• Refresh the exterior.
• First impressions count. Repair and paint the trim and shutters and gutters, shingles, mailbox, window screens, walkways and driveway.
• Pressure wash vinyl siding, and wash the windows.
• Mow the lawn and edge it. Weed the flowerbeds and other decorative areas.
• Remove trash, especially along the fence and under hedges.
• Sweep the street curb.
• Brighten the entry front door area,
• Paint with a glossy cheerful color that complements the exterior.
• A new doorknob and lock will be a good finishing touch for that new looking front door.
• A new seasonal or "homey" doormat is a good mood setter for touring prospective buyers. Maybe some flowers fitting the season will get on the `good side' of the buyer prospect.

Other good selling points include a make over for bathroom and kitchen.

Remodel a bathroom on a budget is a great beginning to improve the living space value and the enjoyment of your home. Some helpful ideas should include:

• Look at the location of your current sink and tub or shower and toilet. It will cost less to put new ones in the same location. You will not have to go to the time and cost of hiring a plumber and rerun the pipes.
• A bathtub or shower can be moved with less expense than moving the location of the toilet. The toilet requires the soil stack pipe to be reinstalled.
• Older fittings can usually be replaced with some basic know how about plumbing. For instance, many toilets can be given a fresh new appearance by replacing the seat itself. The holes in the back will usually line up OK for several styles. The exception to this might be the new designed toilets which use less water for flushing. These are more oval and the water swirls in a circle instead of the old style. So the new design requires the oval seat as well.
• A new seat and set of tank covers and floor mat could give a whole new look form a fraction of the cost.

A whole new shower enclosure may be outside the budget but adding a shower is feasible since the bath/shower mixer will fit into your existing brassware holes.

It is important to spend a little time researching the `how to' videos available in most hardware sales stores. Some have videotapes or CDs you can take home for a few days if you buy the fixtures at the store.

Also there is a lot of information on the Internet about how to convert the tub fixture into a shower & tub setup. Some require that you make a 2nd hole in the top of the tub enclosure and others have a pipe which is 3 feet tall +- that even has a swing arm to lower the shower head closer to the tub.

Whichever fixture you choose, some basic tools and sealants will be needed. It is recommended you get all your supplies at once so the time the project requires will be less and frustration less. No one likes to go to the parts store 3 times when once will do it. Many fixtures come in a complete kit to remove the travel time needed for more trips to the store.

Also a new coat of paint, some mirror tiles or other decorative tiles will dress up your bath room. A new counter top color coordinated to match the new paint will really be a brightener. Some new cupboard doors may just be needed and the hinges to install them.

Keep in mind that lighter colors give the impression of a larger room. Sometimes lowering an old ceiling will make the room look newer and also warmer. There are frames of metal that can be hung, and then water resistant panels inserted in the framing will be a fine finishing touch to an older bathroom needing remodeled.

Always it is a wise idea to check the toilet wax ring when the project includes new flooring. Leaking toilet will soon destroy the new flooring.

Some of these same steps will update your kitchen as well. New paint is a beginning and latex base water clean up paint is a beginning. Some painters recommend an oil base for wood trim. With woodwork, a good sanding job is the beginning.

Washing the woodwork to remove oil, grease etc is the first step. Masking tape will protect the areas you do not want to paint. It is fast and easy to put on and take off. There is straight edge cutting in pieces to also help keep the paint off the wrong place. Fast clean up is the key to a happier painter mood when you are finished.

New cupboard doors add a great deal. Some folks like oak doors, others like painted wood doors. Which ever your preference, shop around. New hardware will be the best idea in the long run.

Young families may want linoleum or vinyl floor covering and new flooring goes a long way to upgrade the kitchen. If you have the patience to lay floor tiles one piece at a time, this `do it yourself' project can save a lot of money. The modern glues and measuring tools make the job much easier than laying a whole 8x12 piece of floor covering.

Some families where spills are lots less because residents are middle aged will want to think about kitchen carpet. It can be lovely and warmer and is not difficult to maintain with a carpet-cleaning machine. The new fibers clean up well. Each homeowner will choose the pattern and style they like, and match their paint and cupboards.