Home improvement

Home improvement is making changes and upgrades to a home. This can mean fixing the inside of a house, like updating electrical and plumbing systems, or improving the outside, such as adding new siding or roofing. People also do home improvement projects to fix broken things, make their space bigger, save energy, or keep their home safer.

People do these projects for many reasons. Sometimes they want their home to feel more comfortable or look like their personal style. Other times, they need to fix something that is broken or add new features to improve the home. Home improvement can make a living space look nicer and work better for the people who live there.

renovating, projects

Types of home improvement

Home improvement means making changes to a house to make it better. These changes can be inside or outside the house. People might want to make their home more comfortable, fix things that are broken, add more space, save energy, or keep the house safer.

Some ways to make a home more comfortable include upgrading heating and cooling systems, adding special features like a hot tub, and improving plumbing or electrical systems. Fixing broken things might involve replacing the roof, repairing walls, or fixing pipes. Adding more space can be done by turning unused areas into rooms or building new parts onto the house. Saving energy might include adding insulation, using energy-saving windows, or installing solar panels. For safety, homes can have fire alarms, secure locks, and backup power supplies to keep everyone safe during emergencies.

Home improvement industry

Home or residential renovation is a very big business. In the United States, it is worth almost $300 billion, and in Canada, it is worth $48 billion.

Professional home improvement has been around for a very long time. One early example is Sergius Orata, who lived in the 1st century B.C. He is said to have invented the hypocaust, an underfloor heating system used in many homes in the Roman Empire. He became wealthy by buying homes, adding spas and the hypocaust, and then selling them for more money.

Further information: Hardware store

In popular culture

Home improvement became popular on TV in 1979 with the show This Old House, starring Bob Vila. Channels like HGTV and DIY Network have many shows about fixing and improving homes. Danny Lipford hosts Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford, and Tom Kraeutler and Leslie Segrete co-host The Money Pit Home Improvement Radio Show.

Some movies made fun of home improvement, like Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House from 1948 with Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, George Washington Slept Here from 1942 with Jack Benny and Ann Sheridan, and The Money Pit from 1986 with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. The sitcom Home Improvement also used home projects for funny moments.