Celebrate the International Day of Happiness by improving your house
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March 20 this year is the International Day of Happiness, and that means you should make a real effort to remove the negative aspects in your life to make room for smiles and joy - DIY is your answer.
People are often stressed about their houses, after all, we do live in them for most of the year! The Australian Institute of Family Studies finds that the quality of a property - in terms of upkeep - can significantly affect a person's physical and mental health. It is important to your family and your own happiness to make sure the house you all spend so much time in is up to scratch, especially with winter just around the corner.
Adding value to your existing property
While Master Builders Australia believes that new properties are springing up left, right and centre, there is still value in improving the family home instead of moving on.
"Master Builders expects the high level of approvals to translate into 220,000 starts this financial year taking the cumulative total to more than 600,000 in three years, for an increase of 30 per cent," said Chief Economist of Master Builders Australia Peter Jones.
IBISWorld backs that up with an investigation into new dwelling construction revealing that the industry generates $41 billion in revenue annually.
On the other hand, renovations are increasing as well. realestate.com.au finds that home renovations generate approximately $500 million every month for home improvement approvals. The Westpac Renovation Report also provides proof in Australia's willingness to 'upgrade' their homes, suggesting a 147 per cent increase in improvements since 2010.
You have access to just about every tool and piece of equipment you might need at Kennards Hire.
So, what can you do? A great place to start would be at Kennards Hire, where you have access to just about every tool and piece of equipment you might need.
And on your house? Shoring up the exterior first is important and can really help with the health of your family.
Putting the onus on the outside
Domain Group reports that improving the facade of your house could add as much as $100,000 in value to your home. Whether or not you're planning on moving in the near future, an improvement such as this could take a lot of stress out of being a homeowner.
You can change the appearance of a house while also making it a safer and more comfortable dwelling. Resene CoolColour paint has a protective barrier from the heat that helps stop warm temperatures from being held in foundations and then seeping into the house. It works the same with cold temperatures as well. And the painting itself? Well, that can be made a cinch with an airless paint sprayer. Being able to drop straight into a 10- or 20-litre paint can, you don't have to keep refilling the machine, and a nice, even, fast job can be completed without having to workout your shoulders.
If you can't reach the highest points of your roof or walls, talk to Kennards Hire about using one of their 9.3-metre ladder extensions, which are sure to take you as high as required around your property.
Insulation is also the key to keeping out the elements, and using the ladder to get into the roof and wall spaces to remove old insulation and install new padding is a great and inexpensive fix.
Changing the feel inside
Once the outside has been given a fresh and vibrant rejuvenation, it may pay to move inside and listen to what your family wants to make them feel more comfortable - and happy!
A fresh feel on the feet of your family can make a real difference. Tired old floors? A floor stripper from Kennards Hire can help there, and getting rid of a tattered and worn ground covering could really freshen up the interior of your home. Short of getting rid of a floor, using a floor and carpet cleaner is an easy way to fix it up while removing stains that take away from the aesthetic appeal of your home. Clean rooms are happy rooms, after all.
No mess equals no stress
Make sure all of your projects are strong and secure to protect the little ones in your life.
How can you change your child's bedrooms? Install some brand-new shelving that gives the wee ones a place to easily put toys and books away when in-laws are coming to stay - of vital importance.
If you're installing shelving then it will be very important to make it strong and secure so as to protect the little ones in your life. That will probably entail drilling into the foundations of your home and anchoring shelving and bookcases to them. Durable, powerful drills aren't always found just lying around the house, though, so you might need a versatile cordless hammer drill to help.
Picked up any inspiration here? Get out and make your family happy with these DIY projects.
