Boosting your home’s value on a budget

1. Paint the front door: You might not have the budget for full exterior paint job, but have you looked at your front door lately? It’s a focal point from the street and if it’s looking weathered, improving its appearance can have a disproportionate impact on your curb appeal.

2. Paint the foyer/entry way: Interior paint is an obvious improvement, but you don’t have to make it an all-or-none proposition. Where do people enter your home? Refresh that point of entry and make it look brand new.

3. Change light fixtures and switch plates: You probably don’t even notice your light fixtures anymore, but buyers will. Swapping out the fixtures seldom requires an electrician’s skill, and modernizing the look goes a long way. Same goes for switch plates, which may have grimy fingerprints or bent dimmer switches.

4. Upgrade kitchen and bath fixtures: Do you need a new sink, or do you just need a fresh faucet? It’s amazing how much a deluxe kitchen faucet upgrade can change perceptions of a kitchen. Same goes for the bathrooms: Faucets and even a new toilet can do wonders.

5. Garden upgrades: Fresh borders on your flower gardens, new flowers, and fresh mulch are all small touches which refresh a home’s exterior.