Easy Home Improvement Projects on a Budget

When you live on a tight budget, all is not lost when it comes to making some easy home improvements. These three home improvements can be done on almost any budget, and by almost any person.

Bathroom

Not only will giving a fresh coat of paint improve the appearance of your bathroom; changing the accessories can give it a whole new look.

First, choose your paint wisely. Not only will an exciting bright color make the room's appearance more vibrant, but choosing a low or no VOC (volatile organic compound) paint will help to put your home in the 'green' category, making it a healthier room.

Next, change the accessories. In most homes the towel holders, toothbrush holders, soap holders and toilet paper dispensers are stainless steel looking. That's because it is neutral and easy to decorate with and match. But since you want a new look to your bathroom, try new accessories in wood or ceramic. If there is still some money left in the 'bathroom budget,' then replace the bathtub/shower and sink faucets and knobs.

New paint and new accessories can cost less than $100.00, and your bathroom will look like a completely new room.

Yard and Garden

The use of solar lights along pathways and focal points in the garden is an excellent idea, and they can be picked in almost any garden shop, Home Depot, Lowe's and Walmart. These lights stay lit well into the night, and don't use any electricity since they are charged by the sun's rays during the day.

Not only do these lights help to keep the home 'green' because they are not using power, it will make it safer, because pathways are lit. Also, strategically placing solar lights at particular focal points in your garden will be like putting a frame around a picture; it will add a finished touch.

Lighting

Not only will replacing the basic light fixtures in different rooms in your house give a more elegant and finished look to each room, but you can do it in such a way that the light fixtures will be more energy efficient. You can put dimmer switches on the wall, thus saving on electricity. There is no need to have a light fixture on full force when all I am doing is watching television, but I still don't like a dark room. A dimmer switch would allow the lights to be down low, allowing for more comfort.

You don't have to replace your light fixtures all at once if the budget doesn't allow it. You can do one room at a time, making it much easier on the finances.

While you are at it, make sure that when you put new light bulbs into your new light fixtures, use CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs. These light bulbs cost a little bit more in the beginning, but they will last you up to ten times longer than the regular incandescent bulbs, and use up to 75% less energy; which can save up to $30.00 during the course of each bulb's lifetime. Go online to http://www.greenlightsusa.index2.html to find out more about this.

You can make the home improvements needed even when living on a tight budget. The trick is to do each job slow, and a little bit at a time.