Home Improvement: 10 Cheap Upgrades

Many people see huge dollar signs flash like neon lights whenever they hear the words "home improvement," but there are many things you can do to spiff up the old place without spending a fortune.

1. Make your kitchen really 'cook'

The kitchen is still considered the heart of the home. For a few hundred dollars, you can replace the kitchen faucet set, add new cabinet door handles and update old lighting fixtures with brighter, more energy-efficient ones. If you have a slightly larger budget, you can give the cabinets themselves a makeover. Rather than spring for a whole new cabinet system, which can be expensive, look into refacing the ones you have. Many companies will remove cabinet doors and drawers, refinish the cabinet boxes and then add brand-new doors and drawers at a price considerably less than new cabinets. Unless the cabinets are mica, a fresh coat of paint can also do the trick.

2. Give appliances a face-lift

If your kitchen appliances don't match, try ordering new doors or face panels from the manufacturer. Many dishwasher panels are white on one side and black on the other. It can be as simple as removing a couple of screws, sliding the panel out and flipping it over.

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Thinking of doing some updating, contact me for some great referrals on carpet, paint, tile, stone and landscaping.