Are you looking for ways to increase your home without putting yourself in the poorhouse?

The kitchen is still considered the heart of the home. Potential homebuyers make a beeline for this room when they first view a home for sale, so make sure your kitchen looks clean and reasonably updated.

Many companies can remove cabinet doors and drawers, refinish the cabinet boxes, then add brand-new doors and drawers. If you're handy, you can order your own replacement cabinet doors and door fronts from retailers like Lowe's Home Improvement or The Home Depot and install them yourself.

If your kitchen appliances don't match, order new doors or face panels for them. Persley, who has remodeled numerous homes for resale, says that a more cohesive-looking kitchen makes a big difference in the buyer's mind -- and in the home's resale price.

You are also suggested to replace an old, discolored bathroom floor with easy-to-apply vinyl tiles or a small piece of sheet vinyl. Old houses, particularly, are notorious for their lack of closet space. If you have cramped storage areas, Realtor Moe Viessi of Miami suggests adding do-it-yourself wire and laminate closet systems to bedrooms, pantries and entry closets. If you add a closet to that room, you've now got a four-bedroom house. Carpeting is another detail that can quickly update a home and make it look cleaner.

If your carpet is showing serious wear, cover it with inexpensive, strategically placed area rugs. Unless it is truly hideous, most Realtors don't suggest replacing wall-to-wall carpeting right before you sell your house.

On the other hand, If you have boring recessed lights in your dining and living rooms, consider replacing one of the room's lights with an eye-catching chandelier. Home stores offer a wide range of inexpensive, but nice-looking, ceiling fixtures these days.

Moreover, if you're stuck with a basic steel front door, you may start painting or faux-finishing it for more eye appeal. It's becoming a trend in Florida to add wood-grain doors to a home's entry or garage for a cherry wood look.

By M. Sese
http://realestatepress.org