If you are looking to spruce up your home, perhaps to get it ready for the market or just for your own enjoyment, there are a few ways that you can achieve your goals inexpensively. According to a recent report by “Remodeling Magazine”, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to increase the value of your home. In fact, lower-cost home-improvement projects often return greater value.
However, you should keep in mind that the actual cost and return on investment for each projects varies a lot, depending on, among other factors, the condition of your home and the overall property market values in your neighborhood and region. Here are some low-cost home renovations that give your home the most value:
1. Painting the Front Door
Repainting your entry door, garage door, and the exterior of your home with a high quality coat of primer will make your home look new and attractive at first glance. Research shows that updating the front door alone not only boosts your home’s curb appeal, but also increases the value of your home by up to $8,000.
In addition, consider attaching decorative hardware such a door knocker, or faux hinges and handles for the garage door for a more striking appearance.
2. Replacing the Entry Door
If you have more than a couple of $100 to invest, and your old home hasn’t had a door replacement in decades, installing a new door may be prove to be a better option than just applying a fresh coat of paint. Research shows that replacing a front door often returns more than 100% of the cost.
If your budget can accommodate it, you can also install a new garage door for about the same cost and the same returns.
3. Make the Kitchen Functional
Many people still consider the kitchen as the heart of the home. The kitchen has a huge impact on how fast your home sells, and for how much, so it needs to look clean and reasonably updated. You can inexpensively update old lighting fixtures with brighter, energy-efficient options, replace the kitchen faucet set, and change the cabinet door handles.
With a slightly larger budget, you can reface the cabinets. Rather than replacing the entire cabinet system, a makeover project can involve removing and refinishing the cabinet drawers and cabinets, replacing the doors and drawers, and repainting the entire set.
If your kitchen appliances don’t match, consider getting new face panels or doors. A cohesive-looking kitchen is more striking to the buyer and increases the home’s resale value.
4. Updating the Bathroom
Next to the kitchen, your bathroom is the most important room to update. A low-cost remodeling project may involve replacing the toilet seat and pedestal sink, or replacing discolored bathroom flow with vinyl for an even more dramatic effect.
You can also update the tub and shower by re-grouting the tile, replacing chipped tiles, or getting a prefabricated tub and shower surround.
5. Step up your storage
If you old home has cramped storage areas, consider adding laminate closet systems to bedrooms, entry closets, and pantries. This will make them appear more functional and give your home a more customized look that buyers are willing to pay for.
Final Note
To improve your home’s exterior, you may consider a small landscaping projects that includes adding some flower boxes, planting a tree in the yard, and updating the driveway.