Summer is a great season, but with it often comes time-consuming and back-breaking labor associated with DIY home improvement. The costs of getting your house in order can also be a real downer.

This year, we’ve prepared a list of five easy and inexpensive home improvement projects you can do now, while the weather is nice. Instead of dreading these tasks, you can look forward to them as fun activities while increasing the value of your home investment.

1. Clean the Filters & Vents
Maintaining clean vents in your entire home and many of your appliances can have a big impact on your home’s heating and cooling costs. First and foremost are your air conditioning vents. You’ve probably heard many times that you need to change this filter every three months, but do you actually do it? If you need motivation, an AC system running efficiently is much less expensive than one running with a dirty filter. In fact, you’ll be able to save money on your electric bill this summer. Make sure that your AC vents are clean and free of dust as well.

But don’t stop there. Have you ever paused to think how many other filters in your home need changing? What about the vent on your refrigerator? Yes, the vent is in the back and is difficult to get to, but your refrigerator consumes more energy than any other home appliance. It’s important to make sure the filter is clean and unobstructed every few months. The same goes for the filter on your furnace as well.

2. Seal All Windows
Properly sealing all windows in your home can also save you money by making your home more energy-efficient. These are spaces which do nothing more than allow warm air out of your house during the winter, and hot air into your house during the summer. Invest in a few tubes of sealant; the job for an entire house may take less than one hour with a total cost of less than $20.

3. Replace Blinds
Replacing blinds in your home may not do much to save you money, but it is a cheap and easy way to improve the overall “look” of your home if you do it yourself.  The installation procedure is relatively easy, and the result is a much nicer feel to your home.

4. Paint the Walls
Sprucing up any room in your home with a fresh coat of paint can make an old room feel brand new for less than $200. However, don’t be tempted to skimp and buy the cheaper paint just to save a buck. The higher quality paint and supplies will typically last longer and are thus worth the price. As an example, you can use a unique color of paint as the focus of a new bedroom interior design idea.

5. Shampoo Carpets and Clean Furniture
If the only cleaning appliance your carpets have seen is a vacuum, this tip is for you. One of my friends, recently rented a carpet shampooing machine from my local hardware outlet for about $40, spent another $10 on the soap, and in a few hours, he had shampooed all the carpets in his home. Fifty bucks later, his carpet looked so fresh that a friend asked him if he had bought new carpets.

Final Thoughts
So, there you have it – five home improvement projects that you can easily do on your own at a reasonable price, and that are sure to improve the overall appearance of your home. Knock these out now and you won’t have to dread the summer work any longer.

(written by David Bakke)