Small home improvement jobs do not need to be expensive or complicated. There are many projects that you can take care of yourself to help make those little changes that add up to a big difference.

One of the first things that you can do to help make a big difference is a safety check. Go through your cabinets, furniture, and doors to check for loose hinges or handles. Most of these only need a few turns of your screwdriver to solve the problem.

If you have a screw that is just spinning in place, you can try to make the screw fit the hole better by coating a toothpick with glue and stuffing it in the hole, or you can just use a larger screw.

Also check your kitchen stoves exhaust filter. You need to wash it to remove all the grease that has built up inside. This in turn will not only improve the efficiency of the exhaust vent, it will help keep flames from spreading if a fire breaks out on the kitchen stovetop.

Another vent that should be checked is your clothes dryer vent. Pull your dryer out away from the wall, and disconnect your vent pipe. Then, vacuum as much lint out of where the pipe connects to the machine and the pipe itself as you can. Also, clean off the exterior dryer vent to get it free from lint so the flap will open and close easily.

Fixing the lose blistered paint on your showers ceiling is also important. This area is exposed to a lot of moisture and heat that over time stresses the paints finish.

Scrape off as much of the old paint as you can and then re-coat the ceiling using an exterior-grade high quality paint. Be sure that everyone knows to use the bathroom vent when they are showering to help draw as much excess moisture as possible out of the room.

Checking your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be part of your yearly routine. It is very simple to replace the batteries to keep them running properly. For those that observe the spring and fall time change, change your batteries when you change your clocks.

Checking your GFCI outlets once a month is also a good idea. These outlets are installed in potentially wet areas such as kitchens, bathrooms, and outdoor receptacles. You want to check them to be sure that it trips and then resets correctly. If you have a faulty outlet it should be replaced.

Always be sure to check all your drain hoses. This can save you a big expense in the future. Hoses that are connected to your dishwasher, close washer, and the icemaker all should be checked for drips or cracks and be replaced if any are found.

Home improvement does not need to take a lot of time, or be overcomplicated. Performing some of these simple tasks and checks can help make a big difference in saving your investment for the future.