If you’re trying to get your home off the market or simply want it to build value in case you decide to sell it at some point, you may be contemplating home improvements that will increase its appeal to potential buyers. However, too many people end up either spending on renovations with negative returns or making adjustments that not only won’t be adding value but could actually deter certain buyers. Here are a few sure-fire ways that you can increase the value of your home without breaking the bank.
Start with the Kitchen
The kitchen is a major focal point in any home and is usually one of the rooms that could instantly sell your home or discourage buyers. If your kitchen’s design is stuck in the past, it would be a wise idea to give it a quick facelift. You don’t need to go overboard here. Something as simple as adding a few counter lights, a nice central lighting piece, refurbishing or repainting old cabinets and adding new chrome handles could do the trick.
You could also buy new appliances to complement the new look, but that could be tricky since you could easily go over budget. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could decide to paint your appliances yourself, but make sure you know what you’re doing and are only use top quality epoxy or stainless-steel paint if you do decide to go ahead.
Improve Your Fence
Improving the fencing around the house is also a great way to increase your home’s value and kerb appeal. Again, you should keep the renovations to a minimum here. Unless your fencing is in critical condition, it isn’t always necessary to have a whole new fence installed. Something as simple as giving your current fencing a nice fresh coat of paint or adding a nice gate could be enough to make a difference. If you’re looking for garden gates and wooden garden gates, you can order garden gates online and get a great looking gate for a fraction of the price you’d pay at your local hardware store.
Upgrade Your Bathroom
The bathroom is another crucial room if you want to sway buyers. A nice bathroom will be inviting, modern, clean and have nice amenities. If you don’t have the money for a full makeover, there are still a few things that you could do to give your bathroom a nice upgrade. One thing you could do is add a nice wooden frame around your bathroom mirror. This is something you could easily do yourself that could dramatically improve the look of your bathroom without having to spend much. Be careful about moving things around though; reconfiguring plumbing elements is one of the most expensive things you can do, and unless you absolutely have to do it, I would refrain from making major structural changes.
You could also add value to your bathroom by adding a low flush toilet, replacing your old taps, changing cabinet pulls and door knobs, cleaning rust stains and applying fresh caulk where needed. Even something as simple as adding a new toilet seat could make a significant difference, so don’t neglect small details, they could eventually go a long way.
Change Light Fixtures
Changing light fixtures or adding new ones is one of the easiest thing you could do and one of the most cost-effective ways to make your home look more attractive and increase its value. Spending a few hundred pounds on new fixtures could give your house a more modern look and will give you a huge return on your investment.
Create Space
Space is a luxury and the less crowded your house’s interior looks, the more inviting it will be. You could easily add space by doing something like removing your kitchen’s central island or by removing a non-structural wall. What you want is to create a sense of flow throughout the house. You also want to create a wide-open floor plan that buyers can actually see themselves configuring.
Do Some Landscaping Work
It’s surprising to see how many people neglect landscaping when selling their homes and how many still see it as a minor detail. But as a matter of fact, landscaping has a huge influence on buyers’ decisions and is one of the adjustments that give the highest return on investment. You could easily clean up your landscaping by doing some pruning here and there and by keeping your lawn tidy. But if you really want to take it up a notch, you should consider hiring professionals who could add some nice elements and maybe some lighting to make it stand out even more.
Revamp That Front Door
Another thing people often overlook is how powerful a front door can be and how much it can change the look of the house from the exterior. Something as simple as replacing your old door with a nice mahogany brown piece could dramatically change your house’s appearance. Complement that with some golden or copper door handles, house numbers and mailbox, and you have given your front door area a quick makeover for a very low cost.
Don’t Forget Your Floors
This is a tricky area. Flooring is very important as old, cracked tiles and outdated flooring choices will often make or break a sale. However, overspending is another big mistake you could make that may actually end up putting you in the red. Eliminate squeaky floors with carefully placed nailing. Patch damaged floorboards and replace broken tiles. And get rid of wall to wall carpets if you can. While some people may actually like carpeting, the thought of having to maintain it will deter a lot of buyers. So, it would be wiser to ditch the carpeting and go for something that is more universally accepted if you want the flooring to appeal to more buyers.
All these methods will allow you to increase the value of your home without going overboard. Make sure that you always keep your budget in mind when making renovations and try to make changes with buyers in mind first and personal taste second.
