Homeowners know the drill: The maintenance list seems to get longer every year. With the Illinois housing market on the upswing, this is the perfect time to make some home improvements that will add value to your home. 

Simple tasks like building storage space, painting furniture, and planting a garden are jobs you can tackle on the weekends. 

Indoor DIY 

The happiest place on Earth isn’t an amusement park; it’s your local hardware store. Stroll through the aisles, and you’ll find everything you need to spruce up every room in the house. The paint department has a large variety of colors, rollers, brushes, drop cloths, and cleaning supplies.

Replace old fixtures in bathrooms, hallways, and the kitchen with energy-efficient lighting. Incandescent bulbs, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), and compact fluorescent lamps save money by using less energy. Timers and photocells turn lights off when you forget.

Install ceiling fans to reduce cooling costs and increase air circulation.

High-traffic areas like hallways, the kitchen, bathrooms, and bedrooms could use new flooring. Choosing new flooring depends on how each room is used. Family rooms with thick Berber carpet can handle the rough and tumble play of children and pets, but they may not be as easy to clean as others. Vinyl, ceramic tile, and laminates work best in the kitchen. Rubber padding is good for a children’s playroom. Although carpeting is most comfortable for bedrooms, wooden surfaces (with area rugs) are trending. 

Set Up a Home Office

Working from home is a necessity for some because of the coronavirus pandemic. It's also a popular choice for employers these days. Dedicate a room for office projects, reading email, paying bills, and engaging on social media. A “powering up” station near a wall is a must for charging phones and computers. Artificial Intelligence (Alexa, Siri, Cortana, Google, etc.) is a draw for would-be home-buyers, and you'll enjoy its benefits, too.

Speaking of Smart …Today’s smart homes have one or more of these technological gadgets.

• Doorbells

• Thermostats

• Window blinds

• Lamps

• Smoke detectors

• Air conditioners

• Security cameras

Bath

Bathrooms are the most used rooms in the house. When rust and scum build up in toilets, on shower doors, and sink drain traps, it’s time for replacements. 

Spruce up the bathroom with a floating sink or vanity. Shampoo, tissues, towels, toilet paper, and soaps are the only things you really need -- consider tearing out oversized cabinets and replacing them with decorative shelving. Install a heated towel rack and a wall holder for the blow dryer. 

Kitchen

Open-space kitchens are all the rage these days, especially for entertaining. Tearing out walls may not be practical, but you can repaint cabinets, replace handles, and upgrade countertops. Energy-efficient appliances reduce utility bills and are good for the environment.

Outdoor DIY

The outside of the house is the first thing anyone sees – keeping it maintained should be the first chore on your list. Along with mowing and weeding the lawn, and pruning trees, the decor stands out. You can keep it low-maintenance by planting elderberry bushes, purple coneflowers, and other plants native to Chicago. 

While you’re outside … 

• Replace broken mailboxes and house numbers.

• Upgrade outdoor lighting.

• Fix cracks in the drive and walkways. Powerwash the cement.

• Paint or stain shuttlers, railings, and outdoor woodwork.

 Invest in Your Home

Sometimes it’s a new roof. Sometimes your home needs a plumbing fix. Maybe the windows are leaking and ready for an upgrade. At some point, every house develops structural problems. Keep the value of your home intact by staying ahead of the game. 

To learn more on How to Add Value To Your Home, Check out https://www.ghclark.com/a-guide-on-how-to-add-value-to-your-home/ . Homeowners know the drill: The maintenance list seems to get longer every year. With the Illinois housing market on the upswing, this is the perfect time to make some home improvements that will add value to your home.

Yianni Demetrios grew up in a home built from Sears-Roebuck house plans and found his calling as a do-it-yourselfer. After mastering fence posts and patio tiles, he is working his way up to building his own house from a kit.