10 Home Projects You Can Do Yourself And Save Money

Have you ever considered tackling home improvement projects yourself? What would happen if, instead of calling the handyman every time you stumble upon a nuisance or hazard in your home, you became the handyman (or handywoman)? You might find that you're handier than you could ever have imagined. Start with these entry-level skills that will be useful at some point in your life.

1. Pressure Washing

Few activities are more satisfying than removing years of grime by pulling a trigger. The wall of pressurized water cuts through dirt, mold, and other undesirable coatings like a scrub brush can't.

A pressure washer and a fresh stain can bring your property back to life.

2. Installing Flooring

Vinyl plank is an increasingly popular, affordable flooring you can install yourself. Watch a few instructional YouTube videos first, but go ahead and save yourself a few hundred (or thousand) dollars by clicking, locking, and hammering your new floor.

3. Woodwork

If you've never picked up a jigsaw, felt the contained vibration of a miter saw slicing through wood or wielded a handheld sander, you don't know what you're missing. DIY woodworking has many outlets, from creating home-crafted tables to creating an accent wall with real-deal American lumber.

If Jesus wasn't above wading in a pile of sawdust, why should you be?

4. Installing Shelves

If you're feeling ambitious, you could even make your own shelves. However, as you feel out the boundaries of your handiwork skillset, mounting the shelf is a 101-level test. If you need to call the handyman for this, keep them on speed dial.

5. Building a Garden

With a few cinderblocks, a few bags of soil, and some seeds, you can grow your vegetables and herbs and save a bit on your grocery bills. Plus, you have just built a new hobby with proven health benefits, Dr. Greenthumb.

6. Caulking

Whether you're sealing your windows and doors, filling cracks, or working on another project, a homeowner must know their way around a caulking gun. This ultra-versatile tool can help you save on electrical bills, thwart leaks, and keep your property in tip-top shape.

7. Soundproof Your Walls

This DIY feat may be most beneficial for apartment dwellers, who too often feel like they're living lives shared with their neighbors. Multiple soundproofing options vary in their level of aesthetic pleasure.

From hanging heavy curtains to applying material directly to your walls (or ceilings), there are several ways to limit sound intrusion without upsetting your landlord.

8. Painting

Professional painters have a PR department Don Draper would be proud of. Somehow, they've convinced would-be DIY-ers that coating a paint roller in the paint, then applying that roller to a wall, is equivalent to brain surgery.

Lay down old sheets to protect your floors, apply Scotchblue tape over any sensitive areas, and save plenty of cash by painting things yourself.

Repeat after me: Roll the paint, don't drink the paint.

9. Install Solar Lights

While you may not have had the electrical chops to light up your lawn in past eras, solar technology has become widely available to consumers. Thanks to affordable, DIY-ready solar offerings, you can design and install your outdoor lighting without the risk of electrocution.

10. Finishing Your Wood

Staining is a relatively easy way to change the entire vibe of your home's walls, floors, furniture, or other wooden features. Warning: Once you start researching various stain hues, you may kiss your evening goodbye.

Mahogany? Walnut? Early American? So many stains and so little wood.

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