Walls, floors, ceilings, stairs, windows, and doors are the first things you see when you look at a house. If the heating system and appliances are like its vital organs, a home’s surfaces are like its skin. And although neglecting surfaces will not usually make a house fall down, they’re components that everyone notices.

Unfortunately, like our own skin, these parts of the house show signs of aging and the bruises of long and continued use. Your house may have little indicators of time passing—nicked walls, bumpy floors, doors and stairs that squeak and sigh. It’s inevitable, just like wrinkles.

But if you’re not yet ready for the face lift—a full-tilt, expensive renovation—there are a lot of small repairs and cosmetic fixes that will brighten this top layer of your house, and help you enjoy it more. Part 2 gives you lots of ideas and plenty of instruction.