Yes, home ownership requires making changes and improving the property, but having the mindset of "adding value" from a real estate standpoint is not as important as "adding value" from a lifestyle standpoint. Anything you do to improve your home should also improve or add to your life. Life is too short to be improving things simply for the monetary reward, especially if it's the place you actually call home.

ORGANIZE

Not only is it important to organize your physical home, and belongings, but it's also important to organize the cleaning and maintenance. If you have issues that need to be fixed, tackle these before you jump into the mini renovation projects. Professional tradesmen will be able to sort out many of the problems in your property, and can help you establish a budget for issues that need to be addressed. While the budget is being restored from fixing and repairing you can tackle organizing, because that doesn't typically cost much, and you can make money by selling items you no longer need. A cleaned, organized, and repaired home is anyone's dream, it will add to the overall quality of life, and shift your perspective a bit if you're dreaming of a new, "better" home.

It's also important to feel secure in our homes. We can protect the home the home in many ways, perhaps install new locks, add a security system, or simply add a safety bar to your sliding door. Do what makes home feel secure for your family.

KITCHEN UPGRADES

A kitchen remodel doesn't have to be extravagant, over the top, and take six months out of your life. One can simply improve the kitchen by adding new hardware. Learning basic DIY will allow you to add a few more improvements, like possibly adding floating shelves to one wall in the kitchen. Displaying your favorite dishes will make your kitchen feel more cozy, and more like you. A couple of new light fixtures, a new rug, and painting the kitchen island, aren't expensive upgrades either.

BATHROOM UPGRADES

New decor in the bathrooms is a beautiful way to give these spaces a lift. If you don't have the money for new tile or a new vanity, consider a new mirror or new hand towels. This is a start. And a clean bathroom always looks best, and feels best, despite and old rusty tub.

If you're handy you can change and revamp the bathroom pretty easily, since it's such a small space. This is one of the first spaces that people often remodel. Flooring and tiling doesn't cost too much because so little is required. The true expenses are the toilet, tub/shower, and vanity.

SHELVING

Shelving will help remove things off the floor, and allow you to showcase your favorite treasures. In a way I feel like shelves really show off the personality of the home, this and the artwork on the walls. Shelving helps with organization and purging too, because if you don't love something you will likely keep it off of a shelf for everyone to see.

SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable living at home is always a goal for most of us; we want to collect rainwater, and have an efficient and eco-friendly watering system, we want solar panels installed, etc. But it's hard to do all of this on a tight budget. This can be started with simple composting and recycling, and adding plants throughout the home will make the air cleaner. Planting outdoors will help the pollinators, especially if you plant native plants. Creating a separate flower garden in a planter box or even in your yard is a simple idea during the spring. This makes your outdoor space more beautiful and welcoming.

Also consider to improve the home by way of an extension, like and added space above the garage. This space can be rented out for extra income, or serve a private retreat for your guests. While this wouldn't be a "simple" renovation, it would be one worth considering. Imagine beautiful warm lighting coming from the windows above your garage, housing a personal studio or library, and timber garage doors below would be the perfect doors to compliment such a cozy space.