Punching Up the Home? Don't Beat Up the Wallet

Did you know your home's also a savings account? There are all kinds of inexpensive things you can do to protect and enhance its value. Here some idea starters:

Pull the old switcheroo - Try switching everything around. Re-arranging rooms, rotating pitcutres/artwork, etc., jazzes up any place. And it only costs a little sweat equity on your part.
One word: Declutter - It's OK to hoard money. Magazines, calendars, and shoeboxes? Not so much. Get rid of junk to reclaim precious square footage and pretty up the house.
Swap out pulls, knobs and other thingies - For a few bucks, you can refresh rooms with decorative switch plates, drawer pulls, doorknobs and such. Or hit the junk shops and get something funky for even less.
A little outside trim work goes a long way - Slap some exterior paint (2 gallons = $60) on the window frames, front door, and shutters. $100 can get you new light fixtures, vent covers, and house numbers.
No paint goes unused - Leftover paint's perfect for rehabbing old patio furniture, decorating flower pots and whitewashing a wooden fence. Use every drop.
No weed goes unpulled - Spread a few bags of mulch around, trim hedges, plant some flowers - and yes, pull weeds. Sorry, dandelions don't count as flowers.

New bathrooms/kitchens aside, you don't have to drop much to enhance your home's value. Do it to keep your house mean and clean should you ever want to sell it. Or just because you like your house.

Did you know your home's also a savings account? There are all kinds of inexpensive things you can do to protect and enhance its value. Here some idea starters: <ul><li>Pull the old switcheroo - Try switching everything around. Re-arranging rooms, rotating pitcutres/artwork, etc., jazzes up any place. And it only costs a little sweat equity on your part.</li><li>One word: Declutter - It's OK to hoard money. Magazines, calendars, and shoeboxes? Not so much. Get rid of junk to reclaim precious square footage and pretty up the house.</li><li>Swap out pulls, knobs and other thingies - For a few bucks, you can refresh rooms with decorative switch plates, drawer pulls, doorknobs and such. Or hit the junk shops and get something funky for even less.</li><li>A little outside trim work goes a long way - Slap some exterior paint (2 gallons = $60) on the window frames, front door, and shutters. $100 can get you new light fixtures, vent covers, and house numbers.</li><li>No paint goes unused - Leftover paint's perfect for rehabbing old patio furniture, decorating flower pots and whitewashing a wooden fence. Use every drop.</li><li>No weed goes unpulled - Spread a few bags of mulch around, trim hedges, plant some flowers - and yes, pull weeds. Sorry, dandelions don't count as flowers.</li></ul>New bathrooms/kitchens aside, you don't have to drop much to enhance your home's value. Do it to keep your house mean and clean should you ever want to sell it. Or just because you like your house.

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Last edited April 30 2009

Punching Up the Home? Don't Beat Up the Wallet

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