Bringing Some Basic DIY Chops to a SW Florida New Home. Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Captiva Island. Imagine the first time you turn the front door key to a new SW Florida home—the first time you step over the threshold of the home you now own. It’s a moment to truly savor. Whether it’s a feeling of well-being—that of a major milestone successfully accomplished—or just the sheer joy of appreciating the milestone it 
represents, it’s a moment you’d be remembering for a very long time.
But after the joy (eventually) comes another moment: one that’s all but inevitable. It’s when you first begin to notice flaws in your new home you didn’t see before.
Don’t worry! Most of them will be little imperfections that can be banished with simple Do-It-Yourself fixes. Here are a few of the more common ones:
Squeaky Wood Floors
Wooden floors are a joy to walk on, their look is warm and inviting, and wood’s sound-buffering properties make a room a comfortable conversation setting. On the other hand, creaks and squeaks can 
develop over time—a problem that’s easy to overlook until you have lived with it for a while. Squeaks can be due to a number of different causes, so no one fix is sure to work, but one easy fix is to sweep some talcum powder into the cracks. If the source is floorboards rubbing against each other, that can do the trick. If, on the other hand, your new SW Florida home has floorboard planks that actually move, driving a single nail through to the sub floor should stop any movement. Cover nail holes with wood-filler (any of SW Florida’s hardware stores carries a full spectrum of fillers to precisely match the wood tone).
Dull Rooms
Unless you are going for an architectural or starkly modern feel, the open, spacious look that white 
walls imparted before you moved in can begin to feel cold and sterile once you’re settled. A coat of paint in warm neutrals (browns, tans, faint greens and reds) can transform such spaces into more comfortable environs.
Painting is easy—as long as you have some patience (and painters’ tape). Plan on taping the night before, painting in the morning (don’t leave the tape on too long). The breath of life that results can literally transform a room.
Warm it Up
One of the easiest ways to make your new home in SW Florida an inviting environment is to “shape” its light. Experiment with warmer color or full-spectrum light bulbs (they can be the earth-friendly LED or CFL cost-efficient types, which are no longer limited to the colder tones).
And while we’re discussing ‘warmth,’ where it’s needed, be conscious of drafts that will only become noticeable when the chilly weather returns. Be willing to place weather-stripping around doors and windows to keep your new home warm (and cool during the summer). It costs nothing when you take the reduction in heating bills into account.
Bringing Some Basic DIY Chops to a SW Florida New Home. Naples, Ft. Myers, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, Captiva Island. A few quick fixes are probably all you’ll need to feel squared away in your new home in SW Florida. If you haven’t yet found the perfect place, I’ll be standing by all summer to help you find it. Call me today to discuss properties that will be coming onto the market soon—homes to fit your budget and taste!
