18 Home Improvement Projects You Can Tackle with Your Tax Refund

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You do n’t have to spend a luck to make update to your home , and even an reaching of a little amount of cash from a revenue enhancement repayment can make many small home plate projects possible . consort to the IRS , the average refund is expected to be more than $ 3,000 this yr , which is plenty to paint a way , add a characteristic wall , or improve your home ’s security measure .

If you ’re look to spruce up your house and boost your householder equity at the same fourth dimension , keep reading . The keep an eye on 18 projects all be less than the average taxation repayment , and they can be complete quickly .

tax refund home improvement projects

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1. Install a Kitchen Island

If you need more workspace in the kitchen , installing an island is a perfect root . you may pick up a ready - to - gather kitchen island with a fumbler block top likethis choice available at Amazonfor around $ 400 . A custom - made island , designed to match your survive kitchen style , will pass a bit gamy , up to $ 2,500 , but for that cost , you could have agranite or quartz countertop .

2. Paint Your House

Nothing boost curb appeal quite like a fresh pelage ofexterior paint . If your turnout is in need of a little TLC , consider spending that tax repayment on a new paint line . A professional house panther may charge around $ 3,000 to paint a received undivided - account , 1,500 - square - animal foot rest home , but you’re able to do the business yourself for around $ 600 , using a gamy - quality acrylic exterior blusher .

3. Shape Up with Shiplap

If you desire a paries treatment that ’s a step up from key , consider installingshiplapon one or more home walls to add grain and optical interest to a elbow room . This design element is perfect for traditional , mod farmhouse , and country - contemporary dwelling house . Shiplap is affordable and make a good DIY project — materials cost $ 2 to $ 7 per square foot . If you prefer professional installation , plan on spend an extra $ 2 to $ 3 per square human foot .

4. Add Old World Charm with Faux Ceiling Beams

If your house was built using standard construction methods but you long for the allure of post - and - ray of light mental synthesis , you may achieve the look with today ’s incredibly realistic fauxceiling beam of light . design from lightweight , gamy - density polyurethane , they ’re hard to severalize apart from the real matter . Expect to pay $ 22 to $ 30 per linear foot for the beams , which are DIY - friendly and come with installation instructions . Professional installation will add together another $ 2 to $ 5 per lineal foot .

5. Construct Your Own Fire Pit

Enjoy the out-of-doors long after the Lord’s Day rig by adding a fire pit to your backyard . Fire pitsdeliver the rustic ambiance of a campfire in a safely contained unit , making them suitable for residential neighborhood . Nothing overreach gathering around a crackle flaming when you want to create the good atmosphere for excogitate friendship and comradeliness . For $ 1,400 or less , depending on the materials you choose , you canbuild your own fire pitand add a whole new property to after - dusk entertaining .

6. Add a Trendy Tile Backsplash

you’re able to upgrade the look of your kitchen without breaking the bank . Tile backsplashes are all the craze , and install one is a fairly simple DIY project for a handy householder . Among the trendy options , upright subway tiles , shimmery opalescent glass , and soft born stone tiles are popular right now . ask to pay between $ 3,600 and $ 1,350 , depending on the type of roofing tile you pick out and the sizing of your kitchen . Professional installation could add as much as $ 1,000 to the overall project cost .

7. Install a Raised Flower Bed

landscape gardening does n’t have to be an all - embrace chore . you could boost your curb charm and add a colorful focal point to your yard with a single raise flower bed likethis highly rated choice usable at Amazon — a best-loved inour researched vendee ’s scout . If you opt to design and work up your own , depend on your pick of materials , you’re able to construct an 80 - square - foot raise bed for about $ 800 to $ 1,200 . ask to bear $ 1,500 to $ 2,000 for professional installing .

8. Dress Up Your Windows

If your nursing home has an uninspiring front yard , debate add color and informal cottage collection with shutter or window boxes . This DIY upgrade costs about $ 100 to $ 300 per window for woodlet - style vinyl shutters , which come up in a handful of pre - painted colouring . Or , you may splurge and yield up to $ 400 per set for sequoia shutters and reach an upscale born facial expression . Top off the appeal with windowpane boxes that run for $ 50 to $ 125 for each one .

9. Mount a Mini Bathroom Makeover

full bathroom remodels can tend upward of $ 11,000 , but a mini lavatory makeover costs much less and can shift the entire expression and feel of the room . Replace an outdated vanity with a voguish quartz glass - topped model ( with pre - shaped cesspit ) for between $ 500 and $ 1,800 , depend on size . Then , paint the privy a bracing unexampled vividness and switch out towel bars and the crapper seat for an extra $ 200 . You ’ll have a whole new lav , thanks to your tax refund .

10. Belly Up to a Breakfast Bar

For a quick pungency or a centrally located post for the Thomas Kid to do their homework , you may love the convenience of a breakfast saloon . To integrate the addition into the current floorplan , look at installing the barroom along the butt of a kitchen island or along an adjacent rampart . The textile for a build - your - own bar start around $ 250 , but you may drop as much as $ 1,500 for a pre - built model . For building reference , standard counter height is 36 inches ( for role with chair ) and ginmill tallness is 40 to 42 inches ( for enjoyment withbarstools ) .

11. Add Interest with Wainscoting

Upgrade detergent builder - grade home wall with wainscoting to sum up classic panache and a touch of elegance . Wainscoting , which measures 32 column inch high , is available in preformed beadboard and ornate panel designs . The materials to build your own will persist $ 7 to $ 40 per square pes , including the top chair board trim . While an enthusiastic DIYer can establish wainscoting , less confident homeowners can have it professionally installed for an extra $ 5 to $ 6 per square groundwork .

12. Dress Up Sidewalks with Brick Edging

Enhancing the feel of your landscape painting can be as simple as addingbrick edgingalong the sides of your existing sidewalk . Brick adds a classic sense of touch and visually widen the pavement , take a crap it wait more inviting . No professional installation is required , and you may pay anywhere from 60¢ up to $ 5 per brick paver , depending on quality and coloring . The sand you ’ll need to stabilize the bricks can be bought in bulk from a local lumberyard for less than $ 2 per 5 - gallon bucket .

13. Install a New Entry Door

If you want to spiff up your curb appeal quickly , deliberate replacing a drabentry door with a trendy new model . Steel security system doors jump around $ 1,000 and are available in a diverseness of coloring and wood - look surface textures , while a literal reddish brown entry door , complete with matching sidelight , starts around $ 3,000 . Professional instalment will add another $ 300 to $ 500 .

14. Add Convenience with a Garage Door Opener

If you ’re stock of manually opening and conclusion yourgarage doorsevery time you leave or return home plate , make biography easier by set up a garage door opener on each door likethis onefrom ourresearched guidebook to the best service department doorway openers . Openers run $ 150 to $ 500 , and they come with complete installing teaching . If you favor to have them professionally installed , project to pass another $ 250 to $ 450 per opener .

15. Create a Compost Bin

Upgrade your gardening game and decrease your impact on the satellite by adding a compost ABA transit number to your railyard . While you may build acompost binful from palletsfor minimal cost , there are off - the - shelf options that range from $ 50 to $ 150 or more . A favorite in ourresearched guide to the best compost bank identification number choice , this37 - gallon acrobatics composteroffers an well-to-do room to store and rotate the compost .

16. Stage a Pantry Makeover

Take control of the larder and customize nutrient organization with shelves and BIN that makes every daytime meal prep easier . Building a wholly new walk - in larder can cost from $ 1,000 to $ 3,000 , but merely adding strategic DIY shelves , labels , and bins to an existing buttery be much less . find out out some of our pantry product nibble and the fullElfa pantry systemfrom the Container Store in our clause onpantry brass ideas .

17. Upgrade the Sump Pump

Consider storm prep as a wise investment for that piffling stash of taxation refund cash . While there are many way to secure a home from likely storms , one all important direction for many is having a reliable cesspit pump . If you already have a sump ticker , but notice there are more storm recently , study upgrading it to a smart sump pump that provides users updates on a smartphone or a urine - power translation that does n’t need a battery change . For example , thissmart sink pumpin ourresearched guide to the best sink pumpscosts less than $ 300 . Professional installation can lend $ 800 or more to the cost .

18. Install a Smart Security System

home base security can be a fresh investment . If you do n’t have a home security system in office , your tax refund could make that happen . While there are a variety of ways to secure a home , a surety tv camera system is among the easiest to install . A typical installment can cost about $ 1,500 , with each tv camera and the size of the home affecting the overall cost . For those who are novel to protection systems , a starter kit likethis onethat is the top overall pick in ourresearched template to home security measure systemsstarts at about $ 600 and includes two room access and windowpane sensor , a flowage sensing element , and a move sensor .

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