If you just bought a cheap house and you want to fancy it up, don't bother dumping tens-of-thousands into it. There's an easier way that's every bit as good, on the surface at least. Okay, well, it's actually "at most", but still.- Fix broken windows. If you need to, replace them with new, thermal windows. Whole house will only be $3,000 if you price it out right, requesting enough bids.
- Replace outlets, switches and light fixtures. The plugs should be $2 each, décor switches are also about $2, and sparkly new light fixtures can be had for under $20. That means it's only $300 for the whole house, and it will look really great.
- For just $2,000, if you time and price it right, you can get the whole place re-carpeted. Repaint the house first though, so you only ruin old carpets by not masking.
- Repaint the house inside, and outside if you must. Inside can be done in a weekend, and you won't need to mask off the house if new carpet is coming next week.
- Mow the yard and hose down the siding. Don't re-side the house (which is crazy expensive), and don't paint, just hose it down to cleanliness and it will look a thousand-miles better.
- If there's a fence outside, paint it. If there are weeds, pull them. If the grass is brown, water it.
- Clean and polish absolutely everything. Clear the vents, take stains off the kitchen walls, and make sure the bathroom looks good-as-new.
