6 Easy DIY Fixes to Make to Your Home Before Putting It on the Market

Trying to sell your old home so you can move as soon as possible? Chances are good that you’ll have to make a few fixes and improvements before putting it on the market. While some fixer-upper projects require professionals, others can easily be accomplished by yourself (or with the help of a few handy friends). Here are 6 easy DIY fixes that anyone can make to their current home to make it more appealing to potential buyers. All you need is a little patience and a few tools to get started. Good luck and happy DIY-ing!

Paint the front door

Want to make a good first impression? Paint your front door a fun color to step up the curb appeal. Fortunately, this is not something you need to spend big bucks on or hire professionals to handle. Any homeowner is perfectly capable of painting their front door themselves. A few tools you may need: exterior primer, exterior paint, a wide paint brush, screwdrivers to remove the door and knob, a paint roller and sandpaper. According to Lowes, the first step is to remove the door and all hardware. Make sure to move it to a good place inside where you can paint. If the door is made of wood, it will need to be sanded down first. Lowes instructs to “paint the door from the top down, using a wide brush for corners … and a small roller for flat panels.” Painting a door may take the afternoon but the results will be well-worth the effort!

Install crown molding

Want to know an easy way to add charm to your home? Install crown molding around the floors, ceilings, windows and doorways. Crown molding can give any room an instant facelift, lending it that craftsman-style elegance that so many home buyers want in a home. If you’re keen on installing crown molding in your house, all you’ll need are a few tools and a free weekend. Though – we won’t lie to you – installing crown molding can be time consuming. I highly recommend enlisting a few friends (and maybe a handy carpenter) to help out. According to the diy network, your tools should include a tape measure, power miter saw, ladder, hammer, coping saw, caulk gun, safety glasses, crown molding, paintable caulk and nails. For more information on how to cut and install crown molding for your home, check here.

Replace knobs and pulls

Perhaps the easiest way to spruce up your place is to simply switch out old knobs and pulls for new ones. Whether they’re a bit eccentric or they’re dated, replacing the knobs and pulls on various drawers and cabinets is a simple way to touch up the kitchen and bathrooms. First, you’ll need to find and purchase the knobs and pulls that you need. You can find quality hardware at Home Depot, Houzz.com, and your local hardware stores. After you’ve found the right knobs and pulls for your cabinets, gather all of your tools together. If the cabinets already have holes that work for your new knobs and pulls, then all you have to do is simply unscrew the old ones out and screw the new ones in. If the existing holes do not work with your new hardware, you’ll need to drill new holes in the drawers and paint over the existing holes. Tools you’ll need include: a drill, a measuring tape, painters tape and paint.

Clean the grout

Before selling your home, this is an absolute must. Over time, tile in bathrooms and mudrooms can acquire plenty of dirt and grime inside all of that narrow grout. To make it white and shiny again, you can either make your own at-home solution or you can utilize stronger products, such as OxiClean. To make your own solution, Bob Vila suggests filling a spray bottle with a half-and-half solution of vinegar and warm water, and spraying it on the grout. Let it sit for a few minutes then scrub. For deepers stains, he suggests first covering the grout with baking soda and water, then spraying on the vinegar and water solution.

Fix the squeaky doors

Does your door make an awful squeaking sound every time you open or close it? No, your house isn’t haunted. It’s actually just the old door hinges! All they need is a little maintenance to erase the wear-and-tear over the years. According to The Family Handyman, all you’ll need are rags, a hammer, petroleum jelly and an 8d finish nail. The website instructs to first loosen the hinge pins by tapping it with a nail underneath. Then pull the hinge pin out and coat it with the petroleum jelly. Reinsert and tada! Your door should no longer squeak. For a visual of these directions, check here.

Touch up the caulking

Over time, the caulking against a wall can begin to separate. You may notice this around your bathtub, bathroom vanity, pipes, windows and doors. Thankfully, cracks in caulking are a common mishap in an older home, and can easily be fixed. There’s no reason to hire a professional to patch up the caulking around the house when you can do it yourself. According to Lowes, you’ll need a utility knife, wire brush, painters tape, a caulk gun, caulk finishing tool, caulk tube stopper, caulk, a remover solution, rags and cleanup supplies. You’ll want to remove all old caulk and clean the surface as best you can. Apply painters tape for cleaner lines. Then begin caulking by pulling – not pushing – the caulk gun along the line. Hold the tube at a 45-degree angle and apply a light pressure as you move it along the line. For more specific instructions, check Lowes’ how-to on caulking.