50 TOP DIY Tips And Tricks For Homeowners And Renters!

A little bleach and water can completely get rid of those ugly brown water stains. Just be sure to follow my tips for the right mix, how to apply, and safety. This is one of my most popular DIY tips and tricks!

AND, for really tough water stains, that bleach can't fix, you have to use a strong stain-blocking primer under fresh paint. Pick a primer that can block oils, rust, mildew, and more.

You can remove those annoying pizza box heat stains on tables with just a dry towel and an iron. It's like magic, guys!

I’m loving my new porch lights. They are these Light Sensing LED Smart Bulbs. They look exactly like a normal light bulb, BUT they actually have a light sensor hiding on them somewhere. They turn themselves off and on when it gets dark. Absolutely no apps required to work or set up. Just screw it in like a normal light. That means, I don’t have to worry about turning them off and on anymore.

Pressure washing a driveway is about more than just making your home look nice. It also protects the concrete from damage, prevents it from becoming slippery, and keeps the HOA off your back. Check out 9 more reasons to do it by clicking the button below.

If you have some minor, exterior wood damage to shutters, doors, and window trim you can patch it with Bondo All Purpose putty. It dries as hard as wood. AND, it's just as easy to sand.

A clean, high-quality AC filter helps your HVAC run more efficiently AND less often - saving you money. So, buy a quality filter and replace it often!

Is it just my kids that are rough on furniture? They are pretty good at putting dings and dents in the finish of ALL of the furniture in my house. BUT, luckily, it’s not too hard to make that finish look nice and new again.

Most Gel Stains can be applied over the old stain to get a beautiful, even finish that will last a long time!

Tired of the sound of slamming toilet seats?!! For around $30 you can install a nice new, slow close toilet seat. I LOVE these things. Watch this short video to see how easy these are to install.

Those toilet handles can start looking pretty corroded and nasty after years of use. Or sometimes they just brake. Don't call a plumber! It’s actually pretty easy to install a toilet handle lever.

Exterior gel stains are great! You can get a deep rich finish with gel. And, the thicker formula means you don't have to remove the door to stain it again. Easy peasy!

Sometimes your exterior wood door or furniture just needs a bit of a refresh to look new again. Apply Howard’s Sunshield rub on wax and protectant 2 or 3 times a year to keep that door looking a-mazing!

Anywhere that a solid surface, like a counter top, meets tile caulk should be used. If you have grout there, you’ve probably noticed it crumbling away over time. There is an easy fix for that.

In this post, I show you exactly how I scraped that old grout away and replaced it with caulk. It probably took me about 30 minutes to do my whole kitchen. This works along bathroom counters too!

Speaking of caulk, here's what you need to know about where to use caulk or wood filler on wood trim. Trust me, if you want to start doing more DIY, you'll use a lot of caulk. Using it properly will be high on your list of DIY Tips and Tricks.

Don't throw out that rusty outdoor furniture. Save it instead. It's really not hard to scrub off flaky rust and paint that metal furniture with metal spray paints. You can even patch rust damage with Bondo.

Here's another home maintenance project that can save you A LOT of money if you're a do it yourselfer. And, it's a good work out too. You can repair or build your own wooden fences with this tutorial.

If you cover Easy Off Oven Cleaner with plastic wrap, it'll keep that cleaner wet (and working) longer. And, a plastic razor makes quick work of easily scraping off all that gunk! Without scrubbing.

2 cups of vinegar on the top rack of a dishwasher is THE BEST way to clean a funky dishwasher. Even dishwasher manufacturers recommend it!

Did you know Steam Mops are actually hot enough to disinfect floors, kill bacteria, and remove stains without cleaners? It's TRUE!

You can get rid of water spots easily with 2 ingredients from your kitchen. Let vinegar sit on the glass for 5 minutes to loosen up the water stains. Then scrub them away with a little baking soda on a scrubbing sponge.

You can clean most furniture at home with a little spot cleaner. It's so easy. And, they're a pretty cheap buy that will last for years!

When you have kids, that back seat can get dirty fast! I love how easy it was to clean up all that chocolate milk. AND, I used that same cheap and easy to use spot cleaner for this dirty job.

And, it was just as easy to clean our area rugs at home with that spot cleaner too. Can you tell I think this thing is a MUST HAVE for homeowners and renters?!!

Vinegar, bleach, and toilet bowl cleaner are all examples of popular "grout cleaners" that can actually breakdown the grout sealer. Click to see which grout cleaners are DO's and DON'TS.

Eventually stains settle into grout that are impossible to clean. BUT, you can make grout look good as new with Grout Renew. It comes in 30+ colors and has a built in sealer to protect your grout.

Stop buying all those specialized cleaners. You can keep your shower clean and mildew free with just Dawn dish soap and a spray on mildew treatment.

Guys, can you believe we kept our garbage cans on the bathroom counters…for years. I had to keep them out of reach of my babies and toddlers. That was not ideal.

So, when I remodeled our Master Bathroom, I built Cabinet Door Mounted Garbage Cans for both vanities. I love not having to see the garbage anymore. AND, people with pets always say this would be great for a home with dogs too!

I’m all about improving home security! Using longer screws in locks, a 1" long dead bolt, and a lock bar are all cheap, easy, low tech ways to reinforce exterior doors.

Installing DIY trim molding is one of my favorite ways to make any room look custom and beautiful. Check out this post to see how to put a pretty end on chair rail, crown, and baseboard.

I always like to start with the sink and appliances when I'm planning a new kitchen layout. That's because there are LIMITATIONS when it comes to where they can go. Click to read my tips.

I've switched from flat paint to eggshell sheen on ceilings. It lightens and brightens every room I've tried it on. AND, it makes the ceiling in those rooms seem higher.

You can save hundreds or more by painting your own bookshelves and cabinets. And, it's pretty easy, whether you have a paint sprayer or not. Just be sure to pick the right paint.

Another HUGE money-saving DIY for homeowners is to learn how to install your own tile. I saved at least $3,000 in just by Master Bathroom by installing my tile.

Replace your normal On/Off Switch with a 7-Day Programmable Switch. I love these for turning on kitchen, hall, or Living Room lights when you’re on vacation AND just to have 1 or 2 lights on when you get home from work is nice.

It’s kinda creepy coming home to a dark house, right. This 7-day switch does require some basic electrical wiring skills. If you aren’t comfortable with wiring, then you can use smart light bulb with an app instead.

Can I say I love, love, love these guidelights. I bought these Snappower Guidelights, but a lot of companies make them now. You simply unscrew your light switch or plug outlet cover and screw on this new one. No wiring at all! How awesome is that?!

Use these guidelights in hallways, in kitchen backsplash outlets, and bathrooms so that you can avoid turning off lights at night, but still have a nice low light to help you walk around safely.

You can also use these as a nightlight in a kids room. This is my personal favorite use because my kids can’t unplug and play with these. 🙂

This switch is perfect for your bathroom fans, guys. You can set it to run from 5 to 60 minutes. Then it automatically shuts itself off. No more leaving the bathroom fan on all day, while you’re at work. This one saves us money and electricity every day, without any effort.

Tired of looking at that gap between your cabinets and floors? Tape off the gap with painters tape, then fill the gap with a quality, flexible caulk. It looks SO MUCH better!

Hanging your own drywall is a great way to save money on a home improvement project. Especially on small jobs. Here are my beginner tips to cut drywall and hang drywall.

Tired of looking at the kitty litter box? Or having it out where everyone can see it? Hiding ours in a cabinet has been a GAME CHANGER!

Most people know that painting the walls really freshens a room up. But, often, I visit homes where the walls look great, but the trim and ceilings are kinda a hot mess.

When you have time, move through each room in your house painting your baseboards, crown, and any other trim in the room. You can see how painting trim and ceilings really improved my home in this post.

Did you know you can make beautiful upholstered cushions without any sewing? Cut an MDF or plywood board to fit your bench or window seat. Then layer on foam, batting, and upholstery fabric using a staple gun.

You need 1 gallon of emergency water PER person PER day, just for drinking, cooking, and hand washing. You should store 5 days worth for everyone in your house. Plus extra for pets, babies, elderly, and toilet flushing.

When it comes to home repairs and replacement parts, our Prime membership is my best friend. I can quickly find almost anything I need on Amazon and have it at my door within a day or two. AND, I don't have to drive from store to store looking for random things.

Guys, it's time to cut the cord and switch to streaming. I'm saving over $1000 a year by ditching cable. And, I still have WAY TOO MUCH TV to watch.

You don't have to buy that fancy, expensive chalk paint to update cabinets and furniture. You can make your own chalk paint from latex paint and plaster of Paris. It's so easy!

Accidents happen when you're doing your own woodworking or you find a great piece of furniture with some dings that need repairs. That's no problem, you can patch damaged furniture and trim with Bondo All Purpose Putty.

I also love this LED Gas Flame Light Bulbs. They look so realistic, I actually thought my house was on fire the first night I had them on.

If you want to hide your Air Conditioners or even that boat in the backyard, there’s a million ways to build lightweight and decorative panels to do it. But, I really wanted my panels to be removable, so that the HVAC guy could always access my units easily.

My DIY Tips and Tricks secret for this is to use simple to install Double Keyhole Hangers. Now, I can easily lift that panel or fence out of the way. You can see how I made my AC Panel Removable here.

This isn’t really a DIY, but it is an awesome find and an easy way to get quality speaker sound in your backyard. So, I had to share it. This smallish carry around speaker provides BIG, BIG sound. And, it sounds really great, even when it’s loud. I use this Aomais Go Bluetooth Speaker in my garage or when we are by the pool.

It’s so easy to use. Just play something on your phone and allow the bluetooth to send it to this speaker. Works for anything you can listen to on your phone, including your favorite podcasts. 🙂 This thing can get pretty loud. Take it to the beach or on your boat too!

This one is so, so easy. Your kids can do it. And, they’d probably think it’s fun. Over the decades, door stops get dingy, dirty, and rusty. You can buy pretty new ones for around $2. So, grab a couple dozen and get busy. Generally you just need a screwdriver to remove old ones. And, these new ones just screw into the old hole.