Hamilton Building Services

Save up this summer by making some of these small, easy home improvements. Each project puts a little more change in your pocket to spend on something you deserve! Image via www.thisoldhouse.com Seal up any open crawl spaces where extra air can escape from your home. This will improve your heating and cooling costs year-round, keep unwanted moisture out, and it will also keep out any critters you are not expecting.       There are several different types of insulation you can use depending on what you want to insulate. Some of the types of insulation include: fiberglass (blanket or loose-fill), mineral wool (rock or slag), cellulose (recycled paper product), plastic fiber, natural fiber (cotton, hemp, straw, wool), polystyrene (plastic), polyisocyanurate (plastic), polyurethane (foam), and vermiculite and perlite. Image via energy.gov Insulate! Insulation is not only important for doors and windows. There are several other places to keep in mind when p...

Many of the household cleaning products that most of us use on a daily basis contain chemicals that are harmful to us, our pets, and even can be too harsh for what you are cleaning. In addition, such products can also be expensive, and after a while they can add up. Consider making some of your own green cleaning products. You'll see awesome results, help your health, and save money. All-purpose cleaner 1/2 c vinegar Image via www.11magnolialane.com 1 1/2 c water 10 drops Tea Tree oil Glass Cleaner 1/4 c vinegar 1/4 c rubbing alcohol 2 c water 1 TBSP corn starch Dusting Spray 1 c water 1/4 c vinegar 2 TBSP olive oil 10 drops essential oil (lemon is common) Scouring Cleanser 1/4 c baking soda 1 TBSP dish soap vinegar to form paste Grout Cleaner 1/2 baking soda 1/3 c lemon juice 1/4 c vinegar 7 c water * let soak for 10 minutes Sources blog.purelivingspace.com www.passionforsavings.com

People are often drawn to craftsman style homes because of the quaintness and charm of a craftsman home. It seems like the more roof peaks, detailed trim, and contrasting colors there are to a home, the more of a cottage feel a home has. Unfortunately, these features are not usually cheap. In fact, the more of these detail added to your home, the higher your price point will be.    Lucky for you, we have some suggestions on how you can slash these costs if you're dead set on having a craftsman style home. First and foremost, the materials you decide to use will ultimately make or break your budget with this kind of home. To counteract high building costs, do your research. With all of the new and upcoming advances in the technology behind building materials, you should be able to save money if you choose carefully. For instance, fiber-cement siding is an excellent substitute that resembles real wood and stucco siding. It's also becoming more common to use authentic-...

During the colder months, it is not unusual to watch heating bills skyrocket within a few days. If you are someone who can relate to this dilemma, follow the following tips & tricks to drop your heating bill up to 50%. Remember, though, that the more effort you put in to sealing off your house, the lower your bill will drop! Image via www.energy.gov 1. Use the sun's heat - If there's  a warm sun in the sky, let it in your house to help rise the temperature a bit. Having heavy, insulated curtains is a great start, but the sun's heat can really impact the temperature of your home if you utilize it at the right time of day.  2. Seal off cracks & crevices - Some people use plastic window insulation kits to seal off windows. This method is relatively cheap, and if done properly, it can save you a ton of money if you have poorly insulated or old windows. Quick tip: don't forget your chimney if it goes unused!  3. Add weatherstripping or caulking wh...

If you've ever been in a home with board and batten wainscoting, you probably noticed how nice it looks and how much it adds to a space while remaining simple. Some houses already have this featured installed, whereas others may have been put in by previous owners. Either way, they look great at a low cost. If you have an area in your home that doesn't have much going on, consider how board and batten wainscoting would look in your home. Often, people will add this feature to the entryway of their home or a bland hallway.  Image via www.younghouselove.com Directions 1. Clean your walls thoroughly with a mild cleaner, and remove any marks the best that you can so that they are not visible after new paint is applied. Mr. Clean magic erasers do a nice job removing marks. Dry your walls thoroughly after, as well. 2. Install the trim boards. If you buy the boards pre-cut, great. If not, you'll need to break out a ruler and map out just how you plan to arran...

Home projects that you can complete yourself are an excellent way to improve you home at a low cost, but sometimes they end up being a disaster. Nine times out of ten, such disasters can be easily avoided by simply planning out the project a little better and making sure you have the right tools before you start the project. Follow these tips to help your home projects move along smoothly: Image via www.hgtv.com Measure twice, cut once! Some of the biggest headaches come from inaccurate measurements. Whether you're rearranging furniture or building a coffee table, always think ahead and measure your space and materials twice. Don't skip the prep work - It can be tempting to skip the preparation stage of any project. Sometimes the directions say to try out a sample and see how it turns out. Other times it may say to tape off the area to avoid extra clean-up. No matter what it is, take the extra time to prepare for your project, and you'll always have a quicker cl...

The more money you can save for your down payment on your house, the better. However, it can be hard to meet your goal when the normal, day-to-day expenses weight you down. Here are a few helpful tips that you can start implementing to save for your down payment faster. Image via www.eadienews.com Make coffee at home instead of buying it out every morning. This can save anywhere from $8 - $25 per week! Instead of going to the movie theater, choose a flick on Netflix . If you really want to save some cash, cancel your cable bill and make a total switch to Netflix. Hulu, Amazon Prime, and others also offer alternatives to your pricey cable bill. Plan out your grocery bill, and stick to it . If you go to the grocery store with a list in hand, you will know how much you are spending and will not waste money on things that you don't really need.  Clip coupons and shop out of the flyer . Most grocery stores have a weekly or bi-weekly flyer. If you plan your meals around the de...

Saving money can be a challenge; for some, more than others. We researched several different strategies to save money, and we think we've come up with a pretty full-proof way to save $1,378 in 1 52 weeks, or one year. The idea of the 52 Week Savings Challenge is to gradually save more each week. Under this strategy, you would save $1 the first week, $2 the second, $3 for week three, and so on. If this works for you, great. The issue with this method  is that most people who are tight on money have a hard time saving money towards the end of the year, so during the colder months when money is tight, you're supposed to be saving larger amounts of money.  As an alternative, make one big chart or list that is numbered 1 - 52. Each week, save the max amount that you can afford, and check off that amount. For example, week one you might save $40, and the next week when you have more expenses only save $4. The idea is to condition you to learn to save money each week. If ...