it. One thing I’ve discovered that helps me check the value or danger of a habit is this. If I spend a large amount of time rationalizing in order to feel comfortable doing it, or if I worry incessantly about continuing, it might be time to stop that particular habit for a while. That’s why I blew up my TV.?

By: Jean Sheldon

With an ever-expanding network of home improvement television shows and DIY magazines, the do-it-yourself home improvement sector has taken off. Homeowners everywhere are rushing to their local hardware stores, ready to rip out their bathroom tile or tear down old kitchen cupboards.

As excited as you may be to get started on your first DIY home improvement project, there are a few considerations you should first take into account. You need to plan, understand your project, budget, and be aware of your space. To learn more about these basic, but crucial, DIY home improvement tips, keep reading.

1. Plan, Plan, Plan

Before you even begin a DIY home improvement project, you should have a full plan in place. And prior to making that drive to the home hardware store, put together a folder with all your measurements and a complete list of everything you intend to buy, right down to the last nail.

People get excited about projects and don’t want to get right to it instead of “wasting” time planning. However, by planning you’ll make fewer mistakes, be less likely to waste materials and time, and much more likely to stay on budget. In the end, you’ll be glad you did!

2. Budget

Along with planning, comes budgeting. As you plan the details of your project, keep a running tally of the expense for each material. If you don’t know how much something costs, check the Internet or call your local retailer to obtain a price ahead of time.

Once you have your budget, add 10-20% extra. Almost every home renovation project, DIY or not, runs up against unexpected expenses – it’s just a reality of life’s uncertainties. Whether it is materials that cost more than you expect or a surprise problem that needs to get fixed, you’ll need to have the money ready to take care of it. Every good DIY’er knows to have a little extra on hand.

3. Understand Your Project

Before you attempt to tackle a major home improvement project, make sure you know what you’re doing. Use resources like books, your local hardware clerk, the Internet and how-to videos to get a good grasp on the project you will be undertaking.

If you feel like the project is out of your league, don’t hesitate to call in a professional.

4. Know Your Space

This tip is related to planning, but make sure you have enough space to take on your project. Don’t try to fit a new island in your kitchen if there isn’t sufficient room for it. Try to live by the old carpenter’s adage of “measure twice, cut once.”

By: Bill McCowen

The many home improvement television shows and magazines make it look so simple to redesign your space, doesn’t it? We all want to just go out, buy supplies and start to work. Is it really as easy as it seems?

It is and yet it isn’t. Interior design is very easy if you plan what you are going to do. If you don’t plan, then you end up with a hodge-podge of different ideas that don’t work together. The home design shows don’t show you the many hours of work it took behind the scenes to create that gorgeous space.

Fortunately, budget design planning is not all that hard. Take your living room for example. If something about doesn’t seem right, try to figure out what the problem is? Is the lighting not quite right. Is there not enough seating? Does it always seem to be cluttered? Once you’ve figured out the problem, try to address it. If lighting is the problem, try moving the lighting to where it’s most beneficial or buy a new fixture or window treatments. Try moving the furniture around to where it is most useful. You’ll be amazed at what simple changes can do.

Try plotting out the room on graph paper. It’s fun to cut out replicas of your furniture and move them around on the grid until they are in the perfect spot. It’s easier to make changes on a piece of paper than by moving a heavy sofa for the tenth time.

Sometimes there’s nothing really wrong with a space but you just want a change. In that case, check out the many magazines on home design. You might find a fresh new style that is exactly what you are looking for. Read the buyer’s guide in each issue to find out where to get the exact product or be adventurous and try to approximate it on your own.

Changing your rooms look is easily accomplished with the proverbial coat of paint. A change in color can really make a room seem larger or smaller. Try choosing a color to contrast your granite counter tops in the kitchen. Also, try putting up a new picture or mirror. Add some throw pillows or a blanket to add a shot of color. Paint departments and paint stores have thousands of color swatches so you can experiment with color combinations without having to break the budget.

When you do commit to a paint color, plan on using two coats. It’s better to be safe than sorry. Even if you don’t use both coats, you’ll feel better having the paint on hand for life’s inevitable accidents.

By following these simple steps and planning ahead, you can be your own interior designer. You’ll have fun and you will enjoy seeing your home in a whole new light without spending a ton of cash.

By: Guy J Morris

There is a lot of information available about home improvement. From popular television shows to in-depth how-to videos and training manuals, there are a lot of ways to learn how to take on a home improvement project. The question is then, is the information right? Keep reading for suggestions on sources of different home improvement how-to resources as well as info on how to assess its reliability.

Sources of Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Home Improvement Info:

1. Television and DVD

Television is great because it lets you see each step as the project unfolds. However to get the most out of a video how-to experience, your best bet is to actually purchase a specific DVD that relates directly to the project you’re taking on. For example, if you’re planning to install laminate flooring, look for a DVD specifically on how to install laminate flooring, not some other type of flooring.

You can find many of these instructional DVD’s either online or right in your hardware store. Most are hosted by trusted experts or popular home improvement celebrities.

2. Books

How-To books are a great way to build a small home library with a lot of information right at your fingertips. The benefits of a few, well-chosen home improvement books are that they’re always accessible, often well-researched and you can take them with you from project-to-project.

3. Internet

The Internet has millions of pages about home improvement. The problem is finding the right information. Look for reliable sources like trusted web pages or active web communities that self-edit. Look at a web site, including the resource it offers and how updated it is, and ask yourself if you would risk the cost of your home improvement project on its advice.

For specific questions, try forums or message boards where active users can often help you with a number of home improvement conundrums. Remember that unlike a book, you can’t always take the Internet with you, so print off or write down the information you need.

4. Your Local Hardware Store

You’d be amazed by how many questions can get answered at your local hardware store. Ask your store clerk or even fellow handyman and you’ll get all sorts of free advice for your home improvement need.

Finally, despite all the free advice available on DIY home improvement, that doesn’t mean you can get away with never consulting a professional. For major projects, especially those involving your gas or electricity, always consult a qualified professional.

By: Bill McCowen

Reality television has become very mainstream and among those shows are home renovation shows which attempt to show the reality of home renovations. However, those shows sometimes glamorize. While they can provide some really great tips and ideas, they can also make a person think a project is much easier than it actually is. It is important for viewers to understand what is real and what is exaggerated in these shows.

Good for Ideas

Television shows are a great place to look for home renovation ideas. These shows have some amazingly beautiful projects that are often ideas a person would not come up with on their own. That is largely due to the fact that the shows have professional designs, architects and contractors working on their projects who are trained to come up with these great ideas. Many times they will provide enough detail to allow a person to recreate the project in their own home. Some shows will even give time estimations and costs, but most don’t and that’s where a person needs to pay attention.

What to Understand

While these shows may be good for ideas there are some things a person must remember when watching. To start with, the show has a much larger budget than the average person will have. Many of the ideas, techniques and projects they use are going to be rather costly. Also these shows have many professionals doing the work. These professionals know what they are doing and have plenty of experience, so even if something looks simple it may not be. It is hard to grasp the reality of these shows because they take something that is usually in pretty bad shape and turn it into something beautiful. This transformation can seem almost magical, thanks to editing. Through the editing process what may have been weeks of work is condensed into an hour. It can be hard to know just how long a project really took to complete.

When watching these shows it is best to just watch for ideas and advice. A person can learn some great tips and tricks, but to take a project from one of these shows and actually do it requires more research than just taking notes from the show. A person can be easily fooled into getting themselves into a time consuming and expensive drywall renovation they saw on television just because the show made it look so easy.

By: John J. Baker

Most articles, books and television shows give home improvement ideas to people,. This article is designed to give “homeowner” improvement ideas. With the housing market in such disarray, the need for homeowners to stay updated and informed is more important now than ever before. Homeowners not only need tips on how to improve their homes, but how to keep them maintained and affordable.

Here 5 Powerful homeowner improvement tips that will make your homeownership more enjoyable and rewarding.

1. Know Where Emergence Cut off Valves Are.

Because of the safety issue, I list this tip first. Make sure that you know where the main cut-off valves or switches are for the plumbing, electrical and gas systems. It surprising how many homeowners who have lived in their homes for years couldn’t tell you where the gas, plumbing, electrical and water shut off valves are in case of an emergency. Knowing where they are and how to shut them off could save you thousands of dollars in potential water damage, fire or even explosion.

2. Learn How to Do Minor Maintenance.

One secret of helping to keep your home up is to know how to do minor repairs and maintenance. Most people will wait until small maintenance jobs turn into major repairs to take action. This makes a home more expensive in the long run. It a smart to have a maintenance book around the house you can refer to, it’s a lot cheaper than having to call a carpenter, plumber or other contractor. But remember your limitations.

3. Use The Net To Your Advantage.

Thanks to the internet, it’s easier to be an informed homeowner now than ever before. Just with a simple mouse click you can check the reputation of contractors, loan companies, real estate agents and other home support companies. With a mouse click you can watch a video on how to install a bathroom faucet, sprinkler system or how to choose the best paint for your kitchen walls. Take advantage of this technology to become a better homeowner.

4. Read Your Paperwork.

Many homeowners have loan papers, insurance contracts, even contractor agreements and have little or no clue what they say or mean. If you haven’t already, make it a point to sit down and read word for word and line by line your loan papers, insurance contract, and any other important papers. If you have a problem with any of them call your agent and go over it with them, or find a friend or relative who can help you. I can’t tell you how many homeowners I’ve came across who was shocked and horrified. Why? They discovered something that was or wasn’t in their contract they assumed was. As a result they lost thousands of dollars in interest, insurance losses or other out of pocket expenses.

5. Keep Your Home Affordable.

This is a major concern with many people, especially as the housing crisis continues. Many peoples homes continue to decline in value or stay the same at best. As a result many people have made the mistake of over building for the neighborhood they are in. So, beware of this mistake.

If you take the time to follow these 5 simple steps you’ll find your homeowner improvement skills improving, no matter how long you’ve owned a home. As a result you’ll discover homeownership a more enjoyable and financially rewarding experience instead of a burden.

By: Roy Primm