Five great home improvements for $500 or less
(Here are some quick ideas whether you are preparing to list your home for sale or just want to spruce up. This comes from RISMedia.com.)
Improve
the curb appeal - Whether
or not you are planning to sell your home, an inviting first appearance is
important. Spend some time in the front yard from the curb in, pulling weeds,
planting perennials, and trimming hedges. You can make needed repairs to fences
or front steps and change out your old, dull mailbox all for under $500.
Paint
the front door - A
spiffy new fiberglass front door could cost $1,000 or more, but you can upgrade
the look for a lot less by adding new hardware and a fresh coat of paint. Add a
new light fixture, a fresh doormat and a pot of flowers and you may have money
left over from that $500 bill.
Paint
interior walls - Nothing
changes the look of a room more than a fresh coat of paint. It can get
complicated and expensive if you need to repair drywall, remove mold, or have
really tall ceilings, so you may need to hire a professional. But if you can do
it yourself, you may even be able to upgrade baseboards or add crown molding and
stay within a $500 budget.
Update
the lighting - Lighting
fixtures are to a home what jewelry is to an outfit. They can add pizzazz or
look dated and dowdy. Switching out a chandelier over the dining room table is
a fairly easy, budget-friendly project. Shop big-box stores for inexpensive
models or ask about floor sample sales at retail outlets. If you’re on too
tight a budget, consider updating lamps you already have with new shades.
Install
new toilets - It
may not materially change the look of your bathrooms, but if you have toilets
installed before 1995, replacing them with new models will save thousands of
gallons of water you won’t have to pay for. You can get new models for well
under $200, so you may want to spend some of that $500 budget to upgrade the
look with bathroom lighting, mirrors or storage units.
