Are you tired of your home? Instead of moving away, you could simply transform your house or apartment into a place where you actually enjoy living. If you have a few skills and know how to use basic tools, you should be able to follow these tips to improve your home.

If you have an older home, you may find that there are hardwood floors underneath any carpeting currently installed. Many homes prior to 1950s were required to have hard wood as their sub-floor. This means that there may be gold in those floorboards. They may need some refinishing, but not having to pay to have them installed would be a huge money saver.

Add shutters to the outside windows on your home for a dramatic change in architecture. If your exterior looks a bit drab or flat, you can use this simple tip to give it much more depth and interest. Paint them a coordinating color to your house, often the color of the front door.

Have you considered the installation of solar panels? Though the initial outlay may be high, the longer term savings may be great. This can save your money your electric bills. This is a good, natural solution to powering your house.

Dressing up some pillows for a teen’s room can be easy. Just take some old pieces of clothing with interesting patterns, cut and sew into a cool pillow cover. This gives a little splash of personality to a teen’s room.

If you’re one of the many people who are suffering from lack of space in their closets, have no fear. You can easily build simple shelving inside of your closet to create more space for your clothing and accessories. Hang your purses on pegs and put your shoes in small plastic boxes to be able to later stack them on the bottom of your closet. Whatever you’re not using and is out of season, consider moving them to storage or storing them under your bed.

If you are hiring someone to perform your home improvement work, never pay more than 10% down or $1000, whichever sum is less. Legally, a contractor is not able to accept more than this figure. If he asks for additional funds, it is a sign that the person you hired may not be very reputable.

Brighten your kitchen up by installing elegant cabinet handles and knobs! To give your kitchen a quick pick me up, simply install new cabinet knobs. When replacing handles and knobs, think about cleaning out your cabinets because it is easier to do when you don’t have snagging hardware. You can install your new cabinet accessories quickly, and enjoy the decor upgrade you get from them for years to come!

These tips probably sparked a multitude of ideas for you. Just remember not to bite on more than you can chew. Start with a small project and do more work around your house as you acquire new skills and feel more comfortable. Home improvement should remain fun and useful for you.