Adulting: Home Improvement

Home improvement is something that every off-campus student will likely face at one point or another. Whether you are staying for two years, one year, or one semester, your home is sure to need some upgrades to enhance your quality of life. 

One thing that is important to keep in mind when facing home improvement projects is that your stay will be temporary. Therefore, only make necessary improvements to your home. That way you can save money rather than break the bank by adding things that you don't need. An example of this would be anything that you want fixed because it doesn't look pretty. This could be a weird paint job, an ugly carpet, or a microwave that doesn't match the kitchen. If the house is functioning properly, style isn't as important of a consideration. 

When you decide that something does need to be improved, make sure that you run it by your landlord before you do anything. You don't want to have to pay for something if your landlord ends up offering to fix it for you. It's also important to inform them of what you are doing in case the improvement you want to make is something that your landlord isn't ok with. You don't want to change something or fix something only to have to tear it down and fix any damages that may have resulted because of the project.  

Another important tip is to be mindful of your skills and capabilities. Home improvement may not be for everyone. If you find yourself seriously struggling, don't be afraid to ask for help or use your connections. My roommates and I are constantly asking my stepfather for advice when it comes to our own projects around the house. He is always more than willing to share some tips and tricks with us. If all else fails, then he is happy to come down and give us a hand. 

The biggest issue we are currently dealing with in my home is that our front and side door don't fit their respective door frames properly. There is space between the top and bottom of the doors that allows for bugs to get in and air to get out. This is an issue for obvious reasons. For starters, the side door is right off of our kitchen, and we don't want bugs to get into our food. Second, our bills are going to be much higher because our air conditioning escapes through the cracks. After having discovered this, we decided we need to look into ways to help properly seal the doors. Hopefully we will be successful in our home improvement endeavors! Let me know down in the comments what some of your biggest home improvement projects are.