How to add more value to your home

How to add more value to your home

Whether you are placing your home on the market or just planning on making a more comfortable home for yourself, updating your home adds comfort and value. On average, 33 percent of house shoppers are more than likely to buy a home that has been recently renovated. If you can work within the footprint of a house, you’re going to get a higher return on your investment. Here are some great ways to add value to your home:

Room additions –Add more space and square footage with a new family room. Open floor plans give a house a much larger feel. You may also want to add bedrooms, bathrooms, closet and storage spaces. Changing a one car garage into a two car garage is a good idea as well as adding a detached garage/workshop to add more storage. When building an addition to the rest of the house, you want to make sure that it blends and does not stick out like a sore thumb. Many additions look like a box that has been attached to the back of a house. Combining design elements of the original house and the addition can pull together to create a flawless makeover.

Kitchen remodeling – An old kitchen that hasn’t been updated is likely to stop a house from selling. If you have the yardage, extend your kitchen into the backyard. Size really matters when it comes to kitchens — the bigger the better! Update it with lots of recessed lighting and hardwood cabinets if you can. It’s a great investment for the long-term. It could be the difference between being able to sell your house or not in a tighter market.  If you get creative and think about some small changes you can make in your kitchen, you won’t have to spend a ton of money. Consider removing wallpaper and adding fresh paint. New faucets and cabinet hardware looks great to a new buyer. More and more buyers are expecting some standard items in a kitchen — things like stainless-steel appliances and hardware. Throw in new light fixtures and you’ve got a great-looking, updated space. Also, some people are looking for gourmet kitchens. Whether they can cook or not, a kitchen is a huge prospect for a buyer. Bottom line: kitchens sell houses, so investing in an improvement in this room is the way to go.

Bathroom remodeling – You may want to consider adding a new bathroom or updating an existing bathroom. Minor changes can be advantageous because they cost less and often net a greater return than the investment. If you have old tile or a dated tub, sink and toilet, consider replacing those items. If you keep the same layout there’s not a lot of expense that has to go into it. Updating light fixtures, linens and accessories are easy ways to breathe new life into the space.

Flooring – Adding wood, laminate, or tile flooring is something to consider too. These floors are durable and easy to clean and can look better with your cabinetry and interior trim.

Interior trim – Re-finishing or replacing old interior doors is a cost effective way to improve the overall look of the inside of your home. Window casings, baseboard and crown moulding and other custom carpentry work goes a long way towards changing a rooms overall appearance.

Painting – Painting  is one of the easiest and most inexpensive things to do to dramatically change the look of your home. Here are some tips: If you are not sure about your color sense, bring in a professional color specialist to help. Also, think classic and neutral. A future buyer needs to be able to picture his or her things in the room, and too much personalization can prevent that. If your painting skills are below par, hire someone. In the end, it evens out because a new paintjob that looks great makes the whole room look new.

Doors & Windows – Installing new doors and windows can be beneficial for more than one reason. On an average house, 30 percent of energy is lost through doors windows. They are not only important in terms of energy issues, but they are also a signal to a future buyer that the current homeowners have really taken good care of the house.

Siding – Replacing or repairing siding is one of the best improvements that add value to your home. Replace damaged siding and have the house pressure washed to make it look like new again. Another thing you can do is change the siding. If you have sheet panel siding, you can add new siding right over the existing siding. Adding cedar shingles, lap siding, or vinyl siding can really change the look of your home.

Roofing –  Replacing the old three-tab flat shingles with architectural shingles provide a lot more texture and depth. It can really change the character and the feel of the house, and the cost can be easy on the pocket. Architectural shingles last about twice as long as regular shingles and look great.

Landscaping – Landscaping instantly adds curb appeal and is a cost effective way to really transform your yard. Adding trees, shrubbery, plants, and flowers can add color and shape to your yard. Driveway cleaning and crack repair can make an old driveway look like new again. Adding wood or vinyl fencing adds privacy and value.

Decks –On average, when a homeowner adds a deck to their home, they are likely to recoup approximately 76 percent return on their investment. However, you don’t want your deck to be too big or too small — it shouldn’t be more than a third of your house. An appraiser’s No. 1 rule is finding homes that are very similar within a mile away of your home, so matching your improvements to the homes in your neighborhood is very important.

Sunrooms – Build a sunroom in the back of the house where you have less tree cover and more privacy.  A sunroom addition  transforms the entire house. During the day, the room attracts sunlight, and in the evenings, it attracts guests.

Home office – More and more often people are working out of their houses.  Anytime you can add square footage and living space to your home, it’s a great idea. You can add a room addition, or change an existing room into a home office.

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