5 Easy DIY Projects That Make Your House Look Amazing

It is a well-known fact that curb appeal will increase your value of your home by 5 to 11%. Well, in today's video, I'm going to show you five DIY outdoor projects that you can do this weekend that will not only increase the value of your home, but improve your curb appeal. The front of most of our homes has some form of bushes, and it's great. Greenery adds tons of value to the front of the home, but you need to have it organized. In order to do that, we need to have a nice, clean separation where the lawn ends and where the bushes begin. And I got just the thing for you. So, what I have here is my little garden bed here. the concrete ends. And yes, we have this wall here that nobody can see, but I don't like the front view when it comes to the trail. So, what I'm thinking is we're going to put these pavers down between here that'll have a couple of tears to them in order to create the separation and a boxed in look that I think will keep everything tidy. So, what I have here is this little garden area. We have some fruits growing over here. God knows what plants these are. And what I want to do is create more of a dedicated space for this, more than just concrete meets dirt. So I went to Home Depot and I picked up a bunch of PA stones. Not all PA stones are created equally. Some are meant for retaining walls and some are meant for decorative. This is a great example of a decorative block as it doesn't have anything in the back to keep any kind of pressure, you know, from going backwards. This is a very inexpensive approach where it's under three bucks a piece and it'll give us a nice good solid barrier. Now, in order to do that, we need to do some prep work. So, I have here about a 2-in drop from the curb onto the dirt here. And usually, I would say that's a good finishing start. But, however, I do want to have a layer of sand that will help with the balance and the leveling of the block. So, I'm going to dig maybe another inch or two just to give us enough room. So, the first block is going to be at least partially buried underneath here. Two inches of block buried is going to be the perfect amount for this situation. As you can see, there is absolutely zero order and nothing but chaos. Everything's overgrown, even in places that they shouldn't be growing, like right next to the curb. [Music] If you're not leaking from every orifific, are you even working? Sweat equity. That's what it takes to improve the value of our home. Sweat equity, folks. I'm trying to get this as level as possible. It's not going to be perfect, but that's where sand's going to come into play. And it has two purposes for sand. Sand's going to help distribute the energy so they don't crack over time. And the second thing sand's going to do is help it to be balanced together by filling any kind of imperfections that are down below. [Music] So, when it comes to using sand, there's a few options. Whatever the options you choose, the finer it is, the better. One option is going to sand quorey. Most of the time it's doable sand, but it has a few imperfections in it. It's not the most finest sand. Second option is a typical play sand from Home Depot. Typical bag is under five bucks and it's super fine. No rocks at all. And the third option is using masonry sand. And that stuff is well, it's basically powder. Whichever you use, it's up to you, but just go finer. [Music] I'm looking for about a 2-in drop. That's all I need. Maybe even an inch and a half will be fine. And the reason why you want to have your first block at least partially buried is that will keep it from falling over, whether moisture, whether the kids kick it over. A little bit buried is going to do you a long way. Forget how nice play sand is. Last time I bought it was probably when my kids were all little and I made them a sandbox in the backyard. But it's such nice sand. Hey guys, are you looking to upgrade your golf simulator room or maybe even your theater room? Well, that is why I'm excited to talk to you about the sponsors of today's video, BenQ. Specifically, the BenQ AK700 ST, the 4K short throw laser projector that effortlessly switches between immersive golf simulator and cinematic movie nights. Forget about the endless adjustments with autocreen fit. It automatically supports 16x9, 16x10, 4x3, and 1x1 aspect ratios. You can enjoy a full screen projection at the touch of a button. With a 20,000 hour laser lifespan, it's built to last with no more complicated setups. With quick focus, just press the button on the remote and you get crystal clear projection every time. Here's a side-by-side comparison of a traditional lamp projector versus the BenQ AK700 ST laser projector. Whether you're gaming with the lights on or watching movies in the dark, the AK700 ST delivers sharp contrast and vibrant colors, no matter the lighting. It's time to level up your experience with Ben Q. With one projector equals two epic experiences. With just one simple click of a button, I can go from an immersive golf experience practicing on my swing to watching a high cinematic movie all in the same room and the same projector. Plus, the BenQ AK700 ST is positioned behind the hitter, eliminating any potential collision risks and giving you an uninterrupted view without any shadows. Whether you're gaming with the lights on or watching an epic movie in the dark, the AK700 ST provides sharp contrast and vibrant colors every time. So, if you're ready to upgrade your golf or movie experience, click the link in description and check out the BenQ AK700 ST laser projector. Now, let's get back into this video. Let's go. I think we're all looking good. Let's go grab the blocks. >> We're looking at 70 blocks that I bought. That should accompany two layers here. It's a total of 34 ft. I wanted two layers. So, we're looking at what is that? 68. Damn, I'm good. Typically, I start on one side and work my way out, but I have this corner here, and I want to make sure I don't have to cut any pieces, so it's a nice seamless transition. I'd rather cut them on the sides than right in the middle. So, there's always top and bottom side of this paper planted. First thing you want to do is get it leveled top to bottom and side to side. If it is level, then that's going to be our reference mark. Oh my god, my sweat is just dripping off my face. [Music] So going forward, I'm going to use this brick as a reference for that side and that side. [Music] >> That's better. Make love and love and make love and love and love. [Music] Oh, that came out perfect. One perfect block. Today could not get any better. My first row is ready. I got everything nice and leveled. The next row is going to be overlapped by half. However, this transition piece. It's not going to keep the same sharp line. The base papers will top blocking will have to almost create this radius following the contour of these bevels. It'll give us a nice smooth transition. That looks freaking nice. You know you're a homeowner when you get excited about how many bricks it takes to fill a certain spot. Little things of adulthood. [Music] We need one last brick to go on top here. It just so happens I have one last brick remaining. I've seen this way of cutting. You can cut the blocks with a angle grinder with a 4-in wheel. Just cut all the way around, no problem. I don't have my angle grinder with me, but I have my chisel. And I've seen these guys that are chopping these up using these things. So, all they do is score it and then they smack it a few times and it should split within it. Well, call me Michelangelo. Look at this beautiful cut. So, this project cost me $250. Total installation time for start to finish was just 2 hours. And the skill level to do this, I would say beginner. The second outdoor DIY project that will increase your home's curb appeal is building a small deck. The great thing about this is that most building codes do not require a building permit to be pulled for decks 200 square feet or smaller, as well as decks that don't exceed 30 inches in height. Of course, make sure you verify this with your local building code. Once you get your measurements that you want to work with, a good thing to do is run a string line. The string line will ensure that the deck is square and you can actually see proportionally what it might look like. Once you're happy with the dimensions, you're now ready to start digging your footings. When it comes to digging your footings, you want to dig past the frost step. We live in a very cold climate, so our frost depth is 36 in. By digging past your frost depth, you're going to ensure that your deck doesn't start settling and sinking over time. To make your life a lot easier and ensuring those footings are strong, I recommend using sonot tubes. Sonot tubes are just a simple concrete form that allows for you to have a nice strong foundation for your deck. One of the things I like to do is make sure that I set my anchors into the sonot tubes before the concrete dries. This just saves me an added step the next day. However, if you choose to not set them on the same exact day, you can always drill and drop anchors into the concrete forms that are equally as strong. Now, setting your concrete anchors after the forms dry sometimes could be advantageous to allow for any kind of micro adjustments to make sure everything is nice and linear. Now, you're ready to start framing. I like to begin with attaching the ledger to the front of the house. This is the part that's going to connect the rest of your deck to your home. To increase the longevity of the deck, you want to work with a pressuret treated lumber. This allows for it to absorb or handle any kind of moisture that comes its way. When attaching that ledger to your home, you want to use nice beefy lag bolts and set in 12 on center in a W pattern. This will prevent any kind of sagging as the years to come. I like to use 2x10 material simply due to the span away from the home. The span is simply the distance from the home to the edge of the deck. If your deck spans more than 10 ft away from the home, you might consider upgrading to a larger lumber dimension like a 2x12. Now, we're ready to start hanging our floor joists. Floor joists are crucial for the structural integrity of your deck. Building code usually recommends with 2x10 lumber in that specific span of 10 ft for your floor joist to be spaced no more than 16 on center. However, over the years, I found that by simply adding more floor joist, bringing it down to 12 in on center gives you a lot stronger of a deck without any kind of fear of any kind of flex. Hanging floor joist is a very simple process, especially when using the appropriate hangers. One thing you want to make sure you ensure is that you're using exterior nails or screws. When you purchase your hangers, the label will say exactly the type of hardware that's required to secure it. I found that oftent times when building a simple front entrance deck, it might seem like it's missing some kind of added character. I found that attaching a non-loadbearing post to the deck and to the set material allows for you to create added character with these posts. You can accomplish this by using a simple 4x4 post and then simply wrapping it with cedar and brad nails. And for added points, if you really want to ensure the longevity of your deck, even though you're using pressuretreated lumber, it's a good idea to add flashing tape to the top parts of the floor joist to prevent any kind of moisture buildup over the years. When it comes to the decking material itself, I highly recommend steering away from a natural wood due to the fact that a lot of maintenance and upkeep is required with it. My favorite option to go with is a composite decking material like a Trex deck. You can find this at any local hardware store. Though this material can be pricey, with the variety of colors and the longevity of the material, it'll save you many headaches in the future. When installing the composite decking itself, I found that that it's a lot smoother by installing an apron first around the entire deck, wrapping it in place like a picture frame, and then running your boards against it. Most composite decking comes with dedicated hardware attachment screws. These are considered hideway screws. The hideaway screws and hardware work in two fashion. They not only hide the screws away from visibility, limiting the amount of screws that are required per board, but also keeping the decking boards in the same plane and equally gapped. This allows for any kind of wood movement with changing seasons. I found the process to be a lot easier when working from one side of the deck to the other. Simply once the decking boards overlap, you can lay any kind of tracks out or a guide and use your circular saw to chop everything off in the same exact length. This project is an intermediate skill level. It roughly takes three days to accomplish. One day to set your concrete forms, second day for the framing, and third day for installing the decking itself. A budget like this can range between $1,500 and $2,500, especially if you do it yourself. This deck project I did at a 63-year-old home gives it a nice, warm, welcoming look, and you should definitely try it yourself. The third DIY outdoor project that will increase the curb appeal of your home is upgrading your front door. Most front entrances are dark, gloomy, and sometimes can be creepy. Now, I'm not saying you need to go and spend hundreds, if not thousands of dollars for a glass door that will bring not only light, but also create a more welcoming look to your front door, but you can do a budget option by installing a glass door insert. I bought this glass door insert from Zabat for $350. This project was very simple. Simply sand any kind of imperfections that have beaten up your door over the years. Follow the template of the glass door insert that arrived over your existing door. I like using painters tape for not only a good guide, but also prevent any kind of tear outs when cutting. You don't have to be ultra precise or intimidated with the cutting process because there's enough of wiggle room and free play that will allow for you to make any kind of imperfections and still hide them away. I found it to be a lot easier by drilling pilot holes into the corners to allow for smoother transitions with the saw blade. Simply set the depth with your circular saw and follow the traced out lines. Once you get to the corners, ditch your circular saw and finish off the job with a jigsaw. It's a good idea to do a dry fit to make sure you have adequate room for your new glass door insert, but don't secure it quite yet. This is a perfect opportunity to give your front door a new makeover paint job. We went with a darker, moodier color just to create a more modern look for the front entrance of our home. Make sure to use an exterior gray paint to ensure the longevity of your door with years to come. Often times when you skimp out on the type of paint you use, the front door might be heated up by the glare of the sun and your paint might be peeling over time. I definitely recommend not rolling or brushing the paint onto your door due to the simple fact that it's very difficult to get a nice smooth finish. After your door has adequate time to dry, install your glass kit by simply sandwiching it between the trim kits on both sides. It's just a simple piece of glass with a piece of trim on both sides that allow for you to hug it in place with adequate screws. Then simply install the caps over the screw holes that came with your panel kit for a clean, discreet look. For an added value, I highly recommend installing a smart outdoor lock. Not for the curb appeal look itself, but simply for the added value for the appraisal when it comes to selling your home. The fourth DIY outdoor project that will improve the curb appeal of your home is a paint makeover. Unless you're living in a new construction home, there's a good chance that your home has an outdated paint palette. It was very popular 20 years ago for most homes to be beige. Well, now most homes come with a very modern, sleek, clean look. Lots of whites, lots of grays, lots of blacks. When tackling your paint project, you want to start by giving your home a nice, clean pressure wash. This will get rid of any kind of dirt, debris, or any cottonws have developed there over the years. When it comes to pressure washing, you want to spray in a downward pattern simply from keeping the water from getting pushed underneath your sighting. With a clean slate, you want to start now repairing any kind of water damaged sighting that's happened over the years. A big areas to focus is the sophet material and the trim pieces that are running along the sides of your sighting. These areas the most prone for any kind of water absorptions that happen over the years. At this point, you want to start countersinking any kind of nails that have been exposed or pushed out with heat expansion of your home. Be sure to caulk all of those nail holes as well as any kind of transitions on your sighting. This will keep from any kind of water intrusion behind it. For bonus points, I highly recommend using a high expansion sighting caulk. This will allow for the sighting to expand and not preventing any kind of sighting caulk to crack over the years. One of the most timeconsuming and tedious parts of painting your home is doing all the masking. There's a couple of options you can do with this is one is your simple paper and plastic. Though I've never used a liquid masking product, I've seen many people have great success with it where they simply roll it on. Once it cures, you could spray it and then simply peel off all the areas that you don't need. I've never tried this, but give it a try and let me know what you think. A good spray gun is going to be your best friend in this project. I recommend using an airless sprayer. You can purchase one for under $300 at your local hardware store or score yourself a Facebook or Craigslist deal for something about 150 bucks. That's what I did. Most spray nozzles have a certain number depending on the type of material that they're spraying. One of the most common, most popular spray tips is a 515 tip. This allows for you to spray both interior grade paint and exterior grade. My biggest piece of advice when it comes to using any kind of paint material itself is never skimp out on the price. I've learned this lesson the hard way. By using a cheaper paint like $25 a gallon, I had to use more of it for extra coats and the longevity never really was there. However, by just an extra 15 bucks a gallon, you'll have a one coat application and ensure a good strong durability of the paint project over the years to come. I've personally used two of my favorite color combinations on two of our homes. Shooi white for the white exterior and Tricorn black for the trim pieces. Both houses came out significantly more modern and better looking, thus improving our curb appeal and increasing our price appraisal of our home. Number five for DIY outdoor projects that will increase your home's curb appeal is giving your fence a highly needed makeover. In most of our homes, the fence is visible from the front street. And most of those homes have the fence that's at least 20 years old, which means now they're weathered from the all the UV rays as well as rotten away from all the moisture. I've upgraded the fence on my house that was 63 years old. This project was a no-brainer just simply because the fence was actually falling down. I dug my footings 36 in in depth that is adequate for the frost depth in my area. I added the gravel to the base of my footings to help with any kind of drainage at the bottom. This will keep your posts from rottening away and also getting pushed out over the years to come. Then I used a 4x6…