$100 Equals 3 Easy Home Improvements

All homeowners have been through this situation. The house needs some improvements. You checkout the latest home equity loan at your bank and find the rates are fairly good. You check with several contractors to get an estimate on the work you want done and you find the costs are NOT fairly good. What will you do? No matter how you try to get around it, major home improvements like new roofs, new kitchens, a new deck, or remodeled bathroom require lots of money. There is some good news. There are three key areas that you can improve for less than $100. The bathroom and kitchen and the entrance are all important areas of your house. Improve these and you will have improved the appearance of your home.

Bathroom

These ideas will work for any bathroom. Concentrate on the guest bathroom first then do the major bathroom as you see fit. You can use wallpaper trim, artwork, and color to give your guest bathroom, which is usually small, a nice lift. You can choose to go the conservative way or be creative and go wild. There are lots of choices with wallpaper trim so don't hold back. To complement this wallpaper trim, add some artwork. You don't need to have expensive artwork to make a statement. Think about using child art or primitive art as an option. Think about some colorful fabric or inexpensive picture frames or some seashells to add a little flair.

Kitchen

What's the first thing that catches your eye when you look in your kitchen? Probably the cabinets where you hide all your dishes. Am I right? A no cost first step would be to give the cabinets a good cleaning. You may be surprised at how nice they will look after you supplied the correct amount of 'elbow grease'. You may want to remove the doors from the hinges to make the job easier. Once you're cabinets are clean, replace the knobs. You can go fancy here, but the cost may add up. There are plenty of nice kitchen knobs available for several dollars each. You may want to think about wallpaper trim in this room also. Perhaps painting one wall a bold color would add drama to the kitchen.

Entrance

You have no doubt heard the saying "First impressions are important." Applied this true statement to your entrance as this is what people first see when they enter your home. How about that welcome mat you bought 10 years ago? Isn't it time for a new one? How about a potted plant and a metal container somewhere close to the doorway. Plants give people a welcoming, soothing effect. That front door that has weathered many a storm and numerous hours of sunshine is no doubt looking tired. Get out the paintbrush and decide if you want to go bold and bright or just neutral. Regardless of your choice, paint the door. If you have a brick home, have you thought about the look of a red door? That would be dramatic. If your front door has Windows, wash them. It may be time to either replace the hardware on your door or at least clean them with a good metal polish. Depending on your configuration, a nice small rug inside the door may be just what you need.

When finished, show off you "new" home to your friends.