The 40 highest

Apr 05, 2024

Low effort, high impact.

Upgrading your home doesn’t necessarily involve moving out while strangers tear up the floors for three days and leave dust behind that you will be cleaning up for years. Some impressive upgrades are inexpensive and so easy to do, you can accomplish them with an adult beverage in one hand. Postpone the dusty kind and peruse this list of the 40 highest-impact things you can do to upgrade your home with the least amount of effort. You won’t believe how easy some of these are.

Throw light on the dark areas around your house and yard with these solar flood lights that power themselves with the sun and turn on automatically when someone walks into their range. You can skip carrying the flashlight to walk to your garage, henhouse, or shed because the 308 LEDs in the four light heads will illuminate what you need to see when you get there. This is a pack of two.

The struggle to find a place to stash every body wash, face wash, razor, and shampoo in the shower is real! This shower caddy ends that struggle with style, bringing plenty of shelving into the shower exactly where you want it to be. Hang the shelves using the included adhesive hooks. Each shelf will hold 15 pounds of gear. There are also four hooks you can attach wherever you like to hang washcloths, razors, and more. There are four colors to choose from.

A bouquet of flowers makes a room feel beautiful and welcoming. Dead flowers? Not so much. These artificial flowers give you that warm, welcoming look with none of the death and decay. Just choose a bouquet and find a vase. The beauty lasts forever. There are 11 varieties and color schemes, in beautiful arrangements, to choose from.

Erase the scratch on your dresser or the stain on your table by coloring over it with these three wood markers. The three colors are designed to match the most common wood colors and they dry quickly, aren’t messy, and disappear the wear and tear on your furniture. “I bought [...] a dresser from a garage sale that had lots of surface scratches. I [...layered] the medium and dark colors to cover the scratches and [made] the dresser look [...] much better,” said one reviewer.

Sized to glide under furniture without getting trapped, this robot vacuum cleaner will clean the house while you are away, then charge itself so it's ready to do it again tomorrow. Once you schedule it to clean when it won’t bother you, you don’t have to do a thing. It connects to a phone app, Amazon Alexa, or Google Home to take its orders and keeps your house clean with little effort from you.

Installing this wireless doorbell is so easy, you will wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. Stick the two battery-powered, weatherproof bells where guests can ring them. Then plug the receivers in somewhere indoors and choose from 52 ringtones. You can set it so each bell has its own ring and adjust the volume to suit your interiors. “I’m so glad I found this doorbell! I literally spent more time picking out my ringtone than I did installing them,” said one reviewer. “One transmitter will actually ring both receivers!”

Make sure delivery people and visitors can find your home by mounting these solar-powered house numbers to the front of your house. The light powers itself with sunlight all day, then turns on a light to shine on your house numbers when the sun goes down. The big, readable numbers (or letters) are rendered in a modern font that boosts the style of your house, too.

Create more effective storage in your closet with this hanging closet organizer that gives you a place to keep folded sweaters, small leather goods, hats, belts, and other difficult-to-store wardrobe items right where you choose an outfit. The five drawers can be placed wherever you like. There are mesh pockets on the sides for small items. And it hangs from two hangers so it stays immobile.

Put down the scrub brush and pick up this grout pen. The pen is mightier than elbow grease for grout, which is notoriously difficult to get clean. But it paints easily with these colored paint pens that are designed for the task. “I used this to refresh the grout on my bathroom floor,” said one reviewer. “It was easy to use and the floor looks like new. Even the stubborn stains are now white.”

When your lawn turns brown but you want it to look perfect for a party, open house, or the entire summer, paint it green with this grass paint. It puts a green finish on your brown grass to defy the color of seasonal dormancy or a dead patch of lawn. Mix it with water, spray it on, and enjoy the illusion of perfection. “Perfect way to get my HOA to leave me alone about my grass,” said one reviewer.

Make it look like you completely replaced your flooring by installing these peel-and-stick tiles over the floor you have. Each tile is a 1-foot square so it’s easy to install and the results are beautiful, water-resistant, and washable. “I wanted to update my bathroom without spending a lot of money,” said one reviewer. “It turned out amazing and was super easy to install.”

Make any lamp, appliance, or machine one that you can control with your voice — or an app on your phone — by plugging it into this smart plug. Connect the plug to your Alexa smart home system and tell her to turn on the lamp, make the coffee, or start the fan. “I have three of these and all work perfectly,” said one reviewer. “I can control my bedroom light, living room light, and my coffee pot.”

Eliminate fatal, life-induced plant neglect incidents by planting your greenery in these self-watering pots. A well in the base replenishes the soil with moisture for your plant to sip, even if you forget. And a visible water gauge lets you know when it’s time to refill it. This is a two-pack and they come in four colors.

Peel and stick these LED lights to the back of your TV and transform your viewing experience without investing in a new screen. They illuminate the wall behind the TV, which reduces strain on your eyes and makes everything on the screen look more vibrant. They are also great as accent lighting under the bar or kitchen cabinets, in closets, and in shelving units. They plug into a USB port and you can control the brightness with the in-line controls.

If your kitchen lighting is inadequate, this LED light bar lets you create task lighting right where you need it. Or use several to build beautiful lighting in the entire room. Mount them under the cabinets and use the remote to control all of them at once. You can control the brightness and set them to turn off automatically after an interval you choose.

Clean the air you breathe while you work or sleep with this air purifier that sits on a desk or bedside table and removes pet dander, hair, lint, and small airborne particles such as dust, pollen, and smoke. It helps reduce your allergic reactions and any bad smells in your home by moving your air through three stages of filtration: a pre-filter, activated charcoal, and HEPA.

Hang a wreath or other decoration on your front door without doing damage by using this clever door hanger. It extends clear and thin cords that hook over the corners of your door and drops a hook, right in the center of the door. Unlike metal hooks, it won’t damage your paint or wood. It will hold up to 10 pounds.

Candlelight gives a room the most pleasant, soft lighting. But there are times when bringing flames into your space is a terrible idea. These flameless candles are real wax and have all the ambiance of flickering flame with none of the fire hazards. Use the remote to turn them on and off. Set a timer so you can fall asleep while your candles provide a relaxing atmosphere. The glass jars come in six colors.

A room that feels small is made instantly larger and more filled with light once you install this grouping of seven round mirrors on a wall that catches the light or a reflection of the room. Mount them to the wall with the included double-sided hanging tape in whatever arrangement you like best. They also offer you a place to check your hair or lipstick.

Clear the clutter from your counters by getting rid of that huge knife rack. And put your knives on the wall where you can reach them easily. This magnetic knife strip makes it easy to rinse a knife and return it to its storage space where it can drip dry. It makes it easy to grab a blade to cut a lemon or prep a meal. And it turns your knives into decorative storage. It comes in two sizes and three finishes.

If your alarm clock or another piece of electronics is bombarding your sleeping space and brain with unnecessary light when you are trying to sleep, the solution is so simple: these light-dimming sheets. Just apply the sticker that best covers the light that’s bothering you. There are over 100 of them in a variety of shapes and sizes. It reduces the light by up to 80% so you can rest — and still see if the device is functioning.

Cool and quiet your room every time you close the curtains by hanging these velvet room-darkening curtains that are insulated to reduce outside noise from getting in. They also keep hot air and cold drafts away from your living space. The metal grommets make them easy to hang and they come in six gorgeous colors to make your space look elegant and luxurious, too.

Turn a patch of weeds or an empty patch of dirt into a beautiful garden full of flowers with this pack of 64,000 wildflower seeds. Birds, bees, butterflies, and pollinators will move in as soon as the flowers bloom, turning that patch of ground into a gorgeous patch of nature. The package contains 23 varieties of flowers including poppies, snapdragons sunflower, and larkspur.

This compact bedside lamp is not only slick, modern, energy-efficient, and dimmable, it’s also a clever way to declutter your space. It has two USB ports and one standard power outlet so you can charge your gear without adding another device to the table. Even the touch-sensitive surface is clean and minimalist. Choose from 10 shade and base color combinations.

Create a decorative flower arrangement that blends into your deck or porch by planting directly into this wooden planter box. Or use it as a pretty place to drop ugly nursery pots. It has two drain holes in the bottom, is sized to fit neatly on a deck railing, and is made from solid acacia wood. Choose from four lengths.

This heavy-duty spray nozzle makes all your outdoor watering chores — from washing the car or dog to watering the garden — easy and efficient. The handle is ergonomic so it’s easy on your hands. You can switch from a gentle mist to a jet — or any of the eight watering patterns — with a turn of the dial. And the solid metal construction will outlast all the cheap plastic options out there.

When it’s time to water the grass, you could stand out there holding the hose. Or you could do something else while this rotating garden sprinkler takes care of this chore. The three nozzle heads adjust so you can customize the direction of the spray and all three spin to deliver 3,600 feet of coverage. “I hated standing out there to soak my grass,” said one reviewer. “The sprinkler works so well and covers a large area.”

When faced with a difficult cleaning chore, bring out the power tools and attach this power scrubber kit. It snaps into your power drill just like a drill bit, so you can spin any of the three brush heads without burning any of your own energy. The small brush is perfect for gaps, the round one takes on corners, and the flat one powers through big areas. There are five styles of brush softness to suit everything from washing the car to cleaning the grill.

Replace your standard light bulbs with this smart light bulb and make your crib groovy! You can tell your Alexa smart home to dim the lights, change the color of your lighting, or turn the lights on and off. You can also open an app on your phone and control the lights from anywhere in the world. Nearly 46,000 people have given this five stars on Amazon.

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End the fruitless hunt through the fridge for the one condiment you seek by creating order in there with this set of stackable clear bins. Put all the fruit in one, the condiments in another, sodas in a third, and when you want to assemble a sandwich or whip up a stir fry, pull out the appropriate category to find the very items you need. They have handles in the front, are clear so you can see what’s in them, and stack to save space.

Imagine this: You are two hours into a road trip, music blaring, and relaxation starting to kick in. Suddenly you can’t remember if you closed the garage door. What do you do? If you had the forethought to install this smart garage control system, you would laugh and pull out your phone. The app will tell you if it's closed or open. If you left it open, tap the screen to close it, pat yourself on the back, and carry on. It’s easy to install, too.

Drop this pretty area rug in an entryway or hallway to warm up the look of your interior and catch some of the dirt that comes in on people’s shoes before it gets to your living space. When it gets dirty, you can toss it in the washing machine to clean it up. “GORGEOUS washable rug,” said one reviewer. “Looks much more expensive than it was.” Choose from 15 patterns and 10 sizes.

Give your bathroom a modern, minimalist look without spending a lot of money by replacing your faucet with this matte black bathroom faucet. If your vanity has three holes, it will install in minutes and change the look of the room completely. It comes with a pop-up drain and PEX supply lines. And it comes in 10 finishes, if black won’t work with your other fixtures.

Turn the clutter inside your cabinets into useful, decorative storage by hanging this powder-coated, iron wall mounted rail hanger on the wall and using the 15 included S-hooks to hang your pans and utensils from it. It holds 22 pounds and turns all that hard-to-store equipment into art. It also makes a terrific coat rack in the entryway or bedroom.

Bring some beauty and light into the shower by installing this handheld shower head that has seven colored LED lights in it. The lights are powered by water so they turn on when the shower does and change color every few seconds. There is an eight-stage filtration system in the handle so that the water that lands on you is clean and fresh.

Ever wished you could rewind time and see what happened to your car, on your porch, at your front door, or in your house last night? This smart home camera grants that wish. Install it so it can see your important areas: the kids' room, pet play area, or porch. It films in full color, night or day, so you can look back and see what happened and who did what. It also detects motion and alerts you when something is happening so you can watch it in real-time.

If you are irritated by the noise level when someone is cooking in the kitchen or slamming drawers anywhere in the house, it’s not a people problem, it’s a cabinet problem. Install these sound-dampening drawer bumper pads in your cabinets and drawers and silence the noise. There are 120 pieces so this one affordable kit will quiet your entire home.

Gather all your bathroom counter clutter together and organize it into this wall-mounted toothbrush holder. There is a shelf for your lotions and sundries, a drawer for small items, and a rack that will hold six toothbrushes with their heads safe from dust and dirt. A magnetic cup hangs upside down from the bottom. And a toothpaste dispenser delivers a dollop to your brush when you press the trigger.

Every kitchen is prettier and easier to clean with a backsplash behind the counters and under the cabinets. If the expense is stopping you, this 10-pack of white subway tiles is the hack that will get it done for nearly nothing. Just peel and stick them to the wall. They look so realistic no one will suspect. And they are wipeable and shiny. Choose from 11 colors.

Drop this absorbent indoor doormat inside your front door and save yourself some labor. It dries wet shoes and paws, and grabs dirt before the mess can leave an impact on your living room. The low profile won’t obstruct the door movement and it's machine washable. It comes in six colors and three sizes.