When thinking of home projects to undertake to increase your home’s value, the money may make you think twice about moving forward. However, not every project costs an arm and a leg. Here are seven cheap projects that’ll give you a great return.
1. Refresh the Walls
If your walls have fading wallpaper, outdated color, dirty paint, or visible scratches, a few paint cans can significantly transform your interior aesthetics and improve your home’s value. To get the most ROI, select a neutral color scheme to unify your space, make it look more prominent, and appeal to more buyers.
Painting a few rooms may be easy, but repainting your entire home or taking down a lot of wallpaper can be tasking. So if you decide to undertake a large-scale project, consider hiring a professional painter. However, if you’re looking for a cost-effective project, just paint your living room, entryway, bathroom, and kitchen.
2. Pressure-Wash Your Home’s Exterior
Your home’s exterior will look almost as nice after a good pressure washing as it would after a fresh coat of paint but for less money and time. While you have the pressure washer, consider cleaning your patio, driveway, and any pathways. You’ll be amazed by how new they look.
You can also hire professionals to do the job. With over 9,424 pressure washers currently operating in the United States, according to Zippia, you’ll have no problem finding one. The pros will leave your home’s exterior looking sparkling clean.
3. Repaint the Exterior
If you don’t get the effect you hoped for from pressure washing, consider giving your exterior a fresh coat of paint. This isn’t the best project to DIY due to the heights and ladders involved. According to Forbes, exterior painting services cost about $3,000 on average. While it may seem like another expense, hiring professionals is the surest way to guarantee your safety and quality results.
4. Paint the Front Door
According to a Houzz survey, 32% of homeowners wished to personalize certain aspects of their homes. Painting the front door is a great way to do this. Compared to painting the exterior, it requires far less effort and is more cost-effective. As you’re at the hardware store looking at different paint colors, consider updating the hardware. Shiny new hardware can refresh your home’s exterior aesthetics. You can also switch out the locks while at it, especially if it’s a new home.
5. Work On Your Landscape
Adding plants and flowers to your home’s exterior can make it look more cheerful. Place greenery in the front yard or along paths to draw attention to your property.
To get the most value for your money, go for perennial plants as they grow back year after year instead of annuals, which last a year or less. If you’re up for the task, fill bald spots with fresh sod or plant grass seed. You should also consider trimming any existing trees and bushes.
6. Go Green
Eco-friendly home modifications are a wise investment as they increase your home’s value and potentially save you money in the long term. There are many ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home. This includes anything from small changes like weatherstripping doors to major renovations like adding a tankless water heater or solar panels.
7. Clean Your Gutters
Cleaning your gutters is more of a home maintenance task that’ll help preserve its value. When your gutters aren’t doing their job transporting water away from your property, rainwater may leak into your home or pool at the foundation, triggering issues like mildew and mold growth. Water damage will eventually compromise your home’s structural integrity, resulting in high repair costs.
You may believe you have to spend a lot of money on home improvement projects to increase your home’s value, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Use this read as a guide for cost-effective projects you can undertake and still get a great ROI.
