While your domicile may feel like home sweet home to you, chances are some improvements are needed. There are multiple things you can do to not only make your life easier but to also add structural worth. This is especially important if you are looking to sell your house. Here are five ways to increase the value of your home.
1. Remove carpeting.
Homebuyers today do not favor carpet. Perhaps you have also grown tired of your carpeted floors, so take up the old carpet and install alternate flooring. Wood floors offer great long-term appeal and increased value. However, if your budget will not stretch to install wood flooring, modern laminate floors look great and come with their own benefits.
- Resistant to scratches
- Easy to clean
- Great for homes with pets and children
While they are susceptible to moisture damage, potential homebuyers will generally look more approvingly on laminate wood floors than on traditional carpeting.
2. Install new garage doors.
Old garage doors that look as if someone took a club to them turn potential buyers off. You and your family may not appreciate coming home to them either. Installing new doors for your garage is a good way to not only make your home more inviting for you but also to add value to your home’s resale price. Be sure to find a reputable garage door company in your area to do the work. Testimonials as well as personal word-of-mouth recommendations help you choose skilled professionals.
3. Give your kitchen cabinets the “tuxedo” look.
Homebuyers today have specific tastes and expectations. While you may think having cabinet doors all the same color is a great look, the latest trend that fetches premium returns is cabinets sporting the tuxedo look. The look of lighter upper cabinet fronts combined with darker lower cabinet fronts appeals to many people and can add significant value to your home’s resale price. In fact, the right colors throughout your house and even on your front door add perceived value that can yield thousands more dollars when selling your home.
4. Brush up your landscaping.
Cleaning up your home’s landscaping and adding creative new plantings is one of the easiest and yet most effective ways to add instant curb appeal and drama to your home. Trim off dead branches, pull up weeds, and make new beds or enlarge those you have. Throw in pretty perennials for pops of color. Gardening around your home is an ongoing project, a continuing act of love and care for this specific plot of land.
5. Add outdoor lighting.
Installing exterior lights is another easy way to make your property more appealing. You benefit because you have enlarged your space for entertaining, but outdoor illumination is also a popular selling point with homebuyers. Attractive exterior lighting often adds significant value to your home.
The Value of Sprucing Up
You want your home to be a refuge for you and your loved ones, a place you can retreat to and enjoy sharing time together. For that reason alone, you want to maintain it. However, if you are interested in selling your home, there are specific upgrades you can make that raise its resale value. Renovations should not break the bank, though. Like life, start simply and keep things simple.