Easy Home Improvement Projects

When selling your home remember that completing some easy home improvement projects can really make a difference.

This is due to the reality check of the realty business: people are looking for small problems in your house that they can 'blow up' later and use to drive down the sale price. Prevent the possibility of this 'buyer's blackmail' by taking care of the obvious and easy home improvement projects before you show your house to potential buyers.

Walk the house with a pad and pen to make notes; a 'tick list'.

Start at the curb and walk from the front to back of the house, the top to bottom of the house and look for the obvious 'fix-its' that can be easy and quick. Here are a few that can be done by even the least 'handy' of all homeowners but that will give your home a big boost for very little home improvement cost outlay:

• Sod or seed on the bare spots in the lawn
• Clean and clear the garage as empty as possible
• Add a decorative bush
• Trimming the hedges to show more of the house
• Edging the lawn for a cleaner look
• Clean, clear walkways with suitable house number
• Windows clean and shutters painted or cleaned
• Yard debris cleared and eliminated
• Potted flowers work on a stairway or outside entryway
• Add fresh mulch to gardens and under trees
• Remove excess yard furniture to make the yard look better
• Paint front door
• Replace welcome mats and kitchen and bath mats
• New toilet seats (no fuzzy covers!)
• Replace all old or dim light bulbs
• Remove any old, torn or broken furniture
• Oil doors and hinges with WD40 or something similar
• Small cracks or bubble paint need fixing and patching
• All doorknobs need to be working, tightly fitted
• Paint a room in a lighter neutral tone for brightness and space
• Wash down all the kitchen walls with mild cleanser to rid the house of old smells
• Update kitchen hardware; doorknobs and draw pulls are the easiest makeover possible
• Replace old drapes with lighter materials and colors; heavy, ornate drapery rods should be replaced
• Old water stains — if the problem has been properly corrected and not just covered up — can be covered over with an oil based primer for best results, like KILZ, and repainted
• Built in bookshelves could get a new coat of semi-gloss paint in white or off white
• Bathroom towel holders, toilet paper dispensers, curtains and rings, waste baskets, etc. should be replaced with new
• Clear all areas under sinks and line with shelf liner in white to give appearance of more room
• Drain radiators to release steam and quiet noisy pipes
• Concrete basement floors can be painted with a neutral light grey to make fresh and clean look and feel
• Dust the ceiling, center to corners with a broom wrapped in a rag and remove or clean all ceiling fans
• Replace old, broken or burnt electric sockets. When replacing them, line up all screw heads to be in the same direction
• Look for 'wear spots' in high traffic areas and add a runner to cover them
• Move furniture 4-6 inches from the wall and check for rubbing and wear on walls, especially around couches
• Replace old, smelly, stained or ripped rugs
• Wood floors should be uncovered and waxed for shine

These easy home improvement projects can be done for very little money when you consider the value they add to the home. The details may not be noticed by themselves but the overall feel and condition of the home will be improved. Even an older home can look cared for and updated with the right 'touches' and attention to detail.