Nine Ways to Boost the Value of Your Home on a Budget

Whether you’re sprucing up your home to sell in the competitive summer real estate market, investing your tax return in some overdue repairs, or just giving your space a fresh new look, keeping costs reasonable may feel like an impossible feat. Luckily, you can still make a big impact by investing in a few simple upgrades that’ll keep your bank account at a comfortable level. Read on for nine inexpensive ways to boost the value of your home.

Curb Appeal

Impressions begin with the first look, so it’s important that your home looks fresh and well kept from the outside. Keep the lawn tidy and make sure all trees and shrubs are trimmed. If the exterior of your home is looking a little grimy, an afternoon with a pressure washer can really make it shine. If the paint itself is a little tired, a fresh coat can truly brighten up the whole block.

Charming Entry

Once guests or prospective buyers have decided they’re impressed with the exterior of your home, it’s time to ensure they feel the same about the inside. Make sure your front door has a nice set of hardware and a good coat of paint or stain. Take some time to give the entry a deep clean so the space looks fresh and inviting.

Break Out the Paint

When you’re in need of a quick change, a fresh coat of paint can certainly get the job done. Whether it’s an all-over color or just an accent wall, painting can totally transform a room.

Hit the Lights

Poor lighting can make your space look tired and unwelcoming. Simply opening the blinds can brighten up your home, but updating old fixtures and dim bulbs can make a lasting difference. New lighting isn’t costly, and a brighter bulb can bring definition to a room that’s lacking.

Keeping Up with the Kitchen

Often, the room in need of the most updating is the kitchen. Total transformations can cost thousands, but a few smaller updates can still have a big impact at a fraction of the cost. Painting older cabinets a modern color and installing new fixtures are just two easy ways to update on a dime. Adding a backsplash and coordinating your appliance colors can totally tie the whole room together.

A Better Bathroom

In addition to the kitchen, bathrooms are typically quite easy to update on a small budget. A few new fixtures can totally transform a dated restroom – even just a new towel rack and mirror can give a tired room new life. For an even greater “wow” factor, upgrade the sink to a more modern style and give old tile a makeover. Make your existing shower feel like a luxury spa with a rain-style showerhead – there are many affordable models that are easy to install on your own.

Cut the Clutter

Don’t have the cash to do lots of updating? Take a look around your home and think about what items you could do without. A cluttered home can make you, your guests and prospective buyers feel overwhelmed. Get rid of unused, unwanted items for an easy (and free!) way to clean up your humble abode.

Fix it Up

Leaky faucet? Burnt out bulb? Small fixes are easy to put off, but taking a day to knock them out will be a major relief. Make a list of DIY updates and finally check off those honey-do’s.

Energy Efficiency

Energy-efficient upgrades aren’t just trendy – they can do wonders for your utility bills and make a home that much more appealing to buyers. For a quick, inexpensive update, start by swapping incandescent light bulbs for LED or CFL bulbs. Plug up any heating and cooling leaks around windows, doors or other drafty areas. If you’ve got extra cash in your budget, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances can offer a lifetime of savings on bills.

Easy Ways to Go Green (and Save Some Green!)

This planet of ours certainly has a lot to give, and Earth Day is one of the best opportunities to give back. Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is not only good for the environment – it can be good for your wallet, too! We’ve shared a few of our favorite ways to go green while saving some green.

Cut the Lights

If you don’t already flip the switch when you leave the room, now is a great time to make it a habit! While you’re at it, swapping incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent lights can be a money-saver and an energy-saver. Even better — when it’s bright outside, open the shades and let some sunlight in to keep your home illuminated.

While you don’t have to break out a washboard and soap to do the laundry, you can save some energy by line-drying your clothes once they’ve been washed. You’ll increase the longevity of your favorite apparel and keep high energy bills at bay.

Spending Leaks

We know showers are a time of personal reflection and hatching brilliant ideas, but speeding up that lather and rinse can save you money on the water bill. Also, be sure to turn off the tap when you’re brushing your teeth or scrubbing dishes. Although water may feel like it’s an abundant resource (after all, it never stops running out of the faucet until you turn it off), it’s not as limitless as it may appear.

When you need some extra water, but don’t want to turn on the tap, consider setting up a barrel to catch rain – it can be great for washing the car or watering those indoor plants.

Reduce, Reuse

In a consumer-driven culture, we often find ourselves with much more “stuff” than we actually need. Instead of shopping for new clothes, organize a swap with other families and see how much you can repurpose. You can also donate unwanted items to help others in need and reduce potential landfill waste.

That one-time-use coffee pod may be handy, but is it good for the environment? It seems as if everything now has a disposable counterpart, but it’s always best to purchase reusable products when possible. Food storage, water bottles and bags are all items available in reusable form – saving you money and saving the planet at the same time.

Get Going, Go Green

We’re busy people. Always on the move; always somewhere else to be. All that travel usually means lots of time on the road – but it doesn’t have to be behind the wheel. Instead of driving everywhere, try walking or biking to your destination. Most major cities offer a robust public transit offering, so you could even take the train or bus when you need to get out and about. If driving is a must, at least see if you have a friend or coworker going the same way – carpooling is great for saving gas and money, and you might even get special privilege to use the HOV lane!