Shane Reilly, decorati.com,

Paint
Estimated cost: US$500 – US$2,000 per area

Coating an area–even a small space, like an accent wall, door or the molding around a bedroom–can make a room look completely different. “People use paint as a pick-me-up,” says Doty Horn, director of color and design for Benjamin Moore. San Francisco designer Martha Angus concurs that a splash of color can alter one’s perspective. She was able to turn her client’s ambivalence toward her house to delight after she painted it a charcoal gray with a contrasting bright lavender front door.

Minor Renovations
Estimated costs: US$2,000 – US$10,000 and up

Focus on the top two features you were shooting for in your new home and see if you can replicate them in your current one. If you wanted a library, order bookshelves for the guest room and add a reading chair. If you wanted a home office, wall off part of one of your larger rooms or convert a closet.

Accessories
Estimated cost: US$300 – US$1,500

Buy movable items such as art, side chairs and tables that you love. They will brighten up your current home, and you can take them with you should you ever finally move.

Kitchen Touch-ups
Estimated cost: US$2,000 – US$5,000

For the kitchen, consider painting the cabinets and replacing the hardware instead of investing in a total renovation.

Better the Bedroom
Estimated cost: US$1,000 – US$3,000

Focus on the bedrooms for big impact. Get new linens, duvets and pillow cases. Reorganize your closets. Take the time to solve the room’s problems, like buying a bench to sit to tie shoes or a better hamper. By improving the first room you use in the morning and the last one you use at night, you will likely feel better about staying in your current house

Windows
Estimated cost: US$1,000 – US$5,000

Add or change the decorative window dressings. New drapes can dramatically change a room.

Entry Way
Estimated cost: US$1,000

Fix up the foyer with a bright paint or wallpaper, decorative bench or piece of art. Altering the first thing you see when you walk in can change your perspective on a larger space.

Lighting
Estimated cost: US$500 – US$3,000

Consider purchasing new chandeliers and decorative sconces to change the mood in some rooms. It just takes calling an electrician to install them. And you can take them with you if you ever do decide to move.