If you are looking to make an impact on your house, either to boost your own enjoyment or because you are wanting to sell, there are two projects where you can’t go wrong: kitchen and bath remodels. These are popular remodels, with more than 10 million homeowners renovating kitchens and more than 14 million renovating bathrooms annually. The key in either of these remodels is to get the most impact for the least amount of cost. That ensures you get a sizable value boost in your home without having to break the bank to get there.

One of the biggest things to keep in mind is that you have two main costs with any remodel: labor and materials. This leads to big-time costs for remodels, especially in kitchens and bathrooms that are specialty areas. The average cost of remodeling a bathroom is nearly $12,000 a year, and it’s even higher for kitchens. That’s why it makes sense to reuse as much as you can. For example, in a kitchen remodel, cabinets can cost as much as the rest of the remodel combined. So to save money, reuse the existing cabinets if you can. You can still do things to change their look or improve them, such as repainting or refacing them. You also can do little things such as changing cabinet door locks or drawer locks. Other things in your kitchen or bath remodel that you might want to consider keeping are appliances and fixtures. Just keep in mind that anything that is in good shape can always be kept and repurposed. This includes using flooring wood stain to update your wood floors and using furniture paint to give furniture a new look.

Another way to ensure you keep your kitchen or bath remodel affordable is by not doing more than you have to. Of course, keeping cabinets and just replacing cabinet door locks is one way to do that, but there are others. For example, don’t move things around if they aren’t necessary. If you are simply remodeling rather than expanding, avoid moving plumbing, gas or electrical lines. You also want to avoid paying for things you can do yourself, such as painting and demolition. You can save hundreds of dollars on labor by doing these sorts of things yourself.

Following these tips can help you get the most value out of your remodeling project while making sure you stay within your budget.