7 Ways to Renovate a Home
Unless you've got loads of time to spend on your project, the best way to add sweat equity is up front, by handling your own demolition, or at the back end, by doing some of the finish work yourself. To brighten up a windowless bath or hallway, for instance, you can install a "light tube," which slips between roof rafters and funnels sunshine down into the living space. "The biggest mistake people make when they're trying to figure what the payback is going to be is they overbuild for their neighborhood," says Jimmy. "If you're doing your renovation green, you're really ahead of the market right now. So going green is a very smart investment," Carey emphasizes. "If you need a small bathroom, pick the right fixtures," says Jimmy. "You can buy low-profile toilets and narrower sinks. Don't try to put full-size fixtures in a tiny, tiny bathroom. It's just going to be crowded." "Instead of paying someone to p