The costs of home ownership always include the cost of home repairs and improvements. An average homeowner should be prepared to shell out 1-3% of their home’s value each year on maintenance and improvements. However, there are ways to cut back on cost, so here are some tips to help you save money and still be able to improve and upkeep the home you love.

Reach for the uncommon if you want to put in an addition that makes your home classier and more sophisticated. For example, you may want to create a library that has lots of built in bookshelves, or to add a wine cellar to your basement. When selling, people will be impressed by the luxury that was added to the home.

If a contractor will be performing your project, keep records. Don’t mistakenly assume that your contractor will handle this for you.
Save all invoices and contracts for your projects. This helps everyone involved stay focused on the current task.

Keep an eye out for deals on carpet installation offered by national chains. You can often get very low prices on installation if you purchase carpet. This is a huge savings since installation and labor can often exceed the price of the carpet.

When you are wanting to do bathroom remodeling, make your bathroom handicap accessible. Even if you can’t do a full conversion, there are ways to make your bathroom more accessible. This is important especially if you intend to retire and grow older in your home. If you sell your home, these preparations will add to the value of your house on the market.

Necessary home improvements are more likely to get done when homeowners set aside money for them in advance. By setting a reasonable amount of money aside each year, a homeowner is more likely to make the repairs and improvements that are necessary. If money is left over at the year’s end, it can go toward more home improvement work in the days to come.

Your kitchen and bathroom renovations will start with turning off water sources so that you don’t create flooding when you work on your pipes or fixtures. Sometimes the difficulty in turning old valves or simply forgetting can cause homeowners to undertake work that will cause significant flooding because of water in the pipes.

Keep your AC unit running great by cleaning your filter. If the filter is dirty or clogged, your AC unity will have to compensate by working harder and using more power. The equipment will run for long periods of time, too. To halt buildup, change the filter monthly.

Now you should know at least a little more about home improvement. You can make your home a beautiful place to live in, while still saving a lot of money.

There are tremendous opportunities for small businesses and social entrepreneurs to support their communities through community foundations, donor advised funds and other means of giving back. Find the neighborhoods in Santa Clara County where you can make the most impact on children in the community.