When you are improving a home for resale, or for yourself, the choices you make can make it or break it in resale profits. This article will help you understand the best choices you can make and why. Get out that pencil and paper, because you’re gonna want to write this stuff down.

If you heat with a wood stove, smoke will cause your walls to become dingy and you will need to repaint more often than if you heat with a furnace. When you do repaint, it is worthwhile to wipe the walls and ceiling down with a damp sponge to remove as much soot as possible before putting on a new coat of paint.

Don’t overlook the addition of storage space to your new or existing home. Most homes are substantially lacking in storage space. Add built in bookshelves to the living room or dining room. Turn a broom closet near the kitchen into a food pantry. Small changes and additions will really add up.

Take the time to find the studs before you start the install project for your new cabinets. This can be done easily with a stud finder and marked with a nail that will be behind the new cabinets anyway and not able to be seen. The studs are the only sturdy place you have to attach something to a wall.

If you have any doors that squeak upon open or closing, try using a little lubricant. Apply a small amount of commercial lubricant to the door hinge and open and close the door to allow it to enter the crevices. You can also try this with cooking oil, though the results may not last as long as a commercially available lubricant.

Having a small kitchen doesn’t have to be all bad. Since you have limited surfaces and space to work with, make sure to purchase a sink with a deep bowl. Then add some elegant high- end faucets to match the rest of your kitchen. You can easily create a feeling of space without having to compromise the rest of your home.

You can make window screens yourself if you have hard to fit windows. Frame kits are customizable to various sizes and are inexpensive to use. Many windows need a certain screen, but with the right kind of adapters, you will be able to use an external screen.

Replacing a kitchen or bathroom floor is especially easy if you use adhesive-backed vinyl tiles. Easier to handle than rolled vinyl flooring and less messy than regular vinyl tiles that require a sticky adhesive compound, this is a quick way to update your floor. It may take you longer to take the old flooring up than to put the new tiles down.

Keep this information handy for future renovations. Whether you are doing a home improvement project this weekend or saving up for a major undertaking in the future, this information will be helpful to you now and later. All it takes is a little good advice to make your home improvement dollars go the furthest.