The kitchen is often considered the heart of the house so it is no surprise that prospective home buyers are willing to shell out more money for a home that has a kitchen in top-top shape. Rather than gutting a kitchen and giving it a modern, high-end appearance though, small kitchen remodeling projects can prove just as valuable.

Sanding, staining, or re-painting cabinets and replacing old appliances with more updated models can cost as little as $15,000 total and will recoup an average of 80 percent value to a home.