1. Refinish the front door. Paint or stain, and add some new weather stripping. First impressions are important. A front door in need of work may give the wrong impression of your house.

2. Paint the interior. Use a light, neutral color throughout most of the house. Choosing more contemporary and vibrant colors for a few rooms, can increase the value of your home.  If you haven't painted in 10 years or more, your ceiling may begin to look dull. Freshly painted ceilings will brighten your home.

3. Refinish your floors. Scratched and worn hardwood floors, broken tiles and shabby carpets can decrease the value of your home. You may need to replace your flooring, or refinish and repair where possible.

4. Replace kitchen cabinet hardware. While kitchens are the most expensive rooms to remodel, replacing the kitchen cabinet hardware with self-closing hinges and new knobs or pulls is a quick and inexpensive way to put a new face on your kitchen.

5. Replace kitchen countertops. This is a rather expensive project, but  less than 15 percent of the cost of starting over. Replacing your kitchen counters can be done in one day.