There’s nothing like the satisfaction of a budget-conscious weekend home improvement project that makes your home feel even more like your own little castle. The trick is choosing a project you can pull off by yourself that will also help improve the value of your home.

However, resale value isn’t everything. Equally, if not more important, is how you live in and love your home—the things you love about it are why you live there, after all. Sometimes the most humble home improvement projects make the biggest impression, both for you and for future buyers who are looking for a fresh, updated, contemporary home.

Try These Weekend Home Improvement Projects on for Size:

Freshen it up with paint. The most straightforward, simplest and relatively inexpensive update you can make in any area of your home is a fresh coat of paint. Browse through Pinterest for inspiration, and then jump right in. Painting is an especially forgiving home improvement project. If you don’t get the color or technique quite right, it’s easy to come back and make adjustments or even re-do the entire project.

Update your faucets. Nothing dates a bathroom or kitchen faster than a 1980s gold spigot or a giant acrylic crystal ball handle. Even if you’re a do-it-yourself newbie, replacing a faucet is straightforward enough to tackle with a little advance research (and maybe a little backup from an understanding friend or relative). You’ll be surprised how much functionality you can gain in the kitchen from a spigot that swings up and around to allow you to rinse your biggest pots and pans; you’ll wonder how you managed without it.

Grow some curb appeal. Planting a tree is as good for the environment as it is for your home’s curb appeal (and therefore, its potential value). Even fresh mulch in the flowerbeds does wonders to perk up your front yard. Add a bench or potted plants by the front door—and oh yes, update your front door; it’s the best value in home remodeling this year.

Replace outdated light fixtures. All your home décor efforts will be undone if the first thing guests see when they arrive is a dated brass lantern hanging forlornly in your entryway. While it may be tucked away in an area of your home you don’t spend much time in, this light sets the tone for your entire home. Turn away from standard features and search for more expressive fixtures that show your personality. Try Ikea for budget-conscious inspiration.