Edmonton Real Estate Blog

We love a good do-it-yourself (DIY) project—especially one that can increase the value of a home with little investment. What we don’t love is committing to a project we think will only take an afternoon to complete, but ends up consuming our entire summer. Avoid a DIY disaster by effectively evaluating all the steps involved in completing a renovation or home improvement job correctly.

If you’re looking for a home project to get started on, here are five that you can confidently roll up your sleeves for and conquer. We’ve also highlighted a couple of projects you should definitely leave to the professionals!

Refresh with paint

One of the easiest ways to update your home is to give it a fresh coat of paint. You can save yourself a lot of money by taking up this task yourself. There are so many exciting options when it comes to paint—from thousands of colours, to interesting textures and design stencils. Learn to paint like a pro and turn your home into your personal canvas.

Find this home in our Featured Listings.

Organize and charge

The junk drawer…every home has one, so why not take it from a cluttered mess to a space you’re proud to show off? The first thing you’ll need to do is organize. Take everything out and decide if this is truly where these items belong. Check out this helpful video to get your drawer sorted. Next, outfit the drawer with dividers and drill a hole in its back to accommodate for a power bar. Plug in your main electronic charging cords and, voilà! You’ve just turned a once drab drawer into a tidy and useful, go-to charging station.

Find this home in our Featured Listings.

Custom headboard

A unique headboard can give your bedroom that extra personal touch it might be missing. The options are endless when it comes to material choices, finishings, and size. Indulge your creative side and explore these DIY headboard ideas. Bonus: you’ll probably save yourself a few dollars!

Replace a faucet

You might think this is a job for a plumber, but replacing a faucet can be done in a few hours. New faucets can instantly update a kitchen or bathroom in a relatively low-cost way. Just be sure to choose the right faucet size that matches your current sink, and follow the manufacturer's instructions. Here’s a quick how-to video to guide you through the process.

Find this home in our Featured Listings.

Automated sprinkler system

We all want that perfectly green lawn that turns our neighbours green with envy, but keeping it well watered is a summer task that can easily be forgotten. Having a built-in sprinkler system is a costly home investment that many might not want to make, so why not create your own automated sprinkler system? This instructional guide shows how simple a sprinkler system can actually be—and it’s not permanent, so you can take it with you if you decide to relocate.

But, beware of…

Structural changes and electrical work! These are two home projects that only trained individuals should approach. Both involve a lot of risk, and the smallest error can lead to major home issues that will leave you with an expensive invoice. Let the skilled engineers handle these highly detailed and intricate tasks, and save yourself from a potentially dangerous situation.  

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