Imagine this: it’s a Saturday. You have the day off, no plans, and a to-do list that’s mostly completed. You could binge watch the latest show on Netflix, but you’re feeling more creative. You’ve got the inch do something productive and get your hands dirty. The solution? Take on some home improvement projects that will improve your quality of life AND your home’s value!

We’ve compiled a list of 7 home improvements you can do yourself (no experience needed) that will increase your home’s value and curb appeal. Not only do we give you a list - we show you photos of projects completed by OHA team members and client’s we’ve worked with!

Many of these projects were not finished in one day. If you take on a project, be kind to yourself, treat this as fun and therapeutic activities. This is a chance to make your house feel like it’s truly your home with all the personal touches that reflect your style. And it’s also investment in your future - though you may not have plans to sell or move right now, small home improvements over time help your house increase in value.

So check out these 7 home improvements to make your space unique:

1. Landscaping/Outside of Home

Curb appeal is essentially your home’s first impression. Gardening isn’t for everyone, but small changes and general upkeep can make a huge difference! Curb appeal is also a big factor in creating interest in a buyer, so it’s essential that the outside of your home looks clean when it comes time to sell. There are a couple ways you can make the outside of your home look even better!

Take the time to plant flowers, pull unappealing bushes/plants - whatever you can to make the outside look beautiful. Sure, you’ll have to do touch ups, such as trimming hedges and pulling weeds, before actually showing your home, but there are landscaping details you can take care of now!

You can also build a garden/planters. These projects do require some labor/outdoor time, but as long as you have the right tools, it’s not too hard to complete. Our founders Steph and Kristina built planters and found the instructions from a YouTube video, and they came out so cute (pictured below)!

One of our clients, Juliann, has been working on her DIY garden while she’s been staying home! Not only is the planter done, but she’s already filled it with soon to be veggies (pictured below right).

It’s a great idea to make sure whatever you’re planting is native or adapted to the area you live in. If you live in Austin, Texas (where Open House is based) then we suggest consulting this Austin guide.

Other outdoor touch ups you can do? How about fixing your drive-way, walk-ways or patios? Filling in cement, fixing cracks and adding gravel are great ways to improve your curb appeal while you have some extra time. A loose plank on a wooden patio or fence is also a DIY task you can complete while you have the time at home. Power washing your house, walkway and sidewalks are also a great way to spruce up your home. Don’t have a power washer? We have a list of great contractors and handy people we can connect you with!

2. Painting/Touch Ups

When it comes to painting, a lot of people start to panic. Moving furniture, taping off edges, buying supplies, dealing with the smell, it can feel like a huge undertaking. But remember, unless your space really needs it, you don’t need to repaint the entire inside and outside of your home. Focus first on fixing smaller things like scratches or holes in the walls, and touch up any areas that may need a fresh coat to cover nicks or stains. 

If your walls look good, and there isn’t much to touch up, you can still get creative without taking on a huge endeavor. An accent wall is a great way to add color and style to your room in just one afternoon. Our past client Riley Campbell is an incredible graphic designer and has made her place adorable (pictured below)! Want to learn to paint an accent wall like Riley’s? Check out her step by step tutorial of her process here. 

Doors are another area you can look for necessary for touch ups! Doors often see a lot of wear and tear, and they are the first thing people see before entering a house or room. A well painted front door is also important when it comes to curb appeal. A unique color always grabs attention and stands out - so why not get creative?

More places to paint while you’re home? Cabinets! Areas like your kitchen and bathroom are super important when reselling! These areas cost the most to remodel, and an outdated kitchen or bathroom could greatly decrease your selling price. Although it’s minor, repainting your cabinets could completely change the look of a room, and add a lot of value!

3. New Hardware

While we’re on the topic of the value of putting work into your kitchen and bathroom, let’s talk about new hardware! Replacing old hardware is such an easy project that you can do on your own. From door knobs to faucets, adding modern and cohesive hardware makes your home look cleaner and more up-to-date. 

Having the same type of metal/color throughout your home will make it look more cohesive, rather than having mixed metals that look cluttered and tacky. This is a great project to take on while you’re repainting cabinets, as you can do them at the same time. Cabinets will need to be removed to properly paint, and once they’re dry, it’s a great time to add new knobs. 

This will also have a very satisfying “oh wow!” moment, as your kitchen or bathroom will suddenly look completely new.

This is also a great time to replace your kitchen sink faucet with something more modern, and more useful. A sink with a detachable head is easier for dishes and cleaning, and a sink with a built in water filter is incredibly handy. You can use this opportunity to add even more value to your sink.

4. Tiling

Replacing or adding tile may sound like an intimidating home improvement project, but it’s actually a fairly easy process you can take on with the help of some YouTube research. The real hard part? Picking a favorite from all the tile options!

Since tile is mostly used in kitchens and bathrooms (the rooms that updates add the most value), it’s an extra advantageous move to put a little blood, sweat, and tears into them. And you’d be surprised how affordable this task can actually be! You can find cute tiles at Home Depot for pretty cheap, so don’t fret thinking this task is going to drain your funds.

Besides re-tiling your floors, it’s a great time to re-tile your shower/bath! These updates add a lot of value to your home, and the work is definitely worth the reward. Just see below (left) the difference new tiles can make in a bathroom. The before and after below shows the bathroom one of our founders, Steph, completed. The difference is pretty incredible!

Your kitchen is also a great place to re-tile. A backsplash in your kitchen is not only super cute, but it also is useful and it adds value to your kitchen - one of the rooms that potential buyers focus the most on. Our past client, Chrysta, just added a really fun backsplash to her colorful kitchen (pictured below right). Her pictures also show how fun you can get with painting and hardware at home as well!

5. New Light Fixtures

Updating your lights is a great way to improve your home’s overall aesthetic. A lot of lights that come with homes can be a tad outdated, and changing up your lights is an easy way to make your room a lot cuter.

When installing overhead lights, there are a couple things you need to be cautious about. If you buy a new fixture that is much heavier, make sure that your ceiling can handle the extra weight. It’s also important to be mindful while working with wires and work smartly when installing. Again, YouTube is a great resource!

If you’re wondering where to get cute lights, you can head to our Renovation Shop to see the materials we’ve used in our renovations.

6. Closet Built Ins

Closet built ins are a great way to turn a boring closet with only hanging clothes into something you can really utilize. Adding drawers and shelves frees up space elsewhere and gives you more storage capabilities. A great closet built in adds a lot of home value, especially because of how much people rely on storage space.

There are two ways to undertake a closet built in: order one online or do it all yourself. Even ordering one online will involve a lot of working putting it together, but it will save you some time in that you won’t have to cut wood, paint, etc. But by building your own from scratch, you get a lot of design freedom and can really create your perfect closet. You will also likely save some money, as pre-made closet built ins are often a tad pricey. It’s pretty much up to your personal preference and how much work you want to put in.

Co-founder Kristina designed and built a closet with her partner, Eric, and it turned out incredible (pictured below)! They DIYed the entire thing. While it took a lot of time and work, the end result is awesome, and definitely saved them a lot of money. They spent $700, but if they had purchased a custom closet it would have cost around $2k.

7. Smart Home

Adding smart home features to your house is a great way to add value and home buyers are always impressed when walking through a home with a Nest thermostat over something that has been there since the 80’s. It often gives buyers peace of mind that they don’t need to replace things like this.

Things such as smart thermostats, smoke detectors, security systems, locks and lighting are incredibly cool features, and they’re something you can install yourself. You don’t necessarily have to add every single smart home feature (of course you can if you want) - just pick the few that you want to invest your time and some money into.

As security is an incredibly important thing to most potential buyers, if you were to focus on one smart home feature, we’d suggest smart security systems and locks. It’s a great way to instill confidence in a buyer that they are moving somewhere safe, and can definitely greatly increase their interest in your home.

Looking for more projects to do at home? Follow our Instagram! We love to share the projects our team and clients are working on in their investment properties and homes, so definitely follow us and check out of stories.

Have any questions, or want to learn about selling your home? Contact us here!

Further Reading