Every year when spring arrives, the weekend starts with the smell of coffee brewing, trees bursting with color, green filling in once bare stems, bulbs poking out of the ground and the hum of lawnmowers. The sound of busy Americans getting excited, working around their home making additions and improvements.

Hammers, shovels, lumber, paint, plants and landscape lighting find their way into the check out line and into the car or SUV. But one tool not mentioned in this entire home upgrading frenzy - the credit card used to pay for all the items.

Today credit cards are a convenient item to use for checking out and paying for just about any and everything. You know their home is the biggest asset for most families and the improvements you make only increase its value.

Way too often we only look at the improvements made inside of our home as adding value. But take the time and look outside as well. A landscaped patio can increase property value by as much as 12.4% percent. Landscaping is estimated to add to property value as much as 14% percent!

When making those improvements to your home it is possible to get a double pay off! Increase the value of the property and get some rewards in the process.

Credit cards like the Chase Home Improvement Rewards Credit Card allows you as a card holder when making purchases for those home projects to earn extra points.

For every dollar you spend in improvement of your home earns you 3 points. That works out to 3% cash back when you redeem the points.

Cardholders earn 1 point for every dollar spent on other purchases.

Get $25 in cash, gift certificate or gift card every time you redeem 2500 points.

You can "spend" the cash, gift certificate or gift card at places like Home Depot, Amazon, Best Buy, Circuit City, Snap-on, Bed Bath & Beyond, Sears and Linens & Things.

If your second home has the initials HD and that does not stand for "High Definition" they also offer a credit card. But after reviewing their card which gives 2 points for every dollar spent and 1 point for every dollar spent at other places the Chase card looks like a better offer.

Other cards allow homeowners the opportunity to pay down their mortgage quicker by earning rebates. The rebates on satellite TV, cable, telecommunications and utilities can then be applied to the mortgage balance.

The world of continue to change beyond simply the convenience to paying with plastic. They now offer rewards, cash back, air miles and many other extras. What does your card offer? If your card is outdated and you are not getting all you deserve it may be time to make some changes that helps out you and your home.