Home improvement projects come in all shapes and sizes! And let's not forget all kinds of price tags. If you're on a tight budget, there are still many home improvement projects that can help make your home more comfortable and appealing to potential buyers.
Let's look at projects that buyers looking for Chattanooga homes for sale might notice in your home.
1. Paint the front door.
It's simple -- and inexpensive -- and painting the front door can bump up your curb appeal like nothing else. Depending, of course, on what the rest of your home's front exterior looks like, you can go bold with a red, an apple green, or even an eye-catching yellow, or sedate with black, gray, or white. Somewhere in between? Sage green or a muted teal could be the ticket. There's something about a jazzy front door that just says, "Welcome!"
2. Front entrance facelift.
Add some plants, changing species with the season. Mums in bold fall colors are a nice touch, with pots of pansies for brightening things up. Don't forget the pumpkins and the fall wreath, of course. You might even add an inexpensive outdoor runner on the front porch, or how about painting the front steps?
3. Add an outdoor dining table or seating.
Even if you don't have a fabulous patio kitchen, you can still make the most of your outdoor area by adding a funky vintage table and chairs, painting if needed, to give the impression there's more space than there really is.
4. Add some shelf space.
Seems like most of us could always do with a little more shelf space. If your older home is short on shelf space, look for ways to work with what you've got. Add floating shelves over the toilet. Do-it-yourself shelf inserts will also work in a pantry, closet, or garage.
5. Change the cabinet hardware.
This is an easy fix. Sometimes older kitchen hardware can make your cabinets look dated or just flat-out generic. Some of the latest cabinet hardware trends: glass knobs and pulls; exposed screws; weathered brass and nickel; copper and gold; flat black finishes; and best of all, oversized drawer pulls.
6. Change the light switch plates.
You can find some pretty or fancy plates online by checking out
wallplates.com if you don't mind paying a few extra bucks for gray floral, sandstone, century-aged bronze, or floral and geometric designs. Or you can paint your own to match the walls. While you're making the upgrade, you might want to add foam insulation behind the plates on exterior walls to prevent the intrusion of unconditioned air and to keep your conditioned air from leaking out.
7. Paint your ugly tile.
Fed up with that old has-been tile? The good news is you can paint it. One interesting effect involves creating a gray and white checkerboard with chalk paint. First step: clean your tile really well, then cover it with primer -- even though you may read chalk paint doesn't require it. Then, when the primer has dried, mask off tiles, you don't want to paint. Finish painting and sealing tiles with at least three coats of poly-acrylic.
