33 Home Upgrades That Cost Less Than $100

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

Couple picking a paint color for their home
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock.com

Sometimes home improvements are out of reach for the moment. A kitchen upgrade can cost tens of thousands of dollars you might not have to spend right now.

Other improvements — a roof replacement, for example — are unavoidable, but expensive and unsatisfying.

But, if want to spruce up your home, there are plenty of doable projects that are affordable and make a difference.

The following improvements should run under $100 and will help make your home look and feel like a million bucks.

1. Paint the front door

Front door on old brick home
1000 Words / Shutterstock.com

Painting your whole house? That’s an expensive project that takes time. But painting the front door gives the front of your house a fresh, new look in an afternoon.

Did you know that painting your front door with black or dark charcoal exterior house paint could boost a home’s sale price? Zillow, in a 2022 analysis of property listing photos, found that homes with black front doors sell for $6,449 more than expected.

2. Add a bird feeder

Kichigin / Shutterstock.com

Add a bird feeder for your feathered friends to visit near a kitchen or living room window, and you’ll draw a bit of natural beauty and song to your yard. A feeder needn’t be fancy — you will find a range of options and prices.

3. Add path lighting

Path of pavers in a lawn
Bespaliy / Shutterstock.com

Add a little romance to your sidewalk or garden path with solar-powered lights, and you’ll also add curb appeal and safe stepping for guests in the evenings.

These lights, for example, cost well under $100 for a set of six.

4. Paint the porch floor

Porch with rocking chairs
Christopher Edwin Nuzzaco / Shutterstock.com

Painting the front porch floor is an easy, cheap way to improve curb appeal.

Depending on the size of your porch, it should only take a gallon or two of paint plus the cost of a roller and pan. You can rent a pressure washer for prepping the surface. Choose a paint or stain that's tough enough for use underfoot and that’s meant to be used outdoors.

5. Paint the garage door

Garage doors on town homes
Elena Elisseeva / Shutterstock.com

As with the front door and the porch floor, the garage door is a good place to make a difference with a fresh coat of paint or stain.

Once again, make certain to ask your paint store professional to sell you a product made for the purpose and material you have in mind.

6. Add mulch

Garden bed with mulch
Ozgur Coskun / Shutterstock.com

Laying down mulch on your garden beds or around the base of trees can quickly make your yard look tidier. It can also spare you a lot of weeding, prevent erosion, save water and, depending on what material you use, improve the soil.

Mulch comes in a variety of colors, textures and materials.

Check out Home Depot’s mulch calculator to help you plan.

7. Update a light fixture

Woman changing light bulbs
YuryRyzhenko / Shutterstock.com

You can run up a big bill with fancy track lighting and other expensive fixtures. Still, you can find plenty of less costly pendant lights and lanterns available to hang over a kitchen table or spruce up a hallway. Many of them cost well under $100.

8. Replace the porch light

Olga Steckel / Shutterstock.com

Has your affection dimmed for the porch light that came with your house?

Or maybe you think it’s wise to install an additional exterior light near the back door or garage.

Porch lights come in all shapes, sizes and styles, with plenty of choices under $100.

9. Make a chalkboard wall

Chalkboard wall in kitchen
Photographee.eu / Shutterstock.com

Chalkboard paint can transform a kitchen wall into a place to keep a grocery or chores list and an art spot where family and guests can doodle. In a child’s room, a chalkboard wall is a pallet for art that changes as the occupant grows up. In a home office … well, it just looks hipper than a whiteboard.

Another idea is to apply magnetic primer under interior house paint, so you can use refrigerator magnets for posting notes and art on a wall.

Bob Vila, the home improvement expert, has tips for success with magnetic primers.

10. Add a fire pit

Teens roasting marshmallows around a firepit
Monkey Business Images / Shutterstock.com

You can make a fire pit in your backyard with simple pavers or bricks, buy a cozy one from Amazon for under $100 or spend thousands of dollars on a gas-fed designer fire pit for your elegant poolside patio.

Whatever your budget, it’s nice to gather around a fire in the backyard and chat.

11. Seal or stain your wood deck

Person staining a wooden deck.
Dagmara_K / Shutterstock.com

Wood decks don’t last forever. But they will last a lot longer and look better if you stain or seal them every couple of years.

The cost of stains or sealants will vary depending on the size and surface of your deck. Ask a paint store expert for help choosing the right product.

Whatever you spend, it will be far less than the deck replacement that will be required if you neglect the original deck for too long. But it may require some serious elbow grease.

12. Insulate water pipes

Pipe insulation
Wichien Tepsuttinun / Shutterstock.com

Admittedly, this upgrade is boring. But it’s easy, and it will save you money.

You can insulate pipes that carry hot water through a cold basement or crawl space with foam pipe insulation — pre-slit, hollow-core, flexible “sleeves” made of polyethylene or neoprene foam.

Before shopping, make sure you know the diameter of the pipes you are insulating.

13. Paint anything

Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com
Syda Productions / Shutterstock.com

There’s no quicker fix at home than a can of fresh interior wall paint.

Use it to give new life to dingy wood furniture. Try a new color in your bedroom or bathroom. Or paint the ceiling a soft sky blue.

HGTV has 50 ideas for projects requiring a single can of paint.

14. Update a bathroom faucet

Lucien Milasan / Shutterstock.com
Lucien Milasan / Shutterstock.com

This Old House says that replacing an old faucet with a shiny new one is a doable project for homeowners; this video shows how to change kitchen and bathroom faucets.

Tip: Find a new faucet with the same finish as your other bathroom fixtures. Although prices range widely, there are plenty of choices under $100.

15. Dress up an old sofa

Andreas G. Karelias / Shutterstock.com
Andreas G. Karelias / Shutterstock.com

Give the couch new life by pulling a slipcover over its tired old self.

Amazon has dozens of inexpensive slipcovers in solid colors and floral prints.

With any remaining cash, jazz up your “new” couch with some new throw pillows.

16. Update cabinet hardware

hand opening cabinet door
Rozhkova Irina / Shutterstock.com

If your kitchen and bathroom look dated but you can’t replace the cabinets, replacing the cabinet hardware gives rooms a new look.

Shopping tips:

  • Remove one handle or drawer pull to see the number of screws and spacing required. Your new hardware will need to have the same configuration.
  • Before shopping, take stock of your room’s style and browse home decorating magazines to identify the look of the hardware you want. For example, do you want pulls or handles? Sleek and modern? Old world? Recycled and eclectic?

There is a huge selection of pulls and knobs on Amazon and also on Houzz. If you are looking for a vintage look or trying to match the hardware on an older house, check out building salvage stores in your area.

17. Create order with pegboard storage

ollytheoutlier / Shutterstock.com

The old-fashioned workshop staple of pegboard storage is still a great system for bringing order to any room.

You can purchase and assemble the components individually. Or use a kit, like these organizing systems. You’ll find many variations to suit different size spaces and needs — whether it’s a garage organizing system or a setup for garden tools.

18. Tackle carpet stains

Dragon Images / Shutterstock.com
Dragon Images / Shutterstock.com

Take a Saturday morning and give your carpets some TLC at virtually no cost, using a solution of white vinegar and water to tackle stains. Or read consumers’ reviews to find carpet cleaning products you want to try.

For carpets stained beyond your powers of restoration, consider using a professional carpet cleaning service. Have only the most heavily trafficked room done if you need to keep costs low.

When looking for a professional service, make sure you’re comparing apples with apples: Some services charge by the room, others by the square foot.

19. Reupholster an ottoman

Oleksandr Berevsky / Shutterstock.com
Oleksandr Berevsky / Shutterstock.com

Grab a staple gun, a little upholstery fabric and a simple piece of furniture — like an ottoman — and give it new life.

Brooke Ulrich, DIY blogger at All Things Thrifty, explains how to tackle reupholstering. Here’s a quick video with a genius trick for removing old fabric from furniture, which she says is one of the hardest parts of the job.

Shop for a piece of furniture with simple lines at a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a thrift shop or Craigslist. Also, try a search online for “fabric outlet” and “discount upholstery fabric.” JoAnn fabrics and craft stores’ frequent sales, discounts and coupons allow for big savings.

20. String fairy lights

indoor fairy lights coffee tablet sweater interior
Alena Ozerova / Shutterstock.com

String up some lights indoors to bring a cheery ambience to your evenings. Here’s an example, at Amazon, of very inexpensive copper wire string lights that you can shape as desired.

Caution: Read all instructions carefully and make certain that, if they’re going outdoors, you’ve chosen waterproof products designed for outside use.

21. Swap out your shower curtain, bath mat and towels

Bathroom with colorful shower curtain
Artazum / Shutterstock.com

There are so many beautiful shower curtains to choose from on Amazon and elsewhere — functional bathroom art!

With this inexpensive upgrade, you might also consider replacing those threadbare towels with new bath towels. These few changes will improve the look and experience in your bathroom.

22. Install a front door kick plate

Bobkeenan Photography / Shutterstock.com
Bobkeenan Photography / Shutterstock.com

A kick plate is a broad strip of polished metal used horizontally along the bottom edge of a front door to protect it from scratches, kicks and dog paws. Kick plates are decorative as well as functional.

Change your old kick plate for a new one, or install a kick plate if you haven’t used one before. Choose one with a finish that meshes with the finish on your existing exterior hardware.

23. Paint exterior shutters and trim

Busy House Painter Painting the Trim And Shutters of A Home.
By Andy Dean Photography / Shutterstock.com

A fresh coat of paint or two on shutters and trim provides a quick, easy shot in the arm for your home’s exterior.

Paint all of the trim or just the window trim. If you are short on time or materials, repaint only the front-facing trim. It’s safest to use an exterior paint color that’s already part of your home’s exterior color scheme.

24. Install new door handles

Door handle
Titikul_B / Shutterstock.com

Put attractive new knobs or handles on interior doors and closets.

For family members who are aging, arthritic or disabled, make life easier by replacing knobs with easier-to-grasp door levers like these at Home Depot.

25. Make a new headboard

Everything / Shutterstock.com
Everything / Shutterstock.com

Craft a new headboard or refurbish your old one. If you scrounge for free and cheap materials, you can do it for less than $50.

DIY Network has 65 ideas and photos for upgrading headboards. This Old House shows how to make an upholstered headboard in eight steps.

26. Rearrange bookshelves

Evgeny Karandaev / Shutterstock.com
Evgeny Karandaev / Shutterstock.com

“Style” the contents of your bookshelves with artistic flair. Better Homes & Gardens has inspiration and tips. This is a fun, creative project, so spend some time and enjoy it.

Among BHG’s tips:

  • Treat each shelf as a display, and then stand back and make sure all the shelves work well together.
  • Position some items off-center on a shelf.
  • Place some books in horizontal stacks and use the stacks as bookends for books shelved vertically.
  • Don’t pack treasures and collections on every shelf.
  • Use bookshelves as a gallery for framed photos or art.

27. Rearrange furniture

Alex_Po / Shutterstock.com
Alex_Po / Shutterstock.com

Ask someone whose home styling skills you admire to help you see your home and possessions in a new light. Stay open to change and new ideas.

Here are “10 Secrets to Finding Quality Secondhand Furniture.”

28. Add container plants

photoiconix / Shutterstock.com
photoiconix / Shutterstock.com

New plants dress up your home’s porch and garden and create great curb appeal. You can start plants from seed or relocate existing plans into pots to save money.

If you want to buy plants, your local garden store or nursery may have a half-price area from which it sells cast-offs. Often, watering and care is all they need.

Read: “Selling Your Home: Here’s How to Create Maximum Curb Appeal.”

29. Install new house numbers

Frontier Sights / Shutterstock.com
Frontier Sights / Shutterstock.com

Change out your old house numbers. Find new ones with an online search or at hardware stores. It’s an opportunity to express your home’s uniqueness and style.

30. Give light-switch covers new life

A man flips a light switch
SpeedKingz / Shutterstock.com

Give those grimy old light-switch covers new life: Toss them out and treat yourself to new ones. Or, for a fun project that will save money, cover your existing plates with decoupage.

31. Make a faux tile backsplash

NantukelPhotography / Shutterstock.com
NantukelPhotography / Shutterstock.com

This is more than a simple painting job but offers amazing results. A painted kitchen backsplash mimics the contemporary look of stone and glass tiles, minus the costly tile. The project requires a lot of preparatory taping.

For instructions and photos, check out the blog Reality Daydream.

32. Make a Mason jar lamp

Ezume Images / Shutterstock.com
Ezume Images / Shutterstock.com

Mason jar lamps continue to be trendy. A YouTube video by TheSorryGirls takes you step by step through the process of making one.

If a single-jar lamp isn’t enough of a challenge, and you have plenty of Mason canning jars, look for instructions online for making a Mason jar chandelier. Stick to using found materials to keep your costs down.

33. Give your home a deep cleaning

Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock.com
Yuganov Konstantin / Shutterstock.com

If you’re stuck in a rut, try using Oprah.com’s checklist, timeline and instructions for deeply, thoroughly cleaning your home in eight hours. Oprah.com calls it “spring cleaning,” but don’t let that stop you from doing it in any season. You’ll feel wonderfully virtuous for doing it.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.