Making a house feel like a home sometimes takes a little work. Many American’s like to do work on their homes themselves by making small home improvements, like installing a ceiling fan, and completing do-it-yourself projects, like building a deck. Others like to hire other people, like contractors, interior decorators, and designers, to do this type of work for them. Whether hiring someone to do work around the house or doing the work oneself, getting ideas and materials to get projects done is imperative. In the United States there are a number of stores that specialize in helping people complete projects in their homes to make their homes more livable and comfortable.
Stores that specialize in selling building materials as well as home and garden beautification products are called home improvement stores. Home Depot (www.homedepot.com), Lowes (www.lowes.com), and smaller scale hardware stores like True Value (www.truevalue.com) are all home improvement stores found in the United States. The types of products sold at these stores ranges from nails and paint, to toilets and gazebos. Sometimes these warehouse style stores can be overwhelming due to the large number of products they sell and the great deal of inventory they keep in stock. Home improvement stores are a great place to go to get both ideas and supplies. You will need both to get started on any home improvement project.
While wandering the aisles of a home improvement store getting inspiration, you are likely to come across a contractor or two who is buying materials for a project s/he is working on in someone’s home. Contractors are people who are hired to complete small home improvement projects, like redoing a bathroom, installing a dishwasher, or rewiring a house with an upgraded electrical system. Hiring a contractor to do work is more expensive than completing a project one’s self, but if you don’t have the know-how to complete a project on your own it is a good idea to hire a professional. If you are hiring a contractor in the United States it is important for you to know that contractors have a reputation for taking longer to complete projects than they say they will need. In fact it is a joke among people who have hired contractors to work on their homes that the contractor will take twice as long to complete a project than s/he says they will. So, if you hire a contractor to re-do your kitchen and s/he tells you it will take 3 months, you should plan on it taking 6 months. In that time you might have been able to learn how to do the project yourself! So, before entering into a home improvement project in the United States it is important to be sure you have not only the money and time to complete the project, but also patience.
