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When you’re parched, you grab a glass of water. When your yard feels the same way, it’s not quite so self-sufficient. It needs your help.
But you hate watering. Such a waste of time when you could be working, or at the gym, or grilling a healthy meal. (OK, OK, binge-watching the latest Netflix hit — but still!)
Even if you have an irrigation system, the water bills alone make you want to permanently disable it.
So, how do you get to have a beautiful, lush yard — yet not waste money or time on watering it? Take a cue from homeowners out west who know how to survive heat waves. You’d be surprised how well their ideas will work in less dry conditions. Here are a few drought-inspired ideas to try:
While that may seem counterintuitive, it makes sense when you think about it. Especially when you consider the newest generation of water features: the pondless water feature.
It’s essentially a waterfall with “a below-ground reservoir covered by rock or stone. The water circulates … so it isn’t evaporating, ” says Neil Bales, vice president of Lawns of Dallas.
Homeowners in Texas and other drier areas love these because they’re like Mother Nature’s air conditioner. They cool the air around them, and they’re practically no maintenance. You don’t have to mow them or weed them.
If you want to stay completely away from water, Bales also suggests getting a water feature look without the water by designing “a dry creek bed with stones that can provide an aesthetic look and be functional in spots where there might otherwise be plants, and the need to irrigate.”
In the West and Southwest, despite the lack of natural water, yards are still full of color and texture. “There’s a lot of beauty and movement,” says Bales.
Each region has its own native or “adapted plants,” as Barry Troutman prefers to call them. Troutman is the technical advisor for the National Association of Landscape Professionals, so he knows his stuff.
“People waste water; plants do not,” he points out. “Plants are adapted to protect the water they have.”
Native plants thrive because they are used to the natural state of the region. “You can see these things growing in the wild on their own,” Bales says. “So if you introduce it into your own landscape, it will be more durable.”
A note on newly planted plants: This is when you don’t want to skimp on watering. New plants need more water to help establish strong roots. Those roots will help it acclimate to less and less water as it matures, Troutman says.
OK, running barefoot on the lawn is nice, but what about the romantic evening around the fire pit, eating with family and friends in the outdoor kitchen, or soaking up rays on a patio lounge chair?
“In a lot of areas in Texas, lawn sizes are getting reduced and patios are increasing,” Bales says.
More hardscapes — stone walls, gravel paths, paved patios — mean less area that needs to be watered.
And (bonus!), according to the “Remodeling Impact Report: Outdoor Features” from the National Association of REALTORS®, which produces HouseLogic, new patios, outdoor fireplace, and fire pits are among the top-10 projects for appealing to homebuyers and adding value for resale.
But make sure hardscape areas drain into the right places, warns Troutman. “Be careful you don’t create saturated areas where plants can’t grow,” he says.
You may have to call in a professional to make sure hardscape and the adjacent landscape have proper drainage, either by the way the land is sloped or by installing drains in the ground, Bales says.
“It’s come a long way in how it looks,” says Bales, who has real grass in his front yard and turf in his backyard. “Many brands look and feel like natural grass.”
Bales recommends researching turf products that “hold up well, look good over time, and have a good feel on your bare feet.” Then find a contractor who knows how to install synthetic turf properly.
“What’s underneath it matters,” he says. There needs to be a deep sub-base that’ll last like a concrete patio but allow natural water through.
Troutman cautions that synthetic turf and pavers, if in direct sunlight, can get “really hot and reflect the heat onto your home. It can raise the cost of your air conditioning bill.” He suggests mitigating the heat by creating shaded areas with trees or a pergola.
Cacti — the camels of the plant world — are synonymous with Southwest gardening, but turn out to be pretty hardy elsewhere as well. Cacti and some succulents can add color, flowers, and texture to lawns.
“You don’t want them to have wet feet, though,” Troutman says. “They need to be well drained, in open sun with air movement around them.”
He suggests using cholla cacti, which are hardy enough to grow even in Canada, and succulents such as hens and chicks and Parry’s agave.
We’re all about indulging in Starbucks’ latest seasonal concoction or this season’s “it” bag. (OK, maybe a knockoff version of this season’s “it” bag.) Trends are just plain fun — and they keep things interesting. But they also, by definition, are hip today and potentially worthless tomorrow.
And that’s not exactly a recipe for success when it comes to your home and the first impression it gives. While a green lawn might be a safe bet to keep your home’s value intact, let’s face it, it’s boring.
For a little outdoor drama that won’t cost much (and actually saves money and time instead), try these landscaping trends:
What’s not to like about:
A rain garden is the trifecta of yard care. Once seen primarily in drought-prone areas of the country, rain gardens are depressions in the ground (like a shallow bowl) filled with plants designed to filter and absorb water from your home’s rain gutters.
The benefit to you: Beyond the environmental benefits — like keeping rainwater from reaching the sewer system and filtering out pollutants — rain gardens can be gorgeous additions to your yard.
Ted Whitehouse, co-owner of Whitehouse Landscaping, says colorful deep-rooted plants, such as smooth blue aster and swamp milkweed, are ideal candidates. Many rain gardens also include beautiful stone and river-rock hardscaping to help channel the water.
Cost details: A rain garden doesn’t cost any more than other perennial gardens — about $3 to $5 per square foot if you DIY.
Homeowners have finally gotten smart over the past couple of decades and stopped trying to force non-native plants into their landscapes. (Hostas in the hot Florida sun? A total waste of money, time, and water.)
And that’s great, but what’s even better and becoming more popular? Adding other native elements to your landscape to help bees, birds, and butterflies thrive.
Just a few simple things can create a native habitat, according to the National Wildlife Federation:
The benefit to you: Because the creatures you shelter will help you.Many are important pollinators, which means having them around will help keep blooms a-coming — boosting your curb appeal, says Adriana O’Toole, a REALTOR® in New Jersey.
Cost details: Some native plants may cost marginally more than non-native species — because they’re more difficult for nurseries to propagate, are grown in smaller quantities, or aren’t available through traditional retail outlets — but their reduced maintenance costs deliver big savings over time.
According to the EPA, “the combined costs of installation and maintenance for a natural landscape over a 10-year period may be one-fifth of the costs for conventional landscape maintenance.”
More homeowners are replacing water-thirsty grass with low-maintenance alternatives that don’t need much hydration — if any. Easy alternatives include hardscaping or evergreen ground covers, such as pachysandra, which is drought resistant and fast spreading, O’Toole says.
The benefit to you: Less grass = less maintenance + lower water bills. Also, patios, walkways, and stepping stones introduce fresh eye candy and functionality to your yard space. Depending on where you live, turf replacement also could make you eligible for a rebate — up to $2 per square foot in California.
Cost details: Depending on the scope of the project and the materials used, the initial cost could be significant. The savings come over a few years as you reduce or eliminate your use of water, fertilizer, pesticides, and lawn equipment.
Backyard vegetable gardening has become so popular that these tasty plantings have finally broken into the decorative gardening space, especially for people with tiny yards or urban homes with only front yards.
Many vegetables and herbs produce aesthetically pleasing foliage and flowers, making them as delicious to behold as they are to eat. Basil, broccoli, Swiss chard, and feathery fennel leaves all have eye-catching colors and textures, for example, while eggplant, dill, and okra deliver beautiful blooms.
Edible landscaping ideas include:
The benefit to you: It’s about saving money because you get double bang for your buck.
Cost details: Many vegetable and herb plants cost only a little more than ornamentals, and their seed prices often are comparable.
#5 Add a Fire Pit to Get More Living Space:
Whitehouse says more than half of his clients request a fire pit in their landscaping projects. They make beautiful — yet functional — focal points for your yard that encourage you to hang outside more often.
The benefit to you: Being able to use your outdoor spaces beyond the warmest months is practically like adding square footage. But best of all, there’s nothing like toasting s’mores on a chilly October night to give you so many happy feels.
Cost details: It can more than pay for itself when you sell — if you’re willing to do a little DIY. According to the “Remodeling Impact Report” from the National Association of REALTORS® (which produces HouseLogic), a professionally installed natural stone fire pit (with a 10-foot-diameter flagstone patio) costs an average of $4,500 — and returns about 78% when you sell.
But a kit from a home improvement store costs as little as $200 if you’re willing to tackle the job yourself … or check out the myriad of easy tutorials you can build from scratch like this DIY fire pit.
#6 Add LEDs for Lighting That’s Cheap to Use:
LED technology is the continuing trend for illuminating your home and property. Advances have reduced the bulbs’ harsh tone, producing a warmer glow similar to halogen.
The benefit to you: Any type of lighting adds warmth and safety that homeowners and potential buyers value, O’Toole says, and it allows you to highlight special features in your landscape or architecture.
In addition, low-voltage LED lighting lasts 10 to 15 years, making it about as low maintenance as you can get.
Cost details: LED bulbs themselves cost more than halogen bulbs, but because they use 75% less energy and last eight to 25 times longer, they’re cheaper in the long run. But don’t forget to consider the visibility of the light fixture itself once those LEDs are on. You may want to spend a little more money on light fixtures that are easily seen, such as those that light the pathway or entry, so they complement your home, Whitehouse says.
Oh, your poor, sad patio. Not a comfy seat to be had, and that cracked concrete … well, it probably looked really great when disco was king.
Whether you love to entertain friends or bask in the sun with a cocktail and a novel, here are five easy ways to inject new life into your little corner of nature.
It’s hard to enjoy your patio if it’s covered in debris scattered by the wind or by critters with a penchant for digging and trampling. Stop critters with the humble pine cone — instead of regular mulch.
Those spiny cones will deter pests and mischievous pets.
And chances are your plants will LOVE them because they acidify the soil. Showstopper plants like azaleas and rhododendrons will burst with color.
Pine cones also decompose slowly, so you won’t be constantly re-upping your supply — saving you time and money. In most parts of the country, you can easily find them for free.
Rejuvenate that dilapidated patio with color in a can.
Try painting it a bold, bright color or a fun pattern, like chevron. You can also mimic the appearance of upscale stone patios with just a bit of paint and some stamps.
If you want to let your creative juices flow, try mimicking a carpet or even a game board, such as Twister. At the very least, a new coat of concrete stain will give that tired concrete a fresh look.
Lounging on your patio, cocktail in hand, requires something to lounge on.
But if that secondhand chaise you bought post-college is covered in rust, you’re not going to be relaxing on it in your summer whites anytime soon. But replacing it is expensive — and a waste! Give it a rust-busting makeover, instead.
There are several ways to remove rust.
If the damage isn’t too extensive, the job can be as simple as scraping it off. Use a wire brush, sandpaper, or steel wool — and a bit of elbow grease — to scour it away.
For less effort, use a drill with a wire brush attachment.
For more extensive rust issues, you can use an acidic agent like vinegar to help with the removal. Or use a chemical rust converter (such as Rust-Oleum), which actually changes the rust into a different substance and protects against future rusting, adding years to your chaise’s lifespan.
Paint over the treated spot and that chaise will be right back to its glory days and ready for you in your white shorts.
If a dumpy layer of clutter and scattered pots make your patio look sad, consider adding DIY storage to keep all of your outdoor whatnots neat and tidy.
“Storage can be as important outdoors as it is indoors,” says Keith Sacks, a professional landscaper (he’s VP of the landscaping company Rubber Mulch).
One of his favorite solutions is super easy and fun:
Paint wooden crates (about $10 each) to match your patio (or try a bright, fun, contrasting color) and add a sealant to weatherproof the wood. Arrange them to create attractive, rustic storage. Glue the crates together and attach wheels to the bottom if you want to be able to move it around.
Sometimes the best way to distract from a patio that needs some love is by drawing attention to a feature that does nothing but delight.
A mini fire pit can serve as an arresting visual focal point while adding more fun and function to your patio.
Creating your own outdoor s’more-making oasis doesn’t have to take much time or money. Try DIY blog Young House Love’s super-cheap, pint-sized pit, which requires only heat-resistant pavers (also called fire bricks), which cost about $5 per stone.
Stack two layers of them in a small circle about six bricks in circumference on top of a stone slab, and there you have it: a mini fire pit.
Make sure your patio is constructed with fire-safe materials before attempting this project (sorry, wooden deck lovers!) and that you follow local fire codes.
Time to grab a few marshmallows!
You’ve done it. You own a house with a yard. The great outdoors. Amber waves of grain. OK, maybe not grain, and ideally you want it green, not amber.
But now that you have it, how do you keep from screwing it up? By avoiding a few common gaffes that landscaping experts say new homeowners make waaay too often.
“They end up buying the wrong fertilizer, they have no clue what weed killer is, they kill their entire lawn, they kill their bushes — and then they call me,” says Dean Granat, who runs D&D Landscape & Sprinkler Services Inc. in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
Here’s what the pros say newbie homeowners often do wrong with their lawns and yards:
Peter and Leah Lenz, two bright, educated people (data scientist and attorney) were thrilled when they bought their Westchester County, N.Y., home — only to have their lawn undone by a little bugger known as the Japanese beetle.
“When we looked at the house originally, we weren’t even looking at the yard because it was March, and it was covered with snow,” says Peter. “But when we moved in, we noticed the previous owners had patched holes where the beetles had already hit.”
Once Peter identified the problem, he launched “full-out chemical warfare.”
Sadly, he did not read — nor heed — the instructions for his “weapons,” and the beetles won the first round.
“There are different granulated chemicals you can put down in the spring and the fall, and I discovered there are different formulations for the different seasons,” Peter says. “One of the mistakes I made the first year was using the spring formulation in the fall, and it didn’t do a damn thing.”
Today the lawn is lush and green thanks to the proper use of anti-beetle products the second time around. “I smile when I see the backyard,” Peter says.
The No. 1 problem new homeowners have with fertilizer, says Eric Groft of the landscaping firm Oehme van Sweden, is overdoing it.
“Instead of putting in the correct amount of fertilizer, they put in more — and more is not more.”
Too much fertilizer adversely affects plant growth, can burn and even kill grass and plants. And, if it runs off into waterways, can cause toxic algae bloom.
To avoid those awful outcomes, prep and apply fertilizer with care. Use only the amount of recommended fertilizer — or less.
And don’t skip a single prep step. Most powdered or liquid fertilizers need to be mixed with water.
Timing is important, too. Different species of grass have different needs. Warm-season grasses (Bermuda and St. Augustine) need to be fed when temperatures are warm. Late spring is usually good. Cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue) prefer feeding in cooler temps, such as late fall, but before frost sets in.
Brown and dry, dehydrated grass is ugly. it invites weeds to set up squatting rights. But it’s not just about the ugly.
“If you’re thinking about a future resale, a good lawn is what gets people in the front door,” says Valerie Blake, a REALTOR® in Washington, D.C. A sad lawn just turns them away.
But novice homeowners often think watering a little bit here and a little bit there will suffice. If the grass is wet, it’s watered, right?
Not quite. It’s really a matter of how moist the soil is underneath. Ideally, you want the soil to be moist 6 inches deep.
Here’s how to make sure your lawn gets enough water:
How often should you turn on the sprinklers? Do your homework, and, if the Joneses do in fact have a beautiful lawn, note how often they water and follow suit. (We won’t tell.)
If mowing isn’t your idea of weekend fun, you might be tempted to skip a round or two by cutting the grass extra short.
And while cutting the grass shorter may save you from mowing so often, it ends up starving the plant, as sunlight is collected via the leaves. Hello, brown lawn.
“Grass should never be cut lower than two and a half to three inches,” says Granat.
“People will buy weed killer thinking it’s for dandelions and clover and will spray it over their whole yard,” Granat says.
“I had a customer who sprayed his whole lawn with weed killer. It killed everything and cost $8,000 to resod the lawn.”
So, only use the weed killer on small, isolated areas, OK? Non-chemical solutions work, too, such as pulling weeds out by hand or dousing them with boiling water.
But prevention is best. Smother them with mulch (add newspapers for an extra layer of protection) before they can take root.
Out-of-control bushes can block windows and give insects (and burglars!) a direct path into the house. The solution? Cut them back.
But know where to cut. “Don’t saw it off in the middle of the branch,” says Groft. And don’t cut it flush with the trunk either.
You want to leave the “branch collar” — usually a small bump where the trunk and branch come together.
That bump contains special cells to help a tree or shrub recover from its wounds. Leaving the branch too long or cutting it too short prevents the branch collar from doing its job, which means instead of losing a branch or two, you could lose the entire tree or bush.
Impatience is really the culprit here. You want a lush yard fast. So you buy more plants and plant them closer together.
That’s a costly mistake. First, you’re buying plants you don’t need. And second, those plants will lose their looks really soon — or even die.
By planting bushes, shrubs, trees, annuals, or perennials closely together, you’re not giving them room to grow. And you’re forcing them to compete with each other for sunshine and nutrients in the soil. You won’t be happy with those results.
Nurseries usually include recommendations on how far apart to plant, but to give you an idea, here are a couple of guidelines:
It’s also OK to remove existing plants you don’t like. “If you have 30-year-old evergreens crowding a walkway, don’t be afraid to be subtractive,” Groft encourages.
It’s so tempting to let Fido go where and whenever he feels like it. But after awhile, you’ll notice yellow grass. Then dead grass. And that bush you planted a couple of months ago? Yeah, it’s half dead, too. They’re being burned alive by your dog’s urine. Not good.
But there are things you can do, such as training Fido to go in one special area. You could even make it a spot without any grass to kill at all.
“I’m starting to install a lot of dog runs for people. They’re all fenced in and we use some kind of stone on the surface,” Granat says.
You don’t need to be the host of an extreme home makeover show to build an amazing backyard. In fact, the transformative projects below are easy enough for even the klutziest home improvement newbie to complete.
Just don’t be shocked when the Johnsons appear at your door with hot dog buns in hand, begging to throw a cookout at your place.
When Cara Daniel of “The Project Addict” blog spied a neighbor’s unruly outdoor curtains, she hacked some for her porch that could withstand a gusty Tornado Alley afternoon without upending a glass of lemonade or ensnaring an unsuspecting guest.
She found the sweet spot by slipping conduit pipes through the curtain tabs up top and a hem at the bottom, and securing the pipes with wires (taut, but not too tight).
Daniel did all the hard work of dreaming up the curtains, so a DIY newbie can definitely recreate the project, which uses easy-to-find materials like washers and camping stakes.
Upkeep has been equally simple thanks to her sturdy choice of fabric. “The marine fabric is better than outdoor fabric that I bought,” says Daniel. The easy-to-wash choice has kept the curtains looking picturesque after five years of use.
#2 Shutter Privacy Fence:
No fence? No problem! Daune Pitman of the “Cottage in the Oaks” blog MacGyvered an attractive privacy feature from a friend’s pile of discarded shutters.
The $0 price wasn’t the only thing that made the material desirable for an outdoor nook’s privacy screen, though. “They were tall,” says Pitman, “could easily be attached to posts, had the vents — which allows air to flow through — and didn’t weigh too much.”
After nailing the shutters to four-by-fours cemented into the ground (an easy task with a store-bought bag of pre-mixed cement), the nook-facing side got a charming French-blue facelift and the back a coating of foliage-matching bark brown paint.
It’s a kind of self-explanatory project because all you need is:
What could be easier?
Suburbanite Monica Mangin of the site “East Coast Creative” jumped at the chance to rehab a client’s neglected urban patio.
The showstopper was a clever PVC pergola decked with industrial-style lights. She was inspired by traditional wood pergolas, but wanted an easier material.
“A lot of mason jar light fixtures were trending,” says Mangin.”I liked the look of that but wanted to turn it a little more industrial.”
PVC pipe — with rebar inside as an anchor — won out for its ease on the DIYer and wallet. Could it get any easier?
A simple coat of hammered metallic outdoor spray paint gave the pipe a pricier look, and industrial-strength zip ties kept the string of dimmable, Edison bulb-style lights in place.
Although the project doesn’t take much time or skill, Mangin recommends recruiting two friends to help. Have one hold each end of the pergola while the third secures the lights with zip ties. Overall, it’s a dinner party-friendly cinch that’s surpassed the one-year mark.
Topping the list of Sad Gardening Ironies is when the hose you’ve lugged out to help your landscaping stay lush mows over a bed of delicate flowers you just planted. Sigh.
Lynda Makara of the blog “Home of Happy Art” figured out a pretty and pragmatic solution using affordable solar lights.
The DIY part entailed trashing their original plastic stakes (they weren’t strong enough to hold a hose in place), hammering 24-inch pieces of rebar into the ground, and slipping a light over each piece.
Those sturdy posts could handle even the bulkiest hose, protecting Makara’s plantings during waterings then casting a lovely spotlight on them post-dusk.
“The rebar is maintenance free,” says Makara. “I have had to replace some of the batteries in the solar lights, but I think that’s pretty normal.”
It doesn’t get much easier than hammering a stake into the ground. Although Makara suggests straightening the rebar with a level, that’s about as technical as it gets to create a more functional, flowering garden.
This article was contributed by financial expert and blogger Mary Beth Storjohann, CFP, author, speaker, and founder of Workable Wealth. She provides financial coaching for individuals and couples in their 20s to 40s across the country, helping them make smart, educated choices with their money.
With your focus on building your down payment fund and figuring out what your mortgage payment will be, it’s easy to overlook some of the smaller fees that come along with a home purchase. Here are eight and what they could cost you.
A home inspection helps protect you from purchasing a home that could be a lemon. So you don’t want to forgo it. TipYour inspector isn’t required to be an expert in everything. If you suspect termites, asbestos, and foundational issues, for instance, you’ll need to hire a specialist.Inspectors will look for signs of structural issues, mold, and leaks; assess the condition of the roof, gutters, water heater, heating and cooling system; and more. Inspections cost between $300 and $500, and whether or not you end up purchasing the property, you still need to pay this fee.
This appraisal report goes to your lender to assure it that the property is worth what you’re paying for it. This report worked in our favor a couple of years ago when our home came back appraised for $10,000 less than our bid; the sellers had to reduce their asking price in order to move forward. TipIf you’re selling, review the appraisal thoroughly for any oddball numbers or descriptions that could affect the value of your home.An appraisal can take about 2 hours and costs between $200 and $425.
Before ever approving you for a loan, the lender is going to run your credit report and charge you an application fee, often lumping the credit report fee in with the application fee. This can run $75 to $300. Be sure to ask for a breakdown of the application fees to understand all costs.
These fees cover a title search of the public records for the property you’re buying, notary fees for the person witnessing your signature on documents, government filing fees, and more. These can cost between $150 and $400, and it’s important to get a line item for each cost.
Your lender will charge you this upfront free for making the mortgage loan. This includes processing the loan application, underwriting the loan (researching whether to approve you), and funding the loan. These fees are quoted as a percentage of the total loan you’re taking out and generally range between 0.5 to 1.5%.
This report ($150 to $400) confirms the property’s boundaries, outlining its major features and dimensions.
When you put down less than 20% on your new home, the lender requires that you purchase TipYour lender must cancel PMI once you reach 78% of your loan-to-value ratio or you have 22% equity. But you can petition to cancel early when your LTV hits 80%.Read More InCancel Your Private Mortgage Insurance PMI, which is a policy that protects the lender from losing money if you end up in foreclosure. So PMI is a policy that you have to buy to protect the lender from you. PMI rates can vary from 0.3% to 1.5% of your original loan amount annually.
This is the cost (about $50) to ensure that all property tax payments are up to date and that the payments you make are appropriately credited to the right home.
Always ask questions when it comes to understanding the fees you’re paying. If possible, print out documents and go through them with a highlighter to indicate any areas you have concerns about. Discuss them with your lender or real estate agent and determine if you can negotiate any of them down.
Don’t be afraid to price shop to ensure you’re getting the best value. Just because you’re spending hundreds of thousands on a home doesn’t mean you should be comfortable throwing thousands of dollars at fees.
As a DIY junkie, I’ve learned lots of tricks … most of them the hard way. Here’s a compilation of my favorite tips to take your project to the next level.
Before you paint, use a floor duster to remove all the dust from your walls. Because of the long handle, you won’t even need to pull out a ladder, and your paint result will be a million times better.
I have a secret for you. Even if you have texture on your walls, you can achieve perfect paint lines! You can’t stop paint from bleeding, especially if you have heavy texture like popcorn walls. So the trick is to make the bleed invisible.
After you’ve painted your base color on the wall and taped off your pattern, use the same base wall color and paint along the edges of the tape. This will make the bleed invisible. Then after it’s dry, paint your accent color over the space. Perfect paint lines every time!
Getting a smooth finish on caulk can be maddening. The chunkiness and unevenness of the caulk can be quite the headache, but luckily, you’ve got everything you need in your house to resolve this problem, and it won’t cost you a thing.
Grab a disposable cup from your kitchen and fill it with water. After you’ve squeezed the caulk onto the seam, dip your finger in the water and run it along the caulk. The water creates a perfect lubricant for your finger. This will give you a smooth finish, and it’s virtually mess free. See how easy here:
Let’s say you just came across the score of a lifetime at the thrift store: a wooden mid-century dresser that’s in great condition, but the finish isn’t up to your standards.
Don’t worry about having to sand and restain it — just use a product called Danish oil. It’s a cross between a wood conditioner and a stain and will fill in and disguise the places where the color of your finish is all wrong.
If you find yourself mid-paint project and have to take a break, roll your roller in the paint to get a nice thick coat and then wrap it in a garbage bag and put it in the fridge. This will keep the paint fresh for up to a week until you can start again.
Do you have a problem with the art on your walls staying level? There’s nothing more distracting than having one or two crooked pictures in a gallery wall.
Buy a package of adhesive strips, cut them into small sections, and place them on the back of the frames. It will keep pictures straight and not damage the walls.
I hope that you’ll use these tips to make your DIY life a little bit easier!
A clean, well-planned, and stunning bathroom is every homeowner’s goal. But creating it can be a bit of a sticky wicket. All that water, humidity, and artificial lighting, and those tight corners make the space a real challenge. Don’t make it worse by wasting money on materials that won’t withstand the task or will need replacing when they don’t work out. Dodge bad bathroom decisions by avoiding these five things:
In a high-steam area such as a bathroom, wallpaper may start to peel in a few years, according to some designers. In fact, steam is used to strip old wallpaper off walls. Despite the many photos of stylish, wallpapered bathrooms in magazines, unless it’s a half-bath or guest bath that’s seldom used, skip it. Really want the unique look wallpaper provides? Try a solid vinyl wall covering instead. It won’t allow moisture to seep through.
Love the look and affordability of laminate flooring? Use it in another room. Water and laminate floors don’t mix. Even tiny amounts of water will seep between the planks, causing them to expand, peel, swell, and lift from the floor. Even laminate manufacturers advise against installing in high moisture areas. The good news? There are plenty of other products out there that work extremely well in bathrooms. Take another look at linoleum. It’s eco-friendly, budget-friendly, and comes in a wide variety of looks.
#3 Slippery or Glossy Tile or Stone:
Many ceramic, porcelain, and stone floors will become slippery in wet conditions. The more polished a tile, the more likely it will become slippery when wet. Solution: Select your bathroom floor surface carefully, vetting each against slippery conditions. Look for tiles certified to meet slip-resistance standards specified by the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Carpet, while soft and comfy, isn’t ideal flooring in a powder room. Not only is the ick factor apparent, especially around the toilet, but mold and mildew can build up, which can cause health issues. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention specifically advises against carpeting bathrooms to avoid mold exposure. If you really want the cozy touch of carpet in the bathroom, fluffy bath mats add color and comfort — and can be regularly laundered.
When selecting paint colors, remember that color will appear more intense on your bathroom walls than it would in most other rooms, especially if the bathroom relies heavily on artificial lighting.
“In that smaller space, where the mirror multiplies the impact of the lighting, the walls tend to reflect and magnify color from other walls,” says Amy Bell, an interior decorator and owner of Red Chair Home Interiors in Cary, N.C. Be especially wary of yellow or other colors that contain yellow — even neutrals — as yellow can feel brash in a bathroom, and you won’t like what you see in the mirror. Instead, opt for grays with a hint of green or blue, which can feel spa-like.
About to remodel that old kitchen? Unless you’re cool with treating the hardest working room in your house like a museum exhibit, resist the temptation to buy the cheapest or shiniest materials available and go for durable options that can stand up to regular abuse.
Trust us: Although it may be tough to leave that raised, tempered glass bar top (ooo!) in the showroom, repairing its first (and second, and third) chip will get old. Very fast.
Picking the right materials is easy if you do your homework. “There are amazing products out there,” says Jeffrey Holloway, a certified kitchen designer and owner of Holloway Home Improvement Center in Marmora, N.J. “You’re looking at price point, sanitation, how easy it is to clean the product, its durability and maintenance.”
Keeping those all-important features in mind, here are some materials to avoid during your next kitchen project.
First off, there’s plenty of great laminate out there. It’s the entry-level,plastic laminate to stay away from, Holloway says. These are the ones that look thin and dull, as opposed to richly textured. They scratch easily, and if the product underneath the laminate gets wet (say, from steam rising from your dishwasher), it can delaminate the countertop, which means the edges will chip pretty easily. Also, one misplaced hot pan on the plastic will result in a melted disaster zone you’ll remember forever.
But if you’re watching your budget, plastic laminate at the next level up is a good choice. “It’s got good color consistency, and there are a lot of retro and trendy patterns available,” says Dani Polidor, an interior designer and owner of Suite Artistry, and a REALTOR® in Pittsford, N.Y.
New laminate counter technology offers scratch resistance, textured surfaces, and patterns that mimic real wood and stone. “There are even self-repairing nano-technologies embedded in some laminates,” says Polidor, “and others have antimicrobial properties.”
For an average 10-by-20-foot kitchen, the next-level-up laminate will cost about $3,000, Polidor estimates, and those super cool technology options add another $200 to $300. For durability and longer life, the investment is well worth it.
You spend all day stepping on your floor, so quality really matters. At the lower price point, about $2.50 per square foot, the cheapest sheet vinyl floorings tend to be thin. “If your vinyl floor is glued down and the underlayment gets delaminated, say, by water seeping from your dishwasher or refrigerator, you’ll get bubbles in your floor,” Holloway warns.
Compare that with luxury vinyl tile (LVT) that costs about $5 per square foot. It’s still usually glued down, but it’s a little more forgiving than its less classy cousin — and it can come in tiles, which you can grout so they mimic the look of higher-end stone, Polidor says.
Holloway suggests staying away from lower-end thermofoil cabinet fronts. What is thermofoil? Contrary to its name, there’s no foil or any metal-type material in it. It’s actually vinyl, which is heated and molded around fiberboard. If the cabinet is white and the price is waaaaay affordable compared with other cabinets, think twice. Cheaper thermofoil has three critical issues:
But just like with plastic laminate, science has made great strides, and now there are a host of new cabinets that are remaking thermofoil’s reputation. “New European laminates have become all the rage for the clean-lined, flat-panel look,” Polidor says. “It’s budget-friendly and can look like wood or high gloss. It’s not your grandmother’s thermofoil.”
And it doesn’t come at grandma’s prices, either. But still, the new thermofoil is much more affordable than custom cabinets, and still satisfies with its rich look and durability.
A nice shine can be eye-catching. And spendy. About 20 layers of lacquer go on a cabinet for the high-gloss look. Ding it or scratch it, and it’s costly to repair.
“It’s a multi-step process for repairing them,” Polidor says. A better option for the same look is high-end thermofoil (see? We said there were good thermofoil options!). Thermofoil has a finish that’s fused to the cabinet and baked on for a more durable exterior. And it’s way more budget-friendly, too. High-gloss can be in the thousands of dollars, whereas thermofoil can be in the hundreds or dollars.
Flat paint has that sophisticated, velvety, rich look we all love. But keep it in the bedroom. It’s not KF (kitchen-friendly). Flat paint, also known as matte paint, has durability issues. It’s unstable. Try to wipe off one splatter of chili sauce, and you’ve ruined the paint job. About the only place to use flat paint in your kitchen is on the ceiling (unless, of course, you have a reputation for blender or pressure-cooker accidents that reach to the ceiling, then we suggest takeout).
Instead, you want to use high-gloss or semi-gloss paint on your walls. They can stand up to multiple scrubbings before breaking down.
Tastes change. So avoid super trendy colors and materials when it comes to permanently adhering something to your kitchen walls. Backsplashes come in glass, metal, iridescent, and high-relief decor tiles, which are undoubtedly fun and tempting. They can also be expensive, ranging from $5 to $220 a square foot, and difficult to install. And after all that work and expense, if (er … when) your tastes change in a few years, it’ll be mighty tough to justify a re-do.
Stick with a classic subway tile at $2 to $3 square foot. Or, even more budget friendly, choose an integrated backsplash that matches your countertop material. “If you want pops of color, do it with accessories,” Polidor suggests.
You’ve got all the loyalty apps (free burrito after you buy 10!), you shopped around for the lowest rate on your mortgage, and you never go to the grocery store when you’re hungry. You’re frugal, and the rising amount in your savings account is a testament to that.
Since saving cash is never a bad thing, you’ve got nothing to worry about, right?
Unless, of course, you venture so far past frugality you enter the world of cheap. And cheap homeowners always end up paying more in the end when quick fixes and half-solved issues become big, pricey problems.
Here are six things homeowners do when they’re trying to be frugal, but instead they’re really being cheap (yikes!):
You’ve finally decided to paint the molding in your foyer. There’s not much to paint, so you figure you can get by with that 2-inch flat brush in your garage cabinet, even though the paint guy recommended a different (and pricey!) one. Why buy a new one when you already have a perfectly good one at home?
Halfway into your project (which you thought would take two hours, and now you’re into hour four), your back is aching from trying to get those bare spots in tight spaces. And the paint just doesn’t look right. It’s uneven and splotchy.
Turns out you used a brush meant for latex paints, and you’re using oil paint, which requires natural bristles to get a polished look. Plus, you needed an angled brush to get into tight corners. Four hours wasted, and it looks worse than when you started. Now you’ve got to buy more paint — and that darn brush!
Financial planner Daniel Grote says not buying the brush the paint guy recommended is a classic sign of cheapskate-ness: “Frugal homeowners buy when it’s necessary — and are fanatical about good-value purchases. Cheapskates don’t buy, even when they should.”
Some other cheap tool moves homeowners often make instead of spending money:
How to be frugal: Invest in the right tools, not cheap knockoffs. “Finding the right tool is important,” says personal finance expert Bob Lai. “It will take less time and money in the long run.” If it’s an expensive one that you only need once or twice, rent it or borrow it.
Bonus: You’ll find DIY projects get easier because your skills (and the results) will improve with the right equipment.
You swear your water bill is trying to topple your heating bill as the king of Utility Mountain. You’re terrified it just might do that next month. You may just as well give up and stop trying to nurture your landscaping. Survival of the fittest, right? Besides, that means less time maintaining it.
But a wilting yard also means a drop in the value of your home (read: $$$ lost when you sell). Or if you’re in an HOA, you could face costly fines that’ll make you pine for those high water bills.
How to be frugal: Invest in water-wise landscaping. It’s not just about desert-friendly plants, it’s about plants that thrive on the amount of rain that naturally occurs in your climate, which translates to less watering and lower utility bills. And if done right, it can actually boost your home’s asking price when you sell. Plus, you’ll still get the advantage of less maintenance. For even more savings, invest in rain barrels. That water is free.
Everyone knows that if you’re patient enough, you’ll be able to get that slate flooring (it’s slip resistant, yay!) for your new bath at a deep discount.
So you waited, and, yes, the price was cut almost in half. But, wait, there’s not enough tile left to cover your entire floor. Sigh. Back to square one.
In the meantime, your contractor is threatening to walk out because you’re running more than two weeks behind schedule, and he’s got another job lined up he doesn’t want to risk losing while sitting around waiting on you.
How to be frugal: Definitely do some serious comparison shopping, but don’t forget to consider delivery times and prices as part of the equation. Once you’ve identified the most-value-for-your-money price, lock it in.
Otherwise, you risk costly delays and disappointing results if you keep waiting for a lower price.
Crooked countertops. Misaligned tiles. Paint that warps and cracks if it’s even the slightest bit humid. Cheap contractors often cut corners to give you that low quote — and fixing their errors is definitely not cheap.
How to be frugal:
You know you’re supposed to keep your gutters clear, but, geez, it’s like your trees are laughing at you and raining down debris as soon as you get them clear. You don’t have the time to deal with it, so you’re going to have to pay a pro.
That being the case, what’s the real harm in waiting until the end of the leaf-falling season to clear the gutters? Pay to have it done once instead of twice or thrice? That’s how to save, right?
While you’re waiting for all the leaves to fall, your gutters already are full. And that means water could already be sneaking into your foundation because it’s spilling over the sides instead of through the downspouts that take water away from your foundation. Clogged gutters can also damage your gutter system, forcing you to replace part of it or suffer even more costly damage. A clogged gutter can also create an ice dam, which can slowly release water into your home’s walls and roof causing thousands in damage. So much for saving a couple of hundred of dollars.
How to be frugal: Anticipate maintenance costs, knowing that they are insurance against more costly repairs. Build them into your budget so they don’t feel like unexpected expenses.
When you got the bid for refinishing your hardwood floors, you thought, “Why not do it myself and save that $5K?” So off you go to your big-box store to rent a sander. How hard could it really be?
You’d be surprised. You could create dings, dents, and even valleys if you’re not sure what you’re doing. And keeping it dust-free during the polyurethane stage is practically impossible unless you’re such a neat freak that no speck stands a chance.
It’s not just the sander. Other powerful tools, like power washers and lawn aerators, can cause more harm than good in the hands of amateurs.
How to be frugal: Concede that sometimes paying someone else really is the better fiscal thing to do. If you ruin your floors, you’ve hurt your home’s value. If you sell, you might not get the best price. Or you’ll have to replace the floors completely, which would cost more than hiring a pro in the first place. Research the difficulty of projects and tools before committing to them.
No one wants to be a cheapskate. Now you can be sure you’re not.
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