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Fall Home Improvement Projects that have Big Rewards

Local Power Washing – Freshly Painted – Window Frames – Handyman

The days are getting shorter, the clocks are changing, the weather is getting crisp and everything edible on the market seems to be pumpkin spiced. The spare time is becoming limited with the Holiday planning looming in the near future and mostly everything on television is not the best news for becoming motivated. This is the critical time to avoid slipping into a state of mild sun deprived depression sitting on the couch stuffing your face with pumpkin cookies. You need to motivate yourself and there is no better form of accomplishment and feel good motivation than completing a home project that is dramatically noticed. It’s a good feeling when a neighbor comments on how nice that looks or “I should do the same thing too”, it’s a reward for yourself and you are also making improvements to your home at the same time. Whether it is sprucing up, cleaning up, or maintenance that will save you headaches later, they are all worth it both physically and mentally.

Whether you decide to hire a professional to do the following projects or like to start on your own, the best on a nice day is to start with a cleaning project that is always a good “roll-up your sleeves” and dive right in way to get underway and there is no better at this time of the year than cleaning out the gutters. The leaves falling coupled with fall rain and windy days is a recipe for clogged, muck filled gutters that if not taken care of can cause you giant problems and headaches when the temperatures freeze. Ice jams can not only damage the integrity of the gutter system, but can certainly effect the edges of the roofing as well, and having 3 foot long giant icicles hanging off your house is not only visually unpleasant, it’s also very dangerous.

Now that the gutters are cleaned and ready for the weather to come, keep on going on the cleaning spree. A hugely rewarding and also very noticeable task is power washing. Local power washing companies are readily available to assist or you can visit an equipment rental nearby and get a power washer for the day or even weekend and do the job yourself. When you get started, power wash everything; the house, the foundation, the sidewalks, your shoes…..no, not your shoes, but always start from the top and work your way down to and including the sidewalks. The impact that bright, clean concrete or pavers make on the walkway to your front door is obvious and very remarkable and is certainly a feel good project when it’s done.

Now for some dramatically noticeable and yet simple projects that either you can do yourself or if you’re not comfortable, certainly seek professional help with a local painter or handyman. Yes, paint. Start with the front door; a freshly painted front door adds a tremendous amount of wow factor to your home. Many folks even choose a bold color that makes a powerful statement. Depending on the color scheme of your home, because you absolutely don’t want to give the appearance of the old pickup truck we have all seen that has a different color door, tailgate or hood driving down the road screaming of “I found the parts at the junkyard”, but choosing a bold red or green for the entrance door will give fantastic results and again, be tremendously noticeable and gratifying.

While the painter is at the house, or if you are doing it yourself and are on a roll, a fresh coat of white trim paint is another dramatic wow factor. A freshly coated trim and window frames not only give the appearance of clean, fresh and new, but it also adds to the overall appearance of your home. Another great freshen up is a fresh coat, maybe even a color change, on the foundation, garage doors and porches. Now you have an overall new look especially if you choose different colors. The neighborhood and any visitor will absolutely take note and comment.

Finally, when the house is done with all the cleaning and painting, the next wow factor that gets noticed is the curb appeal. Curb appeal can make or break all the hours of hard work that you just did, and although curb appeal by definition takes in account the entire property’s first impression, we have all seen the beautiful house with the yard that looks like the aftermath of a football game played in the mud. Take the time to observe, freshen up the mulch, weed and trim the old growth off the plants and bushes, remove the flower pots that housed the summer annual flowers and are now just pots of dirt. Mow or mulch the lawn and trim the edging one last time. All of this will give you a fantastic look and a great feeling of accomplishment, and all you have to do now is enjoy it.