Extraordinary Ways to Fix Up Your Home for $250

All my life I have been interested in how to do things around the house that make a difference to the people that live in it. It makes me feel good and keeps my investment at a high level. But the best part is it never cost more then $250.

Painting

By far the best way to improve the mood in your home is to experiment with changing colors and textures in the main room or rooms of the house. Colors effect your feelings and nothing uplifts a person more then fresh paint and a new color.

I think in some homes an accent bar at funny angles can inspire. Maybe a lovely yellow in your new child's nursery can help to elicit happy feelings in the little tyke. One year I painted my daughter's bedroom violet to match her new curtains and bed linens. She loved it.

Cost: $35 for a 12'x14' room.

Holes in the Wall

Nothing is easier to repair then the holes that accumulate in your drywall. Small holes can be repaired with a 6" spackle knife and drywall mud. If you have big holes you can buy patches that stick to the wall then mud over them, sand, prime and paint.

Another idea is to patch unsightly cracks in the ceilings then sand, prime and paint.

Cost: No more then $20

Clean the Windows

Take a day a roll of paper towels and a big bottle of window cleaner and you will be shocked at the difference of seeing outside makes. Especially in warmer winter climates like Florida, Georgia or Southern California.

Cost: About $20

Clean the Rugs

Go to the local hardware store and rent a rug cleaner complete with solution and you home will look better and smell better. Not just because you cleaned up the dirt and grime but the odors that collect in fabric can be horrendous.

Cost: About $85 for a 2500 square foot home

Dust All the Furniture

Dust collects everywhere so get a big bottle of Pledge and some good rags. This will help especially in the kitchen and bedrooms where we spend a lot of our family time. Also take the glass cleaner to clean glass shelves and tabletops.

Cost: Around $20

Organize an Area

This is a chore I really love. I love it, because it takes some creativity. I made some shelves in our basement play area for games one year with cinder blocks painted colorfully and old scrape lumber I was able to acquire out of my shed.

Our games were in a position well organized and ease to peruse for a selection quickly. Another great idea is making a hat rack from lumber off an old bed frame and doorstops we acquired at a garage sale.

Cost: Never spend more then $35

Area Rugs

Area rugs are great to add some color and accent to a room like the family room. I go to the store and buy the sticky stuff for the bottom of the rug. It comes in a roll all different sizes. You can get slightly used but nice rugs on Craig list cheap.

Cost: Always around $35

With your sweat equity at rock bottom prices you will feel great stumbling into the New Year. It will amaze you after about five years how great your home looks and feels. So don't waste anytime after Christmas get started quickly.