Let’s be honest. There’s almost as many love songs about your home as your significant other. From the New Jersey legend Bruce Springsteen to country superstar Shaina Twain, people just love singing about where they hang their hat, but how much do they actually take care of it? This Valentine’s Day, we have 14 easy DIY home improvement ideas for your “home sweet home.” Hey, it’s the little things, right?
1. Give your home a little bling
Who doesn’t love getting jewelry on Valentine’s Day? Your house is no different. Gift your home a new faucet, showerhead, or even light fixtures or door handles. If nothing else, scrub those metallic accents until they shine.
Also, consider updating your house numbers. This quick installation instantly enhances your curb appeal and helps the pizza delivery person find your place. If you’ve just moved into your home, this decoration also adds a personal touch.
Not sure how to do this? Hire a handyman to take on this job for you!
2. Show passion for your home with fire safety
Double-check on your fire safety procedures to make sure your home is as safe as it can be. Make sure your smoke detectors are working and installed in the correct places. Check that your fire extinguishers are in date and your escape plan is still accurate. Sprinklers are an expensive gift to an existing home, but certainly consider them. They are a lifesaver – literally.
Get more than 14 easy DIY home improvement ideas in our vipTIPs, available exclusively on the vipHomeLink app! We’ll also send you reminders to check your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors monthly, so you can keep your family and home safe year-round!
3. Listen to your home’s needs
Get to know your house better by learning how to take care of it with a Virtual Home Checkup! During an interactive 25-minute video session, a Home Therapist – uh, Home Expert – will share home insights, money-saving and energy-efficiency tips and provide helpful, preventative maintenance recommendations.
It’s quick. It’s easy, and you’ll be closer to your home than ever before! Learn more now!
4. Fall back on an oldie but goodie – flowers and/or plants
Dress up your home with a lovely vase full of long-stem roses, or if you’re looking to improve your living space, introduce a few plants. These not only provide that all-important “pop of color,” but they also help improve your indoor air quality. Look for a bamboo palm or a dragon tree, which are also stylish.
5. Patch your driveway (and your relationship)
If your driveway or walkway took a harsh beating this winter, give it the love it deserves. Patch up some of the cracks or if it’s been a year or three since you last treated your driveway, make plans with a licensed professional to reseal it come May.
6. Make future dates with each room
Get a room – seriously. Choose a room this Valentine’s Day and give it a makeover! We’re not saying go overboard (though a little extra TLC isn’t a bad thing), but style it in a new way. Give it a fresh coat of paint, update the wall art or mirrors, get your feng shui on! Then make future dates with your home to spruce up the interiors – master bedroom today, guest bedroom next week, kitchen the week after. Keep the magic alive!
If you’re looking for a more professional touch, get a designer and decorator!
7. Frame your TV
If you haven’t hung your flat-screen TV on the wall, consider doing so and adding a frame. This way, your TV literally becomes “moving pictures,” and you know what they say. A picture is worth a thousand words – or if it’s a TV, a couple hundred dollars. Might as well make it look pretty.
8. Protect your home
Keep your home safe from those who want to do it harm. Invest in smart home tech, like a video doorbell or motion detectors. If you’re truly worried for your home, then consider getting a security system professionally installed.
9. Repair those underlying issues
Change your relationship status from “It’s Complicated” to “In a Relationship” with your home by completing those maintenance or improvement tasks you’ve put off. Have a leak in the kitchen sink? Either get out the toolbelt or call a plumber. Haven’t cleaned out your dryer vent in a while? Today’s the day. Your sump pump is complaining? Get it looked at or complete a plumbing inspection. These might cheap and easy home improvement ideas, but it’s the little things that go a long way.
10. Draw your refrigerator a relaxing bath
Sure, you spilled leftovers last week and wiped down the shelf, but did you get the dribble in the crispers? This Valentine’s Day, give your refrigerator a deep clean – with bubbles! – and also keep your family healthy with a spick-and-span icebox.
11. Help your home get smarter
If you’re already dabbling in the smart tech, then consider adding a new feature, maybe a smart water valve or even a smart refrigerator. If you’re just starting out, we recommend giving your home either a Google Nest hub (with a smart assistant) or a programmable thermostat, which will help lower your utility bills.
Looking to add more smart home features this Valentine’s Day? Learn about the future of home insurance – smart insurance – which comes with home sensors!
12. Install a braided hose on your washer
One of 14 easy DIY home improvement ideas is to show your house you care by preventing a flood from your washer. Not only can they help prevent the growth of mold, but it can also help you avoid thousands of dollars in water damage. Simply upgrade to a braided hose to keep your home healthy and replace it every five to seven years.
13. Adding value to your home with a blue hue
Maybe you love your home, but you want to give it a fresh new look. The color blue is calming and soothing, and if you do need to say goodbye to your home for whatever reason – a blue door can score you on average $1,500 and blue paint in the bathroom an average of $5,440 during a resale! (The bathroom requires a “light blue,” so we suggest “Charismatic Sky.”)
14. Give your house a home with vipHomeLink
It’s not just what you do on Valentine’s Day but what you do every day for your home (and in turn, what your home does for you). By gifting your home vipHomeLink, you’ll be able to take care of your home in new and exciting ways.
- Organize your home with all its information (warranties, work receipts, property surveys) in one secure app.
- Improve your home (and your relationship with your home) with tailored recommendations.
- Maintain your home with personalized reminders, and never forget important home anniversaries, like when you need to change your HVAC air filters or clean the dryer’s lint vent.
Show your home how much you appreciate it this Valentine’s Day by downloading the app from Google Play or the App Store!
