When we talk about home improvements, we tend to focus on the big projects like bathroom remodelling or laying down new floors. While the big projects are good, and they can do a lot for a homeowner, there is also something to be said for many of the low-cost home improvements.
As a homeowner, you have a range of small home improvements that could really enhance certain aspects of the home. They might not be the most exciting projects, but they do have their value. In some cases, these are improvements that you might be able to do on your own, or if you need to hire a professional, they are things that can be done in less than a day.
Switch to a Curved Rod for Your Shower Curtain
In many homes, you just don’t have a lot of room to move around and get clean when you are in the shower. This is most common in homes that have smaller tubs, but it can be nice to expand the elbowroom in the bathing area for any tub/shower.
The easy and inexpensive answer to this problem is to replace the standard straight shower rod with one that is curved. A curved shower rod expands the amount of room that you have to manoeuvre when you are getting clean, and it does not take a significant amount of space from the rest of the bathroom.
Under Sink Water Filter
Drinking filtered and bottled water is a good way to ensure that your water is clean. Of course, you can install a filter on the faucet or use a filtration kit, but these things take up space. If you like the idea of always having clean water for both drinking and cooking, an under the sink filtration system is a good idea.
Having a filtration system installed on your kitchen sink is relatively inexpensive and it will provide a constant supply of pure water that is much more affordable than buying bottled water. These systems are also better than getting a filter for the faucet or buying a kit because it is under the sink and out of the way. You don’t have the filter taking up sink space when you are washing dishes and you do not have to wait for the filtration kit to fill up the jug.
If you are relatively handy, this might be a cheap home improvement that you could do on your own. If you are not comfortable doing this type of work, you could probably hire a plumber to install an under the sink system for a reasonable cost.
Toilet Seat with Dampers
The sound of a toilet lid slamming can be jarring. Sometimes it just falls on its own or it could be the people that live in the home letting it slam shut. This is a common problem in homes with young children, but it is one that is easy and inexpensive to solve.
While there are several products for reducing the sound of a slamming toilet, most of them fall into two categories. You could get a toilet seat that has dampers for reducing the sound and you have toilet seats that are designed to close softly. Both options can effectively solve this problem, and both are easy to install. It’s basically as simple as removing the old toilet seat and replacing it with the new one.
Water Sensors
This might not be the home improvement that every homeowner is dreaming of, but it is one that can be a great idea for any home. Basement leaks can cause all sorts of damage, and the key to limiting the damage is detecting the leak as soon as possible. By installing a water sensor in the basement or near things like water heaters and washing machines, you can take a step toward preventing significant water damage.
You have several options for leak detecting alarms. You have ones that emit a loud audible alarm when a leak is detected, and there are newer models that can connect to you home wireless network for alerting you on your phone or tablet.
Exhaust Fan Timer
Any bathroom with a shower should have an exhaust fan. By removing the moisture from the air, it can prevent mould damage, and it just makes the bathroom a more comfortable space for all of the occupants. The problem is that these fans need to be left running for a little while after the shower is turned off. If you turn it off right away, you end up leaving a lot of moisture in the room, and if you leave it on, you might forget about it until the next time you go to the bathroom.
An easy solution to this problem is to install a timer switch for the bathroom exhaust fan. Timer switches are easy to install, and you have a variety of options for functionality and for matching the design of the existing switches in the home.
New Showerhead
Getting a new showerhead can be a good way to make bathing easier. In addition to that, you could also go with a low-flow showerhead to reduce the amount of water used in the home. If you just have one of those simple stationary showerheads, changing to an adjustable showerhead or one that is handheld can be nice.
You have several options for adjustable or handheld showers, but one of the most popular is the sliding bar showerhead with a removable handheld. You can position the head to a variety of different positions to make showering easier, and you can remove the head and use it as a handheld for when you need to rinse off.
Sometimes, it is the little things that can a big difference. This is just a short list of low-cost home improvements that can really help to improve your life around the home. For the most part, all of these can be done with a minimal investment of money, and in some cases, these are projects that you could do on your own.
