50 Mistakes That Make Your Home Look Dated — & How To Cheaply Fix Them

This wall outlet will solve many of your home’s inadequate power issues by replacing a single outlet with six AC outlets, three USB ports (two USB-A and one USB-C), and a shelf capable of holding several devices while they charge. It creates an effective, high-capacity charging station — or a place for all your bathroom appliances — right where you need it. It comes in black or white.

The paint chips, scratches, and peeled bits make your home look dingier than it is but it can feel like a big project to fix them. If you fill these brush pens with the paint you used on your walls and trim, though, it becomes so easy that you can do it as part of your housecleaning chores. The pens fill like a syringe and keep the paint fresh for years. Pull one out and color right over that blemish. This is a pack of five.

Instead of standing by and accepting that your glass stovetop will get more and more scratched over time, cover it with this stovetop cover when it’s not in use. It protects the surface from heavy pans, spills, and scratches and gives you more counter space to work on or to let dishes drip dry. It comes in seven colors and four sizes.

Is it time to toss that frayed, dirty, and unwelcoming doormat? Replace it with this welcome mat that is clean, charming, and durable. The pattern is not only welcoming but clever. The textured surface pulls dirt from shoes and channels water away from feet and paws. It comes in five sizes and seven colors.

When your bathroom feels dirty and dingy, even after you have cleaned, look at the floors and other tiled areas. Stained grout creates a look that feels dirty even when it’s not. Cleaning dingy grout is a thankless — and often futile — task but painting over it with these chalk markers is fun and the results are surprisingly good. “My floor looks brand new,” said one reviewer. It comes in two sizes.

Old lighting fixtures, cheap sconces installed by the builder, and dated lighting styles are dragging down the look of your home. This is so easy and cheap to fix and the results are transformative. This flush-mount ceiling light has a modern look and allows you to choose the light color and brightness you like with the included remote. It even has night-light and timer functions.

Dial up the style of your mirror or picture frames by adding a bit of gold glam via this stick-on flexible mirror border. It’s easy to do and turns cheap, outdated, and builder-grade mirrors into modern, stylish versions in a few minutes. “I used [it] to apply a frame to my bathroom mirror,” said one reviewer. “It was literally the easiest application, and it looks like a brand-new mirror!!!”

That squeak on the stairs isn’t just giving away your midnight snack forays. It makes your home seem old and uncared for. It’s easy to fix with this squeaky floor repair kit that works on carpets, hardwood floors, stairs, and vinyl flooring. “I followed instructions and only drilled into the floor joists in the areas of the squeaking, and BAM, squeaking eliminated,” said one reviewer.

Screens that are full of holes do little to keep the bugs out — and they look pretty bad. Replacing them is expensive, but this window screen repair kit isn’t. Tape right over the holes and your screens will be effective again. They will look better, too. “My cats had torn holes in my screens,” said one reviewer. “This worked wonderfully!” It comes in four sizes and two colors.

Keep this hand weeder tool within easy reach and it will be easy to keep your pathways and garden free of weeds. The ergonomic handle is easy to hold. The forked end helps you grab the root to keep that weed from coming back. And the clever shape gives you leverage so that pulling the plant out is easy.

You don’t have to live with that dark closet or those dangerous stairs. An easy-to-install wireless LED puck light can illuminate a dark cupboard, turn shelves into lighted displays, create task lighting under a cabinet, throw light on a dark stairway, and more. Peel and stick them where you need light. Use the remote to set the brightness and create shut-off timers. Tap the lens to turn on the light.

When the plug drops out of the outlet while you are vacuuming or trying to charge your devices, it is maddening. If you can’t afford an electrician to fix that, plug this loose outlet fix into the plug so your heavy charging bricks and other plugs stay put. Simple, fast, and easy. This is a pack of 10.

Turn off the overhead lights and use smaller lamps to create soft lighting zones, and your spaces won’t feel so harsh. This industrial table lamp is perfect for the task. It brings style to your space and creates warm light on the bedside table, near a chair, or in an entryway. It is dimmable and comes with a soft, 200-lumen bulb. It comes in two sizes and in black, white, or gold — with or without a USB plug — and you can save money by buying multiples.

It is so easy to fix that abrupt transition from one type of flooring to another that you will wonder why you lived with that flaw for so long. Peel and stick this adhesive vinyl floor transition strip right over that weird bit and it will look better instantly. “It was so easy to use, the quality is great, and the color matched my floor,” said one reviewer. “I am buying another.”

Take the frustration — and visual mess — out of your bathroom trash elimination system while updating the look of your space by replacing your old, utilitarian trash can with this motion sensor trash can. It senses when you are near and want to toss something and opens the lid to make that easy. When closed, that debris is nicely hidden. It comes in five colors and two sizes.

That cheap trim, once thought by someone to be a good idea, is not doing your decor any favors. And it is so easy to remove with this trim puller. The ergonomic handle makes this work easy on your hands and the purpose-designed tool gives you the prying leverage you need. Remove that trim — or tile — and embrace a clean, modern look.

The wall plates around your light switches and power outlets may seem like a small thing. But changing them out for something more stylish has a surprisingly big impact. This decorative wall plate has a rubbed brass finish and beaded, sunken pearl trim. It takes only minutes to unscrew the old plates and replace them with these. This is a pack of two, they come in four colors, and there are plate styles for every fixture.

A missing piece of floor or wall trim makes your house look not quite finished. It’s easy to fix it with this flexible trim caulk strip. Peel and stick it to baseboards, around bathroom fixtures, or wherever there are missing finishes in your home. It cuts with scissors and is flexible, making it easy to apply. It comes in five sizes and five colors.

It’s easy to light those dangerous outdoor stairs — and all your outdoor spaces — with these solar step lights. Peel and stick them to the steps, your deck rail, onto pathway stones, or wherever you have dark spots in your landscaping. They light automatically during the day, turn off by morning, charge in the sun all day, and do it all again tomorrow. They come in four shapes.

Wires snaking across your kitchen counter, desk, and floors is not a good look. It also poses a hazard to children and pets. This outlet concealer is a fast and easy way to fix that. Plug the flat plat into the wall plug to disappear it. Then run the extension cord to a better place, concealing it with the included cord concealing adhesive strips. It comes in four cord lengths and two outlet types.

Hide your power strips and cords in this power strip box so they don’t create a visual mess, trip hazard, or endanger the children. It looks sleek and has channels for the cords to get in and out at each end. The easy-to-remove lid makes access to the plug easy. It comes in three colors and two sizes.

When your doorbell stops working, don’t pay to have that old tech fixed. Replace it with this easy wireless doorbell. Peel and stick the ring button where visitors can see it and plug the receiver in where you will be able to hear it. It has 50 chime sounds and four volume settings. You can take the receiver with you if you head out to the garden or another part of the house. It comes in two colors.

A dark staircase or dim hallway can be dangerous. But these motion sensor lights will fix that easily. Stick them to the stair risers or in a dark corner of the hallway and they will turn on when someone approaches and turn off again a few seconds later. Because they are low power and stay on only for a short time, the batteries last a long time. This is a pack of six.

You don’t have to tolerate a blanket of pet fur on your couch, bed, or carpets simply because you adore your fur babies. This pet hair and lint remover makes it so easy to clean that up that you will do it before sitting down, while chatting on the phone, or in a five-minute pre-visitor cleanup. The grippy fabric grabs all the fur and stashes in the chamber in the handle. There are no tapes or refills to replace and it’s so effective that 146,000 people give it five stars.

Don’t risk your floors or deck by setting plant pots directly on them. Water that leaks out of those pots will get trapped under pots, where you can’t see it, and cause enormous damage to wood and manufactured surfaces. Set them on this floor protector instead. It elevates the pots so you can see what’s happening and so the water can dry before marring those surfaces. This is a set of four.

You don’t have to tolerate the scratch on your cabinet, the water ring on the bedside table, or the burn mark on the dining table. Those are all a simple fix with this wood furniture repair kit. Choose the crayons for deep scratches and dings or the markers for discoloration and turn those blemishes into a small art project, coloring away the damage in minutes. “Scratches gone — as if they were never there (and some of them were pretty large!),” said one reviewer.

Tired of wiping down your stainless steel appliances several times a day to prevent them from looking smudged and covered in fingerprints? Try this stainless steel cleaner kit. It smells like lavender, which is pleasant. It gets those surfaces clean and shiny and leaves a protective surface that resists fingerprints and smudges. It comes in three sizes with a microfiber cleaning cloth.

Make it easy for delivery people and emergency services to find your house by installing this solar house number sign somewhere prominent. It soaks up the sun during the day to power the light it throws on your house numbers in the dark so you are easy to spot. The solar panel rotates to catch the sun, and you can choose from three light colors to create the mood you like.

Make it easy to navigate your outdoor spaces by lining pathways and edges with these solar path lights. They are simple to deploy. Stick them in the ground and let them soak up the sun. They will turn on when it’s dark and charge up during the day. They come in eight colors so you can turn your garden into a mystical space or create whatever mood you prefer.

Turn shelves, closets, cubbies, and other storage areas into efficient storage that lets you see and access what’s stored there with these sliding storage bins. You can stack them as high as you like. The open front makes it easy to see what’s stored where and you can even pull the bins out to access your goods without unstacking them all. They fold flat so it's easy to keep them on hand. They come in three colors.

Those chips, missing tiles, cracks, and other signs of wear in your shower or bath do not necessarily require a complete remodel to fix. This tub and shower repair kit can take on many of those problems, repairing them in short order so you can save your money for more pressing projects. The kit comes with multiple colors so you can match your current fixtures and tile and it dries in just a few hours.

If your deck or porch — or any floor — looks worn, cover the problem with this waterproof outdoor rug. It creates ambiance, allows you to define zones on your deck, and covers a lot of ills. If it gets dirty, hose it off. It protects that flooring and feels great underfoot. It’s portable, too, so you can use it to create a temporary outdoor room on the grass or patio. It comes in seven sizes and eight colors.

If you are longing for marble countertops but that simply isn’t in your budget, fake it till you make it. This marble contact paper looks like the real thing and is easy to apply. Peel and stick it over your current counters, whatever they look like, and you will be sporting ‘marble’ by the end of the day. It comes in four other textures if marble isn’t your thing. Choose from five sizes.

That layer of green on your home’s exterior needs to go. And this stain remover will get rid of it. You don’t even have to scrub. Just spray it on and it kills the mold and mildew, targeting its roots, to eliminate it completely no matter how long it has been there. It works indoors, too. It is so effective that more than 43,000 people give it five stars.

If you have to crawl around on the floor whenever you want to plug something in, you need this extension cord. The flat plug lets you plug it in behind furniture and in other challenging places. And the square power strip is perfect for setting on your desk, bedside table, or counter so you have all the plugs you need — three standard ACs, two USB-A ports, and one USB-C — right where you need them. It comes in two lengths and two colors.

If your lawn is struggling, it might be hungry. Feeding it this lawn food is easy. Connect the bottle to your hose and water as usual. It provides the nutrients and iron that grass craves in order to thrive, get green, and become the dense carpet of lush grass you were hoping for. It comes in three sizes. “This stuff is magic,” said one reviewer. “You'll see results in three days.”

It is so easy to transform your boring garage door into one that makes it look like you opted for the fancy model that you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Stick this magnetic garage hardware onto the metal door and it will instantly look as if it has hinges and handles. “The easiest and cheapest upgrade I’ve done to my house,” said one reviewer. Choose from five style options.

A rug that curls at the corners looks bad. It is also dangerous. Someone will trip on that one day and get hurt. Fortunately, it’s easy to fix. Stick these rug corner grippers to all four corners of the rug and they will flatten it and keep the corners from curling. They will also secure the rug to the floor so it doesn’t slide out from under you. This is a pack of four.

All those open shelves in your fridge lead directly to chaos. Create an organization system in there with these refrigerator organizer bins to make it easy to find what you are looking for and to know when you are running low. The six specialized bins are sized perfectly to hold sodas, condiments, eggs, fruits and vegetables, and more. They are transparent so you can see what’s in them.

Replacing the hardware on your kitchen cabinets is a fast, affordable, and easy upgrade that can completely transform the look of the space. These gold cabinet pulls bring some glam to the room and it takes only a screwdriver and a few minutes to install them. Gold not your thing? They come in three sizes and seven colors.

If there is a gap under your garage door, that opening is letting in water, pests, and dirt while letting out your heating and cooling. This threshold strip will fix that. The flexible rubber will withstand everything from extreme temperatures to your car driving over it daily and it creates a barrier that will stop water, air, and particulates from getting in or out. It comes in four sizes and two colors.

One trick for creating a home that feels warm, inviting, and homey is lighting. Harsh overhead lighting is unfriendly. Lighting zones make a home feel welcoming. Set this floor lamp near a comfortable chair, or in a corner, and let it create a light zone in the room. The globe lights throw pools of light in two directions to create cozy, ambient light. It comes with bulbs and in two colors.

If you are winging it when it comes to the corners and edges of your DIY projects, this shape duplicator tool will help you be precise, even when you are lining up pieces that are irregular. It contours to the shape of your floor, wall, or whatever you are working with so you can cut pieces that are exactly the right shape. Just press it against that irregular shape and it recreates it so you can trace it. “Made it easy to trace around some weird-shaped moldings,” said one reviewer. “Works like a charm!”

When your cabinets, wood counters, or wood furniture look dull and dry, give them a long drink of this furniture polish. It cleans away grime and dirt while nourishing the wood so it shines. And it smells like almonds so you will enjoy it, too. It comes with a microfiber cleaning cloth. “The woodwork in my home never looked so good,” said one reviewer.

If the weatherstripping around your windows and doors is old and disintegrating, it is likely letting in bugs, cold or hot air, and noise. This weather stripping seal is a fast and easy way to fix that. Pull out the old stuff and peel and stick this into the door or window frame to replace it. The plush woven insulation will stop what is outside from getting in. It comes in eight sizes and four colors.

If your couch is stained, this couch cushion cover will hide the mess and extend the life of that piece of furniture. If your couch is new and you have kids or pets, this cover will prevent damage. It’s easy to stretch over your existing cushions, is a soft velvet that’s pleasant to the touch, and comes in 21 colors and textures. Choose from 10 sizes to get a near-custom fit.

Ready to clean out that cluttered closet? Make this hanging closet organizer part of the solution. It creates five shelves that hang from your closet rod so you can keep sweaters folded, stash your bags and hats, and see what’s what when you are getting dressed. There are six exterior pockets for small items, too. It comes in four colors.

Your home might not be as dated as you think. Sometimes, it’s small things like doorknobs and other hardware that make a house seem stuck in the past. This square modern doorknob is a fast way to update the look without calling a contractor. Choose the style of knob your door needs, pick a finish, and get ready for a big transformation. There are four colors to choose from.

Adding this bias lighting to the back of a TV screen or monitor improves the lighting in your living room or office in two ways. It throws light at the wall behind the screen, which turns that appliance into a low-key lighting element in a dark space. It also reduces the contrast when you are looking at the screen so that everything on it appears crisp and colorful. It comes in three sizes.

Installing hooks in strategic spots around your home helps to reduce clutter and makes life more convenient. Hang the towels on the wall in the bathroom. Create a place for keys, umbrellas, bags, and jackets at your entry. Give your hats a home in the closet. This pack of four door hooks mounts with adhesive so this is easy to do. They come in six colors.