Renovate Your Home Using Items You Have

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With all the hype surrounding home improvement, particularly in reality shows, everybody wants to get into it. Home renovation is a fun project the whole family can contribute to, and is a great way to tap into the many resources and contacts you have to ensure the job is done right, and for a relatively inexpensive price. Yet when we think of home improvement, we also think of buying new items: new furniture, new hardwood floors, new granite countertops.

The problem is a lot of us cannot afford to buy all new furnishings and materials for our homes. Sometimes we have to rely on what we already have to save money while being resourceful. By digging into your basement or Calgary self storage unit, you may find that your old furniture can be used for your new living room.

Here are some ideas for how you can take the old, and use it like new.

1. Old Couches and Chairs

Putting a couch in storage can cause it to collect a lot of dust. So when you finally pull it out, you would probably want it cleaned. Or, better yet, you can visit an upholstery business in any metropolitan area that can strip your couch of its old fabric and replace it with a new fabric that is more comfortable and matches with your new living room.

If you cannot afford to get your couch reupholstered, there are much less expensive options. Plenty of retailers have slip covers in a variety of colors that you can purchase to match to your needs. For an even cheaper option, look into purchasing large throws. Throws work just as well as slip covers, though they won’t conform perfectly to your couch. Either way, it will give your couch a whole new look as if it were brand new.

2. Old Dressers, Armoires, Cabinets

When renovating, a lot of people simply throw out their old dressers and cabinets. This is never a good idea, as even the most damaged cabinets can be remodeled to become something new and equally as useful. Plus, simply throwing them out is adding more junk to a landfill somewhere else, which is not good at all for the environment.

If your dresser is in relatively good condition, consider replacing the runners that allow the drawer to slide in and out. This is especially important for old dressers with worn out runners. New ones normally don’t cost more than $10 at a hardware store. If your dresser is pretty heavily damaged, take out the drawers and disassemble them. Use the parts to create shelves where the drawer used to be, and store DVD’s or books.

And of course, a little sandpaper and paint can work wonders on making any wood furniture look good as new.

3. Unused tile

After you lay down tile in your new kitchen, what do you do with the leftovers? A lot of people throw it out, or put it away in storage forever. Instead, use that tile for a fun, creative project everybody in the family can contribute to. Go to a craft store and buy some cheap beads and gobs as well as some mortar, then break apart the remaining tile with a hammer. This is all you need to renovate your front porch into a customized and creative project that guests will swoon over.

Simply lay down the mortar and then place your broken tile and gobs in your desired pattern. This is a project that children, family members and close friends can all contribute to. Once it is all dried, add grout between the pieces. Once it dries, you will have a whole new front porch with its own personality.

The most important part of using what you already have for home renovations is that it ultimately saves you money. Buying new items can often burn a hole in your pocket, so using the resources you have could keep you wallet happy, and leave you a little more room to be creative and add that touch of personalization you’ve always wanted for your home.

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