|
|
|
Arborvitae - A Multi Use Plant
The arborvita is a plant that has many forms, colors, and uses
that it is used in almost every type of landscape. One of its
major uses is in wind breaks and barriers. Yet it is also used
in foundation plantings or as a stand alone specimen in...
Building A Garden From Nothing At All
Gardening doesn’t have to be an expensive hobby. Some of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever grown cost me nothing but sweat and sore muscles – and paid off with the kind of satisfaction you’ll never get from a paid-for landscape. Throughout the...
Decorative Stone Uses For Landscaping
One of the benefits resulting from the diminishing rainfall now being experienced Australia wide is the growing realisation by the community that there are alternatives to the vast areas of lawn traditionally found around suburban houses.
The...
Do-it-yourself preformed pond kit project
If you are put off building a pond because it looks difficult, then think again. With some readily available information and instructions, the installation of a water garden can be as simple as digging a hole. Since most soil is unable to hold...
What is the Right Plant and Where Do I Put It?
Know if your plants are disease-susceptible. Your choice of plants used in your garden is as important as the soil that you put those plants in. Select plants that are disease resistant and they will be much more easy to maintain and will give you...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Save Money On Home Improvement Projects
Many of us avoid home improvement projects due to their expense. Granted if you are contemplating a "second-story" addition to your home, or the construction of a new "game-room", then most likely you will need to hire a general contractor to complete this task. However, if you are interested in projects like painting a room, removing acoustic texture from the ceiling (I just did this), installing laminate flooring, wallpaper, landscaping, etc. then you may be able to accomplish the task(s) all on your own, or with minimal assistance.
My Personal Experience
I recently undertook the task of remolding my den and living room areas. I knew what I wanted the final product to be, however I was extremely hesitant to begin the work due to a lack of knowledge, the fear of failure, and/or making damaging, irreparable mistakes. You see, in front of a computer I'm extremely proficient, however with tools and manual labor, I do not have much experience, so naturally I was a bit intimidated.
Two things changed my mind about the whole scenario. I bumped into a long-time friend who was known for his skill with tools and a knack for wood carving. I informed him of my remolding ideas and the underlying fear of the whole task. He laughed and said that what I wanted to do it would not take much in terms of "professional skill" and it would save me about $2,000 in labor costs!
Once he put a price tag on the amount I would be saving, I was immediately intrigued. For me to save $2,000 of my own money, I'll definitely try my hand at these projects. Wouldn't you?
The second influence that helped me take on this task occurred on my first visit to Home Depot (popular hardware store in southern California). I was lucky enough to run into a wonderful, polite, knowledgeable employee who took his time and explained the in's and out's of what I was about to undertake.
One side note, I could not have accomplished what I did without the help of Home Depot. I'm sure other hardware stores have pleasant, knowledgeable staff members also, but since I always went to Home Depot and since I was beginning to learn the locations of the items I needed, I simply stayed with them. Kudos to Home Depot!
Keep in mind that if the store employees are NOT assisting you in a pleasant and courteous manner, LEAVE and don't come back! Don't let their rudeness distract you from your overall goal - that's what's most important, not the personality of an unfriendly person. Go elsewhere if you do not like how they're treating you. Take it from me, someone who had NO IDEA of what he was doing, there will be some employees who will go out of their way to assist you. Once you find someone like this, keep going back to them. That's what I did. I probably went back to my assistant about fifteen times over the three month duration of my project sometimes to buy things, sometimes just to ask a few questions.
Ask For Help When You Need It
There are basically two ways to ask for help - verbally or indirectly. Depending on your personality and how comfortable you are asking "strangers" for help, the verbal method may not be for you.
That's ok! Don't feel bad or downhearted. That's just your personality, nothing to be ashamed of, so don't start thinking you can give up just yet! :-)
Personally, I have no problem talking to anyone about anything. That's just how I am. If you are somewhat similar, then I suggest taking my approach and talking to as many people who have knowledge in what you want to do.
If you would prefer to remain as
anonymous as possible, then the Internet and library will be your goldmine of information. The library may be a tad outdated when it comes to the most recent, creative home improvement projects, but check it out just in case. If you do find a book online or at a store that would be perfect for what you need, ask a librarian if they could "purchase this book since your home improvement selections are less than adequate and its important that a library stays atop current trends and events so as not to become obsolete" (or something along those lines ;-)
Also, at Home Depot they have a section of books on literally any home improvement projects you can imagine. They even have chairs where you can sit and read them at your leisure. This would be an excellent starting point for you.
A Look At My Two Biggest Savings
Pergo Style Click-Together Flooring @.49 per square foot X 400 sq ft = $200 Foam Underlay for 400sq ft. = $80 *my biggest saving - found this floor/tile place getting rid of excess stock which was about $4 per foot cheaper than Home Depot! I would've paid in excess of $1600 for this amount)
Sod: St. Augustine @ .59 per square foot: 1500 sq feet *free delivery since purchased through sod.com *second biggest saving - only cost me $885 instead of $2,000+
Handy Tips
Those who are really not concerned about saving money can basically shop anywhere for what they are looking for. However, those of us on a strict budget must put some thought into this if we want our goals to become tangible. For example, when I originally priced Pergo flooring, it was in excess of $4.50 per foot installed. Multiply that by 400 square feet and I have already attained a bill of $1800 (not including tax)!
Immediately I knew this was way out of my budget, but I still wanted to go with a laminate floor. I then started to price locations I found in the yellow pages, Internet, and local PennySaver magazines. I learned that if I were to purchase and install flooring from distributors/wholesalers, I could save more than a thousand dollars! Even better, if I could find a location that had an excess of a particular item in stock, then they would offer this at an unbelievable price (just like the one I found at .49 cents per square foot).
Point is, if you are willing to do a little "digging" and research in order to find the lowest price available on your products, then you will be rewarded BIG TIME (just like I was). However the flip side to that coin, if you are impatient and you want your remodeling to begin tomorrow, then most likely you will have to pay more for what you're looking for. It all depends on both your time and money situations.
Personally, for me, this was not a "must have done in two days" project, so I didn't mind spending two and a half months working on this in my spare time. I did save a ton of money, but it did take me much longer than if a contractor was hired to complete the job. Again, it all depends on your own personal situation. Just keep in mind that saving money on home improvement projects is possible if you are willing to get a little "dirty" :-)
---
Learn Effective Money-Saving Techniques & Eliminate Your Debt At SavingSecrets.com. Hop on over and you'll find FREE money-saving articles, a monthly newsletter, and even a FREE Ebook download just for stopping by!
http://www.SavingSecrets.com
About the Author
Save money on home improvement projects by following the tips outlined in this article. Perfect source of inspiration for those thinking of undertaking small projects at home.
|
|
|
|
|
| Landscaping Ideas | Landscape Design | Landscaping Pictures |
| Information for homeowners on hardscape and softscape elements in landscape design. Includes a chat room and forum. |
| landscaping.about.com |
|
| Gardening - Landscaping |
| Design a landscape that works best with your yard, deck and home. |
| www.homeandfamilynetwork.com |
|
| Gardening |
| Find all the information you need to plan and design a beautiful garden for your landscape. Get zone maps, garden plans and the plant and flower index to ... |
| www.homeandfamilynetwork.com |
|
| Landscaping - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an ... Landscaping also refers to building a model landscape such as model train ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Landscape architecture - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The activities of a landscape architect can range from the creation of ... Landscape designers, like garden designers, design all types of planting and ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Gardening Landscaping & Design - Landscape Gardening for Patios ... |
| Learn more about landscape gardening and design for patios and decks from Home & Garden Television. |
| www.hgtv.com |
|
| EERE Consumer's Guide: Landscaping |
| On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings ... Use energy-efficient landscaping strategies based on your regional climate. ... |
| www.eere.energy.gov |
|
| Planning the Home Landscape |
| Advice and tips for planning, preparing, and constructing a new landscape area. |
| aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu |
|
| Landscaping Ideas, Designs, Pictures and Plans for the Home. |
| Respond?s community provides landscaping ideas for the home. Find landscaping designs, pictures and plans to help you design the best landscape for your ... |
| landscaping.respond.com |
|
| Landscape Design Services and Earth-Friendly Garden Products for ... |
| Landscaping resource for the do-it-yourself homeowner featuring interactive online landscape design. |
| clearwaterlandscapes.com |
|
| Landscaping & Design |
| Turn your yard into a spectacular showpiece, whether you're planning all-new landscaping or hoping to update a flower bed. |
| www.bhg.com |
|
| Great Lakes Environment: Greenacres-Green Landscaping |
| A key source of Great Lakes environmental information. |
| www.epa.gov |
|
| Landscaping - Outdoors - homesite.com.au |
| Landscaping - homesite.com.au, Australia’s No.1 home and garden web site. |
| www.homesite.com.au |
|
| H2ouse.org : Tour : Landscaping |
| Attractive gardens and landscape add to the value of your home and bring ... Upgrade the look of your landscape by learning the how-to's of proper lawn care ... |
| www.h2ouse.org |
|
| Landscapers | Landscaping |
| Get matched to local Landscape, Decks and Fences contractors for your home improvement projects. ServiceMagic's network of Landscape, Decks and Fences ... |
| www.servicemagic.com |
|
| Complete Landscape Design for Do It Yourselfers |
| Do it yourself tips, tricks, guidelines, and resources for home landscape design. |
| www.the-landscape-design-site.com |
|
| Landscaping Ideas | 2854 + Landscaping Pictures |
| Landscaping Ideas To Make Your Homes Beautiful. ... Click here to access all 4290+ landscaping photos, and get instant access to valuable savings coupons to ... |
| www.landscapingideasonline.com |
|
| Landscaping for Energy Efficiency |
| Are you looking for cost-effective yet eye-pleasing ways to lower your energy bills? Planting trees, shrubs, vines, grasses, and hedges could be the answer. |
| www.pioneerthinking.com |
|
| Edible Landscaping Online |
| Only the most productive disease resistant varieties make it onto the approved list here at Edible Landscaping. Our plants are guaranteed to arrive healthy ... |
| www.ediblelandscaping.com |
|
| Free Landscaping Ideas, Landscapes, Front Yard, Garden Landscaping |
| Landscaping ideas that transform your boring, unattractive yard into the picture perfect oasis you've always dreamed of. Find out h... |
| www.greatlandscapingideas.com |
|
|