York Common Cents | How to spruce up your new home on a budget

Buying a new home is expensive.

And I?m not just talking about the thousands you spend actually buying the house ? I?m also talking about the ?extras,? i.e. realizing that you don?t have a laundry hamper, plunger or any furniture for your new patio. Before you know it, you?re at Target spending $300 to outfit your new digs.

So when it comes to making sure things look their best, there may not be any room left in the budget to replace the old cabinets or cracked tile floors. However, there are ways to give them a new look, according to TheStreet.

Here are some DIY projects to spruce up a new home:

• Cabinet Scratches: Even though kitchen cabinets are subject to wear and tear, you can still extend the life of the cabinets with some quick maintenance. ?At home improvement stores, you?ll notice a few products available to cover chips and scratches in cabinets. These products are basically ?crayons? that allow you to ?color in? the problematic areas in your cabinets,? says Frank Foti, business management advisor for Mr. Handyman. ?It won?t make the problem go away, but it will make the chip or scratch much less noticeable.?
• Bathroom Fixtures: Replacing a damaged or old lighting fixture is an inexpensive, yet impactful way to update your bathroom. Manja Swanson, chief creative officer of Lamps Plus says for a quick fix replacing a bathroom light, select the same type, or at least a similar size as the existing fixture in order to avoid the cost of hiring an electrician.
• Sprucing Up Kitchen Appliances: If they?re still working properly, there?s no need to replace them ? you can clean them and fix the scratches or dents. Steve Ash, senior repairman at PartSelect.com, shares these tips on getting those kitchen appliances into shape: Cover scratches and dings on your appliances with manufacturer-recommended touch-up paint; Look for areas on your dishwasher racks where the vinyl coating is worn, exposing the metal wire underneath, as this can cause the racks to rust. Use a vinyl repair kit to re-coat the damaged areas; Clean your range hood with dish soap. Vinegar and baking soda can also make a great abrasive cleaner.

Read more ideas on TheStreet.

Business reporter focusing on retail for the York Daily Record/Sunday News. In my spare time, I'm a social media, sports, reality TV and celebrity gossip junkie. Contact me at awislock@ydr.com or 717-771-2029! This entry was posted in Ashley Wislock, Do it yourself, Real estate and tagged Ashley Wislock, DIY, DIY projects, do it yourself, home, home owner, home owners, homes, house, project, projects, real estate, TheStreet. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.yorkblog.com/biz/2012/07/17/how-to-spruce-up-your-new-home-on-a-budget/

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