With the price of gas, groceries and other necessities increasing at a pace that’s almost too rapid to harness, homeowners might be tempted to cut corners on home maintenance. But don’t give in to temptation.

Even if you don’t plan to sell your home in the foreseeable future, it’s always best to maintain what you have rather than trying to make up time and money at a later date when it might not be as convenient.

As much as we’d all like to have an unlimited home maintenance budget, that’s rarely the case. These three tips will help improve the marketability of your home but won’t bruise your budget in the process. Not only will these ideas help increase the desirability of your home to potential buyers when your home is on the market, but they’ll also increase its intrinsic value to you until then.

1. Get expert opinions.

If you want to update your home’s interior style there’s no better way to spend a little money and receive a large reward than hiring an interior designer or home organizer for an hour or two. Sure, they’ll most likely want the job to be more sizeable than that, but you’d be amazed how much information you can access in an hour’s time if you prepare a list of questions beforehand. For example, plan to ask the designer questions about color ideas for the walls or furniture placement to help make the rooms look larger. Ask the organizer questions about methods to declutter closets or other frequently overlooked areas (that potential buyers will no doubt notice).

2. Create efficiency.

A home with thoughtful efficiencies is not only attractive to potential buyers; it’s also very beneficial to you while living in the house. For example, make plans to install a programmable thermostat and replace all light bulbs with newer energy efficient ones. Not only will these changes save money on your energy bill, but they’ll also send a message to a potential buyer that your home has been thoughtfully cared for. This quiet message can equate to pride of ownership and increased value. In a similar vein, take time to repair dripping faucets, and replace air filters. And by all means, make sure your lawn and garden are kept tidy since first impressions on curb appeal count enormously when it comes to real estate value.

3. Update systems.

By taking the time to install or upgrade items like ceiling fans, water filters, light fixtures and security systems, you’ll be sending a message to potential buyers that your home contains updated conveniences so the new owner won’t have to worry about immediately making upgrades when they take move in. And in the meantime, you get to reap the rewards of their installation. For example, spend time looking at a few current magazines to follow trends on lighting and other fixtures, and also look at websites like HomeSecurtity101 to become familiar with the latest advances made in home alarm systems.

Remember the adage that “information is power.” By taking time to look at magazines or a site like www.homesecutity101.com you can gain valuable information pertinent to hiring an expert, creating efficiencies, and upgrading systems of all types.