Do you like saving tons of money? That’s great because today we’re going to talk about how to do the best and cheapest home repairs! I know I might have sounded just like those guys who’d knock at your door to sell you stuff, but there’s nothing in here that I would like to sell.

It’s just me, bragging about my bright ideas on how to save money while improving your house. I know the minute something in your home breaks down you’re probably thinking: “Ow-ow.” and suddenly, dollar bills pop into your eyes because all you can see is just how expensive those repairs will be.

But it doesn’t have to be like this, and I’ll tell you why. I want to share with you my top go-to tricks when something needs to be fixed in my house, and I really hope you’ll find something here that you might need:

Bleach away any water stain

Before you go through all the trouble of repainting the whole ceiling just to get rid of that annoying water stain, you could try another easy fix at home. Simply spray the spot with a little bit of bleach and some water solution (make sure you keep the ratio at 10% bleach) and wait a couple of days. If that stain is pretty old, you could also use mold remover (you’ll find it at any grocery store).

Trust me, you would be shocked to know how rapidly and effectively these stains can go away the very next day. It also works on flat and textured ceilings. If you want to be extra safe, wear goggles and protect the walls and floors with a bit of plastic.

A quick coat of paint

Nothing freshens up a room like a new coat of paint. In fact, even switching up the old white for a trendier, funkier gray could change the entire atmosphere and give you room for brand-new ideas.

Gallons of paint usually won’t cost you more than $50, and with some primer and paint combos, you might only need a gallon or even less to finish a room. If you add another $10, you’ll also have a couple of rollers, paint brushes, and even painter’s tape. But painting the room all by yourself could stretch that dollar more than you could ever imagine, so give it a try!

Try using coins for toilet shims

When you level a toilet, you could use coins or washers instead of toilet shims. The coins will offer you a firm seat and come in different thicknesses. All you have to do is slide as many coins as you can under the toilet until the toilet is fully adjusted. Then, carefully caulk along the floor, just like you normally would, so you can hide the coin toilet shimmies.

Solution for spilled paint

I will be honest with you: I always drop, break, or ruin something in my house. It’s just a given. So when it comes to dropping a loaded paintbrush on the carpet, yes, I’ve done it a lot of times.

The thing is, every time it happened, I thought there was nothing to be done and that I simply needed to replace the carpet. You can’t even imagine how much money I’ve spent because of this, until one day, when a beautiful and bright foreman thought of something.

Simply pour some denatured alcohol onto a rag and gently scrub away the paint. It has to be a rag that has the same color as the carpet because the alcohol could easily transfer the rag’s color to the carpet.

Repair any unwanted holes in the house

If a doorknob slams through the wall for the 100th time, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if something breaks. Also, there’s no need to call your handy contractor, as you can easily fix those holes in your drywall by injecting a certain setting compound (made for smaller holes) or simply by cutting out the damaged sections and replacing them with brand-new drywall.

Fix that wobbly chair

If you have a wobbly chair and you’re currently looking for a rapid and easy home fix, you can easily use this trick. I totally understand why you try so hard to keep that rickety old chair together, possibly without taking everything apart and regluing it back again. Well, the secret to fixing wobbly chairs is to drill some pilot holes and then drive trim-head screws through the bottom of the rungs and back into the legs.

Remove crayon drawings from walls

If your walls were redecorated with original crayon masterpieces, don’t lose your temper. Simply grab a rag, dip it in baking soda, and lightly scrub the marks. They will instantly come off with minimal effort and maximal results, so to speak. Your young Picasso will have a fresh canvas to paint on.

Focus on insulation

Even if it can be a bit intimidating, installing a brand new batting installation is easier than you think, and it will only take you a couple of hours, as long as you isolate the key spaces. If you have a drifty attic, just start from there.

If you’re concerned about freezing crawl spaces, then put on your work jeans and start working! You’ll instantly notice how these insulating spaces will immediately feel warmer, and you’ll also notice the savings on your next heating bill.

Weatherstripping isn’t that hard

If you noticed the light creeping beneath exterior doors, then air might also be escaping in there. Get a couple of packages of self-adhesive rubber foam weatherstripping, and just buckle up and carefully start sealing all the doors that lead outside. If the weatherstripping is already installed but you are still getting a high gas bill, then it could be the right time to replace the old strips that were previously installed by the owners of the house.

Silence that squeaky floor

Do you have trouble with a squeaky floor? Don’t worry, here’s an easy fix: just locate the floor joists with a stud finder, then carefully drive in a trim head screw right through the carpet, pad, and subfloor, and then into the floor joist.

Make sure that the top of your screw doesn’t have any threads, because otherwise, the subfloor won’t suck down tight to the joist. We really like trim screws because the larger ones pull down and pucker the carpet. When that happens, back out the screw and then drive it back down. Then, keep adding screws until you no longer hear any squeaking.

Restore your deck

After a while, your deck might show some wear and tear, which might make you feel like you have an ugly deck. This doesn’t mean that you should rush into replacing boards that are still in good condition. All you need is a deck restoration coating and a couple of days in the sunshine, and your deck will instantly look as good as new!

Repair your windows

Instead of spending $10,000 to replace all the old windows in your home, you could simply repair the old ones yourself. All you need are a couple of hundred dollars worth of supplies, such as sand paper, paint, window glaze, and so on, and you can easily repaint every single window in your house by yourself.

Even if it could take you a while to finish everything, you could also prioritize the project depending on the room, carefully removing every window to paint, reglaze, and replace the cracked glass, if necessary.

If you enjoyed reading these tricks and tips, then we have more for you: How to Get The Cheapest Cleaning Services for a Happy Retirement