Normal day-to-day wear-and-tear will eventually degrade the appearance of any home—both inside and out. As a homeowner, you must keep up with maintenance and care for your property, particularly if you wish to sell or rent it out. When reselling a home, you can easily lose more than 10 to 20 percent of the property’s worth if it has any significant damages. The following is a list of helpful tips and tricks for home improvement:

1. Give your home some curb appeal

Your home’s exterior sets the tone for what is within; whether you’re planning to sell or just want to beautify your home for your own pleasure, improving curb appeal is frequently a simple and affordable method to make your home seem better and increase its worth. If you plan ahead and choose the repairs that will make the most difference, you can even increase the property’s curb appeal in a single day or weekend. There’s a good chance that your home already has a number of attractive features; it simply needs some few finishing touches to look the best. Maintain your yard, paint the front door, and add seats on your porch.

2. Repair or replace windows and ripped screens

Screens are a necessary component for any window. They let you take advantage of the outdoors without having to worry about bringing insects into your house. They also serve as an additional layer of protection for your property. If your window screen is ripped or has a hole, you might not feel comfortable opening the window. Fortunately, fixing or even replacing the window screen is a simple and inexpensive solution that only requires a little elbow grease.

3. Keep on top of roof repairs

Roof coverings, if they are properly cared for, can last for decades. However, even a brand new roof might leak after only a few years if it is not properly maintained. The benefit of doing annual roof maintenance cannot be overstated. Every year, check your roof for damage, debris, and drainage issues and fix them as soon as you find them. Your roof will last longer and keep you and your home dry if you spend a small amount of time and money each year to maintain it. You can also remove debris and unclog the gutters.

4. Fix small foundation cracks

As a result of their rigidity, home foundations are prone to cracking. While little cracks are not a reason for panic, the home’s structural integrity might be jeopardized if those small cracks grow into large cracks in the walls. As such, any cracks in the foundation and concrete slab can’t be ignored. Your home’s structural stability is at risk if these cracks are not filled and prevented from expanding. When filling concrete cracks, select a product with a little give to it—cracks are less likely to resurface in a more elastic product. Buy a dry vinyl concrete patch to repair cracks that are more than 1/8 inch thick.

5. Learn how to patch drywall

One skill every homeowner should have is the ability to fix drywall, as small holes and dings in the wall occur often as you rearrange and redecorate your home. All you will need is the proper tools and the right strategy for the kind of damage. The sooner you learn how to repair drywall, the sooner your walls will look as beautiful as the day you moved in.

6. Unclog drains

A clogged drain might be intimidating, but it doesn’t all have to be a mess or a headache if you know what to do. Establish a schedule for routine maintenance. The four most problematic substances that might end up in drains are oil, coffee grounds, hair and soap scum. These materials should not be flushed. You should dispose of grease in the trash, toss out coffee grounds by using a mesh drain, and use a cover to trap hair and soap scum that is flushed down the toilet.

7. Install storage systems

No matter what we do, it seems as though we’re always in need of extra storage space in the kitchen and garage. In many cases, the problem isn’t the accumulation of clutter, but rather the absence of a well-planned strategy for storing and organizing it. Installing storage systems is critical to keeping your rooms organized and free of clutter.