On A Budget? Home Projects That Pay Off

On a tight budget? Don’t have a lot of money to spend to fix up your home? Whether you’re getting ready to sell your home or if you’re just looking to make some home improvements, you can significantly increase your home’s value with a few upgrades that won’t break the bank.

Here are some of the best ways to improve your home—all for under $1,000:

At less than $30 a gallon—plus a few extra dollars for brushes, rollers, and other supplies—paint is a good way to get a lot of bang for your buck. Painting the interior of your home will not only give it a new look, but with different colors you can also change how individual rooms are perceived in terms of size; lighter shades will make a room look larger than it is. Even if you only paint a couple of rooms or just one or two walls, painting will make a huge difference.

Likewise, lighting is another inexpensive upgrade that can make a big difference. Although it may not be in your budget to replace all of your light fixtures, a few new fixtures in high-traffic or prominent areas (such as your foyer, kitchen, or dining room) will go a long way in improving those areas. Also, you may want to replace all of your light switch covers and electric outlet covers. These covers are fairly inexpensive and will add a very nice touch to each room—especially if you’ve just painted.

Finally, you should definitely put some money towards landscaping. If you think about it, your yard is the biggest room of your house—and any upgrades you do in your yard will certainly boost your home’s appearance and value. Sprucing up your lawn, adding a few flowers, and clearing out brush and other debris will drastically improve your home’s curb appeal. Keep in mind that it’s always better to subtract than to add. The look of a nice green lawn may be cancelled out by ugly overgrown shrubs.

Have any money left in your budget after these projects? If so, you might want to use the money to improve one of the three most important rooms in your home: your kitchen, your master bath, and your master bedroom. You may only have enough left in your budget to make a small upgrade, but a new under-cabinet microwave or a new medicine cabinet will help improve the appearance of one of these three rooms.

Of course, the cost of all of these projects is dependant upon the fact that you’ll have to do all of the work yourself. However, if you’re really not much of a do-it-yourselfer, try enlisting the help of a handy neighbor, friend, or family member. If you play your cards right, you can get help with your projects for just the cost of a couple of delivery pizzas. ∆