Great Websites for Home-Repair & Improvement Help

The recession has forced people to become more resourceful as they manage small home repairs and improvements on their own. The net effect is a huge growth in all things DIY (do-it-yourself). Home Improvements and repairs can add value to your property and doing these yourself can save you money and exponentially increase the value you’ve added to your home.

Start small, do your research or even learn by helping others. My husband’s first project in our first home was building a bird house, next he made a workbench and then built a deck in our backyard with a fish pond. Each cost a fraction of what he would have paid if he hired someone to do these jobs. Since the bird house he’s tiled floors, laid wood floors, painted our house, fixed broken sprinklers, repaired leaky sinks, installed fans, lights, closest organizers and more. He’s become an awesome handyman and made our house a beautiful home in the process.

With time, patience, determination and the help of some wonderful home-repair resources, you too can start making small home improvements and repairs and stop paying others to get the job done.

Home Repair & Improvement Help

HGTV – A meca of all things home improvement and home repair. You’ll get ideas, inspiration and home improvement tips on everything from painting to plumbing to redoing your powder room. There are also great articles such as 30 Tips for Increasing Your Home’s Value.

Do-It-Yourself.com - A great site with tons of DIY guides, videos and even a forum where you can ask and answer questions and interact with other DIYers.

National Association of the Remodeling Industry – Great tips from the home remodeling experts. Get kitchen and bathroom tips and creative ways to make small spaces appear larger.

Department of Energy – Improve your home’s energy with Energy Star. Find ways to make your home more energy efficient and reduce your high energy bills.

Hands-On Training

If you learn best with some hands-on training, then get home repair and improvement help by checking out your local Home Depot or Lowe’s and take advantage of their buying guides and in-store workshops designed to help everyone be a DIYer.

Home Depot – Check out their site for how-to project guides, a list of upcoming in-store workshops or better yet, join their Home Improver Club and receive home improvement newsletters, tips based on weather conditions on where you live, how-to tutorials, tips, and more.

Lowe’s – There are a slew of Buyer’s Guides to help with buying everything from caulk to grills, to lumber, decks, light bulbs, tools, appliances and a ton or other things you may no know anything about.

Hire with Caution

If , however, you find yourself in over your head then by all means, hire someone to do the job for you. But, first make sure that you hire a reliable handyman or contractor. Ask around and get referrals. This is the very best way to insure that you will hire a quality service provider and be satisfied with the job that’s done.

Angie’s List - A very well known source for finding reliable service providers. See how friends and neighbors have rated various providers select based on ratings and reviews.

Federal Trade Commission - When in doubt … check it out. If you are worried about a provider or potential scam, check it out here. There is a great article on things to be aware of when hiring a home contractor — Home Sweet Home Improvement.

Remember to start small, do your research, and learn from others. Once you’ve completed a project, not only do you have a sense of accomplishment, but you’ve added value to your home and you’ve saved money.

Happy home repairing and improving!