Repaint

A paint job is one of the most affordable home improvement projects. Premium brands cost about $35 a can, and it’s a job you don’t need a contractor for. If you’re repainting in the hopes of selling your home, stick to neutral or subdued colors so potential buyers can imagine their own style in the house.

Replace siding

Siding is the coating on your home, and when it wears down, your outside paint job can look dull but even worse, your energy bills can go up. Siding helps boost insulation so replacing it when it’s worn down is a smart investment. If you replace it with vinyl or any siding products with permanent color, stick to neutral colors you’ll like over the years. Experts say that a $10,000 siding investment can yield an 80 percent return or more.

Fix up the basement

A basement that smells damp will send buyers running who were otherwise ready to make a deal. If you have problems with moisture in your basement, leaks or a history of flooding, have a professional apply a sealant or do a patch job. While you’re down there, just do a general cleaning. A clean, dry basement can be what turns a potential buyer into a buyer.

Make touch ups in the kitchen

When potential buyers look at a kitchen, they see the nucleus to their lives. It’s where they’ll prepare breakfast for their children, have appetizers with guests and enjoy late-night talks with friends. In other words, it might be the most important room in the house. For a quick touch up, make sure all appliances are working well and not making any odd noises, cover up any chips or stains on countertops, and apply a fresh coat of paint to the walls.

Further kitchen work

If you know your kitchen looks too rundown to be fixed by a paint job, consider installing new cabinets—even cheap stock ones for showing purposes will do—installing new lights that are softer, more flattering and energy efficient, redoing the floors and installing granite countertops. Experts say that making these upgrades can yield up to a 69 percent return on investment.

Remodeling a bathroom

Bathrooms are the second-most important areas to renovate when selling your home, typically giving 68- to 78-percent return on investment. A few simple, budget friendly fixes you can make include resurfacing bathtubs and sinks, adding new, decorative handles to the sink and making sure the toilet is running efficiently.

Further bathroom work

If your budget is a little larger, you can make your bathroom look brand new by adding a deluxe shower head, installing new laminate flooring, upgrading the faucets and adding a glass tile backsplash.

Adding a patio or deck

Adding a patio or deck makes entering the house an experience—potential buyers have already seen ambience before walking in the front door. A well-made patio or deck can even make a house appear larger and can provide an extra space for dining, entertaining and relaxing. Experts say that a $15,000 deck addition can yield a 73 percent return on investment.

Installing new windows

Replacing old windows on a home can not only can knock five years off the appearance, it can also improve energy efficiency so potential buyers see major savings there, and puts you ahead of the competition because not many sellers do this. Just pay attention to detail: make sure the architecture, period and style of the windows match the inside of your home. Experts say a $10,000 window replacement job can yield an 85-percent return on investment.

Landscaping

Your lawn is the first thing potential buyers see, and it can be a good indicator of how well the home is taken care of as a whole. Some simple fixes you can do yourself are planting perennials, trimming out clean borders on pathways and filling them with mulch, and pruning surrounding trees and bushes. If you can afford it, plant new trees and shrubbery as these can help prevent erosion, slow down rainwater runoff, filter pollutants, provide shade and provide fruit, depending on the trees you choose.