Are you ready to make some improvements to your home? If you’ve been putting off updating your kitchen, basement, or bathroom, some DIY home projects Are the perfect way to welcome in the new year. So if you’re handy around the house or have a list of contractors to call, this list will help get you started on areas of your home that should be your primary focus for some home improvement efforts.

1. Kitchen

Some of the best DIY home projects start right in your kitchen. Kitchen remodeling is the top choice in home remodeling because your kitchen serves many functions. It’s the heart of the home where people share meals, prep food, and store food and appliances. The kitchen is also a de facto gathering spot for family and friends. In addition to cooking and entertainment, you need to have storage, cleaning facilities, and so on.

Finding the right countertops can ensure you have enough space for food prep as well as beautiful surfaces to compliment your overall design. Granite countertops are the top pick for the average American homeowner, as it’s one of the hardest stones on Earth. It’s very durable and can last for a couple of decades with good maintenance such as sealing every few years. Quartz countertops are right behind granite in popularity. Quartz is an engineered stone, so it doesn’t require as much upkeep as granite, but is just as beautiful and can be more customized to match your kitchen design.

Good kitchen design can also include quality paintwork. Your interior kitchen walls can help to open up or create a more closed-in space. If you’re handy with a paintbrush, you may want to find white or lighter-colored paint to create a greater sense of openness in the kitchen. However, if you want to go with more minimalist or elegant trends, consider darker colors that can create a more intimate space.

Don’t forget to include safe flooring in your kitchen design. You can go to Home Depot to pick items for your DIY home projects, like engineered wood or tiles. Once you’ve installed your kitchen flooring, you can further enhance it with a professional epoxy seal coating. Epoxy seal coating professionals ensure your floors are slip-resistant, which can make the kitchen safer when cooking meals or accidentally spilling something. The sealant protects your floors from scratches, stains, and other damage. It’s completely transparent, so you could use it on any hard surface.

2. Bathroom

The Most popular type of home upgrade is a bathroom remodel. You can have loads of fun when you focus your DIY home projects in one or all of your bathrooms. Start with the master bathroom, where you want to ensure you have the most comfortable bathroom experience in the morning and night before you go to bed. Did you know that according to Forbes, painting your master bathroom in baby blue can yield an additional $5000 upon resale? So start loading up on those cans of baby blue paint.

Your bathroom is the room where you tend to use the most water. So ensure your bathroom plumbing and fixtures are up to par. Pick out your updated fixtures at a home improvement store, but it’s best to leave the full plumbing updates to the professionals. Have local plumbers check your pipes for signs of leaks so you can ensure you don’t have water damage in your bathroom or other parts of the house.

While plumbers are there, they can install your fixtures like dual-flush toilets and fancier shower heads. Did you know a dual-flush toilet only uses slightly more than a gallon of water per flush compared to the standard toilet that uses over five gallons, according to the EPA? Adding fixture updates to your DIY home projects in your bathroom can not only help you conserve water but can vastly reduce your water bill.

Having proper counter space in your bathroom is just as important as in your kitchen. A beautiful granite countertop can add a touch of luxury to your bathroom needs. You can also add vanity space for storage. Save space while adding storage by installing a built-in medicine cabinet.

Do you dream of relaxing in a deep bath when you get home from work or on the weekends? That’s easy to do with the right shower tub updates. Have professionals get rid of that old-fashioned shower tub combination so you can have a beautiful vintage clawfoot bathtub. These vintage tubs are not only great for taking a deeper soak, but they also add a classic look to your bathroom. Plus, you can also make your showers look more beautiful by running the tiles down to the floor. Get creative with your DIY home projects by buying plain tiles and hand painting them with your own designs.

3. Attic

Do you have attic space that has just only been used as storage? Stop wasting a good attic and incorporate it into your DIY home projects to increase your livable space. This uppermost space in your home isn’t just for storage. It could be a bedroom, an extra workspace, a gym, and more.

The first step in enhancing your attic is by having proper insulation. After all, your addict is so close to your roof that it could become an oven in summer or freezing in winter when it’s not properly insulated. Call professional roofers to ensure the roof has the right insulation to not only have a comfortable temperature in the attic but also prevent the elements from getting in. After all, can you imagine going out of your way to fix up your attic just to notice the walls have become ruined with water damage and mold?

Speaking of mold, this space in your home is highly vulnerable to it because it’s so close to your roof. In addition to calling a local roofer, have a mold remediation professional do a thorough check to ensure it’s free of the nasty substance. Mold can endanger your health by exacerbating or creating new cases of asthma, bronchitis, lung infections, and other allergic reactions. Once your walls have been clear of any signs of mold and have been properly insulated, you can have fun with a paintbrush.

It’s also the perfect time to invest in air conditioner repair. As mentioned, humidity can easily creep into your attic, especially during the hot months. By keeping humidity out, you’ll prevent mold and uncomfortable temperatures for anyone who may be spending time in your attic. If you invest in furniture or other decorations, prevent them from deteriorating by preventing humidity. Have your local HVAC professionals install more energy-efficient AC units or invest in a central air installation. As long as air can properly circulate throughout your house, you can maintain a comfortable temperature and a safe breathing environment.

4. Living Room

It’s always great when the family can gather in the living room to watch TV or curl up by the fireplace. Sometimes, you may come home from work and want to take a quick nap on the couch. You may help the kids with homework or host your friends and family over for the holiday season. So, if your living room hasn’t changed in years, you should add it to your DIY home projects this year.

According to Bob Vila, interior painting can have an ROI as high as 107%. In addition to having a generous return on your investment, you can update the mood and aesthetics of your living room space. If you’re not sure what mood to create in your home, begin looking at home improvement magazines such as the Spruce or Home & Garden.

Think about the mood you want in your home. Do you want a more vibrant living room that makes people feel energized? Or do you want to create a relaxing space where people can chill out? Colors like lavender and blue are known for being calming and relaxing, whereas bold colors like orange, yellow, and red certainly create excitement. Paint the living room in your favorite color or save that favorite color for an accent wall and keep the other walls neutral.

It’s fine if the DIY aspect of this project doesn’t go beyond checking out paint swatches and purchasing the paint yourself. Hiring local painting companies can save you a lot of time and effort. Residential painting services can also help you with your design decision. In terms of professional care, they’ll repair any cracks, dents, or holes in your walls, sand them down, clean them, and have the walls themselves looking new again before they apply any primer and paint and finishes to finish off the look.

Before they get to painting, they’ll have a consultation with you and give you plenty of swatches to look at. Tell them what mood you want to set, what your favorite color is, trimmings, and so on. Once your paintwork is done, you can revamp other parts of your living room, such as your floors and furniture.

Have you thought about getting custom-made furniture? Custom-made furniture is not only more durable but often has better workmanship than typical furniture. The Amish are known for their amazing handmade furniture, especially wooden tables.

What about your living room floors? Do you still have a carpet that is several years old with stains from a year ago? Do you have pets who love your carpet almost as much as you do? Despite vacuuming frequently, does the carpet still have lingering smells you can’t get rid of? If you want to keep your carpet, you should enlist the services of professional carpet cleaners. They’ll give your carpet a thorough deep cleaning using a steamer and can get rid of those tough stains that make it carpet look unsightly. However, if you want to give your living room a look of luxury, consider hardwood flooring.

Hardwood floors can last as long as a century with good maintenance. You don’t need a vacuum steamer or special machines to care for your floors. Simply keep them clean of dirt and debris by regular sweeping and mopping. Of course, the occasional waxing can also give them an extra nice shine. The presence of hardwood floors in your home adds an element of nature. Speaking of nature, hardwood is eco-friendly since it’s from a renewable source that can be recycled into other uses once they’re no longer viable for floors. If you’re interested in DIY home projects, that can help ensure your home is functional for years to come, hardwood floors are one of the best updates to make.

5. Basement

If you’re going to renovate your attic, you should certainly take the same care for your basement. Basement remodeling is one of the more popular DIY home projects today. After all, your basements tend to be a much larger space than your attic. With so much square footage available in a basement, it’s simply a shame to waste it and only let it be a dark space for storage. Have professionals come in to do some waterproofing and insulation to ensure your basement won’t be susceptible to floods and other weathering problems?

Once your basement is secured, you can do other updates such as flooring, lights, painting, and more. Emergency purposes as well as adding ventilation and natural light. Install an emergency exit door. If you plan to use your basement as a standalone space, such as an apartment you plan to rent, a separate entrance will be a must. The uses for a finished basement are endless. You and a family could finally have a large entertainment space. Build out that home gym so you can finally stick to those fitness goals you’ve been putting off far too long. Create a designated workspace and study space. Test the waters as a renter by renting out your basement as an apartment. Who knows, renting out your basement may help you make back the renovation costs faster.

If you’re in need of a home remodeling contractor, don’t hesitate to call one! They’ll be able to bring out the best in any space you have. It’s important to work with someone you trust and can work with in the long run. If you’re thinking of remodeling your house, a quality service provider is only a phone call away. They’ll be able to come out to your house and take a look at any of the rooms you’d like to change up. After they view them, they should be able to provide you with an accurate estimate of what their services will cost you. You want to be sure to work with someone who’s professional and won’t overcharge you as well. Take a look at their previous jobs and see how much they typically charge their clients. If it seems unreasonably high, it might be better to work with a different contractor. When in doubt, you can also always ask your neighbors for advice if they have any insight on quality home remodeling contractors. Before you know it, you’ll have a wonderful new and remodeled living area!

As you look around your home and find ways to update it, you won’t be at a loss for choices. Whether you have a basement, an outdated kitchen, peeling paint, or an attic you’ve forgotten about, there are many ways to use your DIY home improvement skills to your advantage. Use this list as a guide and create an upgraded home of your dreams in 2024.