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One of the biggest investments you will ever make in your lifetime is the investment you make into a house. This investment is not only financial, but it is also emotional, physical and mental. Due to the amount of investment you have put into a house, it is possible you might think it is worth more than what it really is. However, there are a few different actions you can take which will enhance your house, and do not cost much from any standpoint.
Within this article, we’ll go over a few of the most common ways you can increase the value of your house for an inexpensive price.
With most houses, the focal point along the front of the house ends up being the area around the front door. Although there are times where you can help divert the attention of people who are walking by or potential buyers, inevitability their focus will always center upon the front door and how the entrance to the house looks. In order to paint a front door, you will only need to get a quart of some primer, along with a quart of paint in the color you desire. You want to ensure the paint color you choose is not the same as the siding of your house, as you do not want the door to blend into the house. It should be bold enough to allow you to draw the attention of everyone to the front door, but not too bold where the color is very contrasting and doesn’t look appealing. A fresh coat of paint is always a great way to spruce up an area of any house.
Potential Cost – $25 – $50
Replace Bathroom Fixtures
There are two rooms within any house that can help sway potential buyers to either really liking your house or to truly disliking your house. Those two rooms are the kitchen and the main bathroom. Within the main bathroom, there is not a lot that can be done inexpensively; however, the items you can change out and help brighten up a bathroom are the fixtures. These fixtures can be the faucet for the sink, a new showerhead, or new towel racks. Depending upon what is on your walls within the bathroom, you might even be able to apply a new coat of paint. No matter if you choose to go with a new color of paint, or replace your existing fixtures, you can easily transform any bathroom from one which looks outdated to one which is fully modern.
Potential Cost – $50 – $500
Replace Pull Knobs in Kitchen
As we discussed in the last section, the kitchen is one of the two main rooms within any house where people will either be in awe of the house or will continue to look for their dream house. No matter how outdated your kitchen might look, or how modern it is, there are a lot of different things which can be done to help spruce it up. One of the most inexpensive ways to do this is to buy new pull knobs for your cabinets. The pull knobs will end up getting being tarnished over time due to the oil and grease from the fingers that pull it the cabinets open. Even if you clean your kitchen on a regular basis, let’s be honest, pull knobs are not something which is cleaned very often. Replacing the pull knobs you currently have with some which are newer and shinier will help bring new life to your kitchen for a fraction of the price of other ideas.
Potential Cost – $2 – $10 per pull knob
Change out your Light Switches
Just like pull knobs, light switches end up getting a lot of dirt and grime and oil from your fingers constantly being in contact with the switch. Switches are another item which does not get much love from the cleaning fairy, which means they can start to discolor over time. Instead of replacing your switches with ones that are the exact same, you should look into installing dimmers for your lights. Dimmers will allow you to adjust the lighting within that room to the level you want to be at, which will bring you a great amount of comfort and satisfaction for a fraction of the price. Dimmer light switches are very easy to install, and you do not need a professional electrician to do this. If you wanted to take this a step further, you can also install switches which have motion detectors on them, so the lights will come on at the level you want only when someone is in the room – if there is no motion detected, then the lights turn off automatically.
Potential Cost – $10 – $25 per light switch
Clean the Exterior of your House
There is a reason that most relators use the term “curb appeal”. Not only should you be focused on the color of the front door, but you want to ensure the rest of the exterior of the house looks good. If you do not have a power washer, you can rent one for a weekend, and go to town on the exterior of your house. The power washer will wash away any residue that has been sticking around for years and will help make your house look new and revitalized. There is nothing better than having the sun reflect off your house, making the house look bright, shiny and welcoming.
Potential Cost – $100 – $150
Conclusion
These ideas, along with numerous others, are a great way for you to freshen up your house on a budget. Often times, you will get the biggest bang for your buck by choosing to focus on the smaller projects which often get neglected in favor of bigger projects. However, these smaller items can give you the right foundation to help ensure your house is ready to sell and will give buyers a warm and welcoming feel.
