Home improvement can be a costly endeavor, but there are ways to upgrade your home without going into debt or ransacking your savings. Painting, re-grouting tile, and power washing are simple do-it-yourself projects that can make your house look fresher and increase the value of your home.

A number of factors have contributed to the expansion of the home improvement industry. After World War II, returning veterans embraced the idea of home ownership and suburbanization, and government mortgage insurance programs made it affordable to buy and build homes. Popular television shows such as Bob Vila’s This Old House and Trading Spaces further promoted home improvement as a fun and worthwhile hobby for homeowners.

Many of the most popular home improvement projects add functionality to the living space of the home, such as adding a bathroom or an extra bedroom. These renovations often pay for themselves in reduced energy costs, and they can also increase the value of the home if it becomes more attractive to potential buyers.

Other projects that can increase the value of your home include replacing older windows with newer, more efficient models, or adding insulation. These energy-saving upgrades typically pay for themselves in reduced utility bills, and they can also make your home more appealing to potential buyers by lowering the cost of owning and operating it. Keeping up with routine maintenance tasks like replacing doorknobs and cleaning rain gutters can also be effective for improving your home’s curb appeal.