They make it look so easy, those do-it-yourselfers.
They rip out kitchen floors, lay ceramic tile and install cabinets without any major accidents or irrevocable damage to their marriages.
Well, great for you. Yes, you’re winning.
Some of us lack the energy, patience and desire to commit to major home improvements. Yet there are plenty of small- scale projects that offer big returns.
We surveyed some experienced real estate agents about budget- and time-friendly projects that can substantially enhance a home. Home owners can tackle most of these tasks in a weekend, without much DIY angst or expense.
Susie Johnson, with Coldwell Banker Gundaker in St. Louis, says the key is to notice details.
“Dated light fixtures are a cheap fix,” she said. “When you walk into a foyer, you notice the front light fixture.”
Bathroom and kitchen updates are traditionally the top places to invest in a makeover that pays off.
Colleen Lawler, also with Coldwell Banker Gundaker, is a proponent of kitchen “jewelry,” eye-appealing hardware that instantly updates a room.
“You can buy a box of 30 knobs that comes with a template,” she said. Current hardware adds a finishing touch.
In a bathroom, an older vanity can be stripped and refinished with some guidance from an expert at a paint store.
“We have had beautiful results with repainting oak cabinets,” Lawler said. By painting a vanity black and adding brushed nickel or oil-rubbed bronze hardware, the cabinetry goes from looking circa 1990 to modern. “It’s a huge face-lift,” Lawler said. She recommends using a good-quality paint and spending time in prepping the material.
A simpler suggestion is to replace old towel racks or get rid of old brass door knobs, she said.
Even if the hinges are a darker bronze finish, new door knobs make a big difference in some homes.
A more complicated task involves replacing the standard, builder-grade trim with upgraded floor molding, she said. It requires being able to miter the corners of the baseboard or use a standard corner block to fill the gap.
“Light fixtures, plumbing fixtures and paint are the top three things just about anyone can do or have a friend help them do,” she said.
Our staff tackled a few of our own DIY projects, ranging from an ambitious attempt to make over a bathroom vanity to using tape and paint to update a wall. We discovered the redecorating power of a can of spray paint and the stunning impact of adding mosaics to a patio.
For the novice to the experienced, there’s a way to feel the pride of fixing or beautifying your home — and doing it all by yourself.
