Lots of people love watching Home Improvement shows, myself included. I could literally binge watch for hours if I let myself, especially as the weather starts to get cooler outside.
What is it about these shows that grabs my attention so much? Maybe it’s the personalities of the hosts. Or learning some new decorating ideas. But, if I’m honest with myself, it’s probably because it feeds my unrealistic expectations.
When a huge project like a main floor renovation which could take months in real life (or years if you’re doing it in stages while you live in the house), the idea of the whole project being completed in a one-hour episode is a major relief – especially to those of us who have ever lived through a renovation! But, on these TV shows, they only let us in on the fun parts of a renovation (like picking out colours or finishes) or when they do present a surprise that isn’t a good surprise, it’s presented in the way that is humorous. But, let me tell you, in real life unpleasant surprises aren’t usually funny!
If you own a home, these shows can be inspirational, though, and can give you lots of great ideas of how you could renovate or decorate your own home. If you don’t own a home yet, you can still get a feel of what type of home you would like to live in.
Before you go and start spending money on renovations, though, you may want to invest in what you think will add the most value to your home. If you want to know which home improvements have the greatest impact on your property value, I am happy to share what I have found in my experience over the years:
- Curb Appeal – this could mean a new driveway, painting your front door, installing a new light fixture at your door or even a funky new mailbox or street number or making a few landscaping touches like planting some tall grasses or shining some uplights under your ornamental trees.
- Kitchen Updates – sometimes this means gutting your entire kitchen and doing a complete overhaul – and other times you can simply dress up your current kitchen, like changing the counter tops, cabinet doorknobs and drawer pulls, and installing a new backsplash.
- Flooring – whenever you invite someone into your home, the first thing they do, like a good Canadian, they remove their shoes!! And when they do, the first thing they notice is your flooring. Choose something that will stand the test of time. Save the trends for things a little less expensive, like paint. Also keep in mind that the fewer types of flooring, the better. It just doesn’t flow as well when you have a different type of flooring in each room. But, when you decide what you like, seek the advice of a flooring professional that will help you to make choices are the most appropriate for your type of home and for your lifestyle. If you have a large dog, you may not want to deal with scratches on hardwood flooring. If you don’t want tile in your kitchen and decide to go with a laminate, make sure to pick a vinyl option so that you won’t have to worry about water damage.
Now don’t forget to keep on top of things maintenance items. If you want your home to maintain its value, you can’t neglect things like installing new roof shingles before you start getting leaks. Roofs and furnaces and plumbing or electrical repairs are not as much fun as some of the decorative items I mentioned above, but they’re necessities to protecting your investment.
But, right after you’ve looked after the maintenance items, have lots of fun choosing some of your more creative projects. It’s very fulfilling to start and complete a project, especially one you can enjoy every day of your life and hopefully for many years to come.
Enjoy watching your favourite shows (my favourite over the years has been Fixer Upper and my new favourite is Home Town), and then enjoy your next home improvement project!
