5 Easy Home Improvement Ideas that Save Money

Social media, blogs, and other sharing platforms have become intertwined with every aspect of our lives. This is especially true for our personal lives at home as there is a growing connection between home insurance and social media. Things you see on Instagram or Pinterest can impact all parts of your life.

Before the expansion of social media, my brain automatically pictured an abundance of dollar signs when I thought of home improvements. With the uproar of people sharing DIY home improvement tricks online, however, I started to see that creating my ideal space was not financially impossible. 

In fact, you can learn to renovate your home on the tightest budget just by scrolling through various social media feeds. The various DIY posts on social media feeds can be used as a stepping stone to home security, lower home insurance rates, financial relief, and comfortability. 

Home improvement does not have to be expensive. In fact, it can be something that saves you money in the long run. With the help of DIY tips shared freely online, home improvements can be easy. 

Set Up a Home Security System

Who would have thought that a home security system could be a form of home improvement? Many do not, but it actually is. Moreover, it is the easiest step that a person can take to improve the quality of their home.

Home security systems save money because homeowners can receive around twenty percent lower rates on their homeowner’s insurance. Insurance providers offer discounts to clients that take precautions against certain disasters, like burglary. 

A large majority of burglars look for security systems before they decide to break into a home. Installing a home security system not only saves you money in the long run but can protect your family from traumatic events. 

With a security system, you can opt-in to various add-ons to where your systems include a control panel, door and window sensors, motion sensors for outside and inside, security cameras, smart deadbolt locks, and even a yard sign. 

It is less expensive to use a home security system you can install yourself, such as SimpliSafe Home, Nest Secure, or Ring Alarm Security. Big-name security companies that have been around for a long time, like ADT, cost more because their products are more expensive and a technician has to install the security equipment. 

Install Solar Panels and LED Bulbs

This is another improvement idea that may sound absurd, but you can actually build a solar panel. Installing a solar panel is a way to practice energy efficiency and reduce your carbon footprint. Additionally, having solar panels saves you money on your utility bills. 

Solar panels are readily available and cheaper than they were in the past, averaging around $12,500 after-tax. But the installation can still be expensive to many who are middle class and below.

If you do not have the extra funds to purchase solar panels, you can look into creating one yourself. There are Instagram pages and blogs dedicated to DIY solar panel projects. Lowering your electricity bill by making or purchasing a solar panel can save you an average of $15,000 to $43,000 throughout your lifetime.

Another way you can save money on your electricity bill is by installing LED lights. You can save around $75 a year if you put energy-efficient bulbs in the rooms you visit most often. This also helps you save money because LED bulbs last longer than regular light bulbs.

An LED light has a lifespan of 10,000 to 25,000 hours and a regular light bulb around 1,000 hours in its lifespan. You will not have to worry about purchasing light bulbs as often; hence you will be saving more money. 

Replace Weather Stripping and Attic Insulation

When the colder months come, our utility bills usually are higher because our heating and cooling systems are working overtime to keep us cozy and warm. The easiest way to help this system stop working so hard is by replacing weather strips and adding more insulation to the attic.

If the wooden beams are visible in your attic then you should add more insulation to it. Warm air escapes the house during the winter months. Then during the summer, cool air becomes warm because of the rush of outside warm air. 

Insulation in the attic diminishes excess waste during the summer and winter months because it blocks warm air from escaping in the winter and keeps the warm air separated in the summer. Adding insulation can save you close to $600 a year.  

The same thing happens with seals of windows and doors. Winter air creeps in through cracks, and cool air creeps out during the summer. Re-caulking and replacing old weather strips can help to eliminate this, leaving your home comfortable all year round while saving you money.

Replace Showerheads and Water Filters

I grew up drinking tap water, and I even went as far as drinking water from the outside water hose. I did this mainly because I was a kid who didn’t know the difference between filtered and unfiltered water. However, as an adult, I proudly spend money on a monthly subscription for water deliveries. 

When I started working to avidly save money, I looked into water filters to add onto faucets or under the sink to avoid buying water bottles. The filter provides cleaner water that makes drinking water from the tap better. You can also buy water filters for the shower for cleaner water while bathing yourself.

You can replace the showerhead with a low-flow showerhead that puts out 1.5 to 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM). Older shower heads usually let out 3 to 5 GPM, which costs you more money. A low-flow showerhead can save a family over $100 per year. 

But you don’t have to worry about trading in the enjoyment of high-intensity water pressure hitting your body. Most newer showerheads use a wave pattern to provide a full-coverage feel and a relaxing sensation while cleansing. 

Add Some Ceiling Fans and a Water Heater Blanket

Another useful way to save money on utility bills is by installing ceiling fans and adding a water heater blanket. Both of these are options that can be easily done by yourself. 

Buying a ceiling fan is not something that can replace a complete cooling system for summer, but it can help you stop blasting the AC all day. If you keep your ceiling fans running throughout the house, you can crank up your thermostat on your cooling system four degrees higher and still be comfortable. 

Ceiling fans help to keep the temperature stable and keep a breeze flowing throughout the house. This constant airflow eliminates the times in the day when your cooling system needs to kick on.

Water heater blankets do a similar thing during the winter months. If you have an older water heater, it is more than likely losing heat. When it loses heat, it has to work hard to replenish it and warm the house up. These blankets reduce heat loss and are generally inexpensive, averaging around $20 per blanket.

All of these tips are options that you can easily do yourself as a way to save money. These five ideas are merely hand-picked favorites that are a part of a much larger list. By doing your own due diligence and using Google, you can start saving money with home improvements that fit your own needs.

Sara Routhier is a finance expert with the insurance comparison site, USInsuranceAgents.com. She enjoys helping her readers find affordable ways to improve their homes.