What Upgrades Increase Home Value?
Making a few improvements to a property can turn a house into a comfortable home.
01/10/2019
Few people walk into their newly purchased home without some ideas for renovations and upgrades. Making a few improvements can turn a house into a comfortable home. At the same time, you could be adding some value to your house should you need to sell it in the future.
You must distinguish between upgrades for you as the homeowner and upgrades that will increase the value of your home. Upgrades for you make the home more comfortable and attractive. Upgrades for the home value are different. Here are some examples:
1. The bathroom
People are attracted to a bathroom that offers the modern conveniences they expect from a home. This might include a bath with a separate shower or his and her basins and vanities. An old-fashioned bathroom can put potential buyers off or lead them to make a reduced offer on your home.
When you renovate a bathroom, it’s necessary to put your stamp on it according to your taste. However, don’t go too far. For instance, you might like red and black as a color combination, but few others would. Keep the colors neutral so that they have mass appeal.
2. The kitchen
The kitchen is known as the heart of the home, and for a good reason. It is the center of all the activities in the home. Why else do we attach important notices to the fridge and leave a note for someone on the kitchen counter?
Upgrading your kitchen cupboards and floors can make a significant impact on your home’s value. Again, keep your color choices neutral. You can add accents of the colors you like with accessories instead of fixtures.
Wooden floors are popular in the kitchen if you’re going for a vintage or farmhouse style in your renovations. Engineered hardwood floors are hard wearing ideal for high traffic areas such as the kitchen.
3. Lighten it up
Today’s lifestyle favors open plan living. People like a greater sense of space. A separate kitchen, dining room, and living room can feel cramped and dark. Having them all lead onto each other creates space and light in the home.
Consider removing the walls separating these rooms where possible. Before undertaking such a task, make sure the walls are not loadbearing, as removing them will threaten the structural integrity of the building. For added light, find out about installing a skylight in the home to allow for more natural light.
4. Going green
With environmental sustainability being a growing trend among consumers, there’s no reason not to follow it when it comes to your home. A lot of upgrades can be done to make your home friendlier to the environment.
An example would be adding a solar power system to the home. It uses the power from solar panels to generate electricity for the home. If solar energy is depleted, the system reverts to the conventional power grid.
You can also install LED light fittings as they provide bright light with reduced electricity consumption. Energy-efficient windows also save on the need for electricity for heating and cooling the home, which would be an attractive proposition to would-be buyers.
5. The garden
Curb appeal is an integral part of your home’s value. If it doesn’t look attractive on the outside, you’ll have enough problems getting buyers into the house to look, let alone getting a good price.
Your garden should be upgraded to make it tidy and attractive with a well-kept lawn. It shouldn’t require extensive maintenance as this may deter buyers. Expensive landscaping to turn your yard into an outdoor paradise might appeal to you, but you won’t necessarily see a difference in your home’s value.