Summer is a great time for home improvement projects! It’s a proven fact that when the weather is good and the sun is shining, you are apt to feel more energetic, ready to achieve goals and are more open to change. What I’ve learned to do is make a list, room by room, itemized by all the things I need to repair or improve, and those big-ticket projects that loom in my future.

Granted some of those major home repair and remodeling items may be best saved for professionals. However there are plenty of summer maintenance and repairs that can be done to increase the resale value of your home that can be done yourself.

Here are some basic, simple repairs and maintenance that you can do this summer, most times in just a weekend:

Beautify your entryway
Beyond your landscaping; what’s the first thing people notice about your home? Well, of course, your porch and door. Welcome your visitors, and look forward to coming home each day, with an inviting entryway. A fresh coat of paint on your front door is an easy and inexpensive way to freshen up the look of your home; you may even want to give it a new color to add contrast. Add a small bench or table and chair, some seasonal flowers in nice pots and perhaps updated lighting and you will transform your entryway into an inviting space.

Renew faucets and hardware
If your kitchen or bathroom sinks and countertops are in good condition yet you still feel like these rooms need a little improvement, try updating the faucets and hardware. You can transform the entire look of your kitchen and bathroom by simply replacing the faucets and hardware such as door pulls and knobs with a new finish, color and style. You’d be surprised how different these rooms will look by adding a country style bronzed faucet, a brushed-nickel kitchen pullout faucet and matching hardware or revamp the bathroom with ultra-modern sleek chrome faucets and doorknobs.

Give new life to baseboards
Believe it or not; you can breathe new life into your home simply by replacing, repairing or painting your baseboards throughout your home. New white baseboards will revive your interior giving it a clean, crisp look; just remember to repaint the trim and doors as needed to match. What an easy weekend project to achieve during the summer months when you can escape outside with the family while the baseboards and trim are drying.

Restore cabinets to look like new
While your cabinets themselves may be in good structural shape, the outside of them may be scratched, worn and faded with time and use. You can quickly improve the look of faded wood and worn cabinets with a light sanding and either a new coat of paint or stain. As you can see below, adding new hardware and refinishing your cabinets, you can have a whole new kitchen!

Take advantage of the warm summer months with some easy maintenance and repair. When you are spending most of your time indoors this coming winter, seeing these things on a daily basis, you’ll be glad you took advantage of the summer months to do these home improvements.

About the Author: Joaquin Erazo, Jr. is the Chief Marketing Officer of Case Design/Remodeling, Inc. He helps clients achieve designer results in their home by giving expert advice in his blogs. He is instrumental in showing clients what can be achieved with any budget.