If you’re a homeowner and you don’t want to spend all of your money on property repairs and improvements, then there are a few skills that you should know how to do. They’re highly likely to come in handy sooner or later, especially if your home is a bit of a fixer-upper…

How to Unblock a Toilet

Calling out a plumber is pretty expensive, which means you don’t want to have to do it for what is basically a very simple job. For the price of a plunger and a decent set of rubber gloves, you can do it yourself. Take a look at this video to see how it’s done. Easy isn’t it? Perhaps it’s not the most pleasant of jobs though!

How to Clean the Gutters

Especially at this time of year, it’s important that you know how to clean out the gutters. Neglect to do this and your home and garden could easily become flooded and your gutters broken. Luckily, cleaning the gutters is as easy as climbing a ladder and using a garden hose or leaf blower to get rid of the debris, do this at least every six months for best results.

Fixing Leaking Faucets

Leaking faucets are one of the most common problems homeowners face. Most of the time, all you have to do is turn off the water and then replace the O-ring and washer to sort out the problem. If you don’t already know how to do that, there are numerous Youtube tutorials to help you.

Basic Carpentry Skills

This is, perhaps, not quite as essential of some other things in this post, but if you know how to use a saw, you can do lots of things like making your own tables, laying your own flooring and modifying the existing carpentry in your home on a shoestring. Visit this website for a quick guide to saws and then read The Complete Guide to Carpentry for Homeowners and you could save a fortune over the years. You’ll be able to make your home more unique too.

How to Look After Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is, of course, beautiful and very durable, but it doesn’t last forever, which is why you should know how to look after it. For example, if you spill water or other substances, you should wipe them up very quickly with a soft cloth. You should also vacuum regularly and wax every few years for optimum results.

Install a Smart Thermostat

If you want to save money and do your bit for the environment, then you need to install a smart thermostat, which can learn from your habits, help to heat your home more efficiently and ensure you never go cold. In order to install a thermostat, simply turn off the breaker, remove the thermostat, leaving the wires in their place and then wire in the new one – easy peasy.

Although these are by no means the only skills you need to have as a homeowner, they are a good start and they will save you money now and in the future.