Home improvement projects can make your home a better place to live. If you install a banister on a second-floor set of stairs, the stairs are safer to use. Some home improvement projects bring the additional benefit of added value to the property as well.

We took a look at a few ways this happens. It’s not an exhaustive list; different people will derive a different sense of fulfillment from different projects.

1. Fulfillment from a job well done

Any well-done home improvement job is probably going to save you some serious money. Professional contractors don’t come cheap because they have unique skills. It’s not something you maybe realize when you start on a home improvement job, but it’s something you’ll feel once it’s done.

It’s not just the money savings, either. You’ll feel satisfaction in seeing your work complete by your own hands and trusty tools, and feel more confident from having improved skills the that maybe once you felt you’d never have.

2. Decluttered space

A cluttered living space tends to make us feel trapped and confined. At the very worst, it can also make us feel depressed, as if we are at the mercy of all the stuff surrounding us.

Start to get rid of it, and you’ll start to feel a little bit more in control of your living space and maybe even your life. If your decluttering project turns up something that’s worth a little money, you might even make a profit.

3. More vibrant colors

We’ve learned a lot about how the colors of your surroundings can affect your mood. A home improvement project offers you a great chance to put some of that into practice.

Let’s say that the paint in your master bedroom is cracked and in need of replacing. Knowing what we know about how people relate to color, you can choose one that will help you feel better and more at ease while in your bed.

4. What was old looks new again

When it comes to antiques or other furnishings with a few years on them, there is historic and then there is just plain old. That also goes with furniture and decorations. Some of what you have might look old, broken, or rundown. You can give yourself a quick pick-me-up by cleaning off that stuff, updating the paint or stain or polishing metal.

5. Greater sense of security

We already mentioned that installing a banister next to some second-floor steps will make you safer. There are other things you can do that are intended to spruce up how your living space looks but also contribute to feeling better.

This is stuff like replacing old hinges on a door, installing new weather stripping around windows and especially replacing old wiring. You might do these things because they need to be done, but they also leave you feeling a little more secure.

6. Feeling freer to create

There is nothing more confining from a creative sense than the perception that you are just plain out of room. That sense of confinement is especially pronounced in a cluttered environment.

A project that organizes your stuff and gets rid of unneeded things can open up valuable counter real estate so that you can act on those creative impulses.

7. Improved time management

Being disorganized is a time killer because it means you are constantly searching for something. Whether it’s a specific tool, a box of nails, or even your wallet to go to the store, poor organization can eat up a lot of time in a hurry. Projects that declutter and organize your things help you reduce that time lost. They can help you feel more in control of your schedule and like you a few more minutes a day. How many of us have said, “If only there was another hour in the day?”

8. Happier to socialize

No one wants to invite friends to a cluttered, messy house. A project that brightens the place, helps you organize your stuff, or that repairs a glaring problem will lead you to feel better about bringing friends to your house.

That’s especially true if you’re a born introvert. You might not be comfortable socializing outside in a public establishment or at someone else’s house, but you might feel better about doing it in your own home.

Conclusion

Home improvement projects can brighten up your home and make it a more pleasant place to be. They can also have some unexpected benefits for the people who live in them. Most of those have to do with your general state of mind, but a couple of them are downright practical.

If you’re looking for more reasons to start fixing up your home, these are eight more.