Boost your home's value

Payback: Varies; one study found that an enhanced entryway can add as much as $24,000 to a home's perceived value

Cost: $1,000 to $5,000 or so

When it makes sense: Your entryway is an eyesore or your builder installed the cheapest door he could get away with.

Best way to do it: Many pros now recommend fiberglass front doors over traditional wood ones. "A wood door doesn't insulate as well," Carter explains. Expect to pay anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand for either kind. Also consider improving exterior lighting to make the entry more welcoming (cost: $1,500 and up).

Caveat: If you decide to widen your home's entryway to fit a fancier door - say, one with side lights and a transom - the cost rises dramatically.

Cost-saving move: Rather than replacing the door, paint it and add a new lock set and knocker (total cost: $100 to $500 or so).

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