Top Tips For Increasing The Value Of Your Home
Your home can be many things: your sanctuary where you relax after a tough day at work, and the place in which you create many happy family memories.
However, there may come a time when you feel that it is time to sell your dream family home and move on; perhaps you want to downsize after your children have all grown up and left home, or you might want to sell up and embark on an extensive period of travel, or relocate to a new area for a new job.
In this case, your home can potentially become an important investment tool. To help you to get the most from your sale, here are some top tips for increasing the value of your home.
1. Ensure Your Windows Are Up-to-date
If you live in an older property, your windows might be the original fixtures. Although this may mean that your home retains authentic period design, older windows are often inefficient at insulating the building from outside noise and drafts. Potential buyers are likely to want to replace older windows and see this as an expensive and time-consuming renovation task that might put them off buying your property.
To avoid this, you could upgrade your windows yourself by installing a set of double paned windows or storm windows. These will help to insulate and protect the property from extreme weather conditions. If you are concerned about losing attractive original window design features, don’t worry – there are window manufacturers who will replicate these designs in an updated form.
2. Renovate Your Kitchen
Your kitchen is one of the most used rooms in your house, being an area in which you do everything from preparing and eating food, to entertaining and throwing parties. However, it can also quickly look dated and dingy due to wear and tear and changes in style and technologies.
Before putting your property on the market, you could take some time to create a dream kitchen that is a real selling point for your home. This might include the most up-to-date kitchen technology, such as ovens and dishwashers, in a modern, open-plan design.
If you also keep your washing machine and tumble dryer in your kitchen, you might want to think more carefully about kitchen and laundry renovations. You could, for instance, look to create a separate area for your laundry so that it does not get in the way of your cooking and dining area.
3. Paint Your Walls
Although many buyers like to put their own stamp on a property by redecorating soon after they have moved in, a fresh coat of paint can make your walls look more attractive to buyers – faded wallpaper and grubby paintwork can make your home appear dingy and uninviting. You could go for neutral shades such as cream, light gray, or taupe, for an understated minimalist look.
Or, for something a bit more eye-catching and on-trend, choose a paint in Pantone’s color of the year. You might even like to make a design statement in your living room by having one statement wall in an eye-catching wallpaper and your other walls painted in a complementary color. You can do it yourself or hire the best painting contractors from Gustafson Painting to give your home a new coat of paint.
4. Re-carpet Your Floors
Buyers are likely to be put off if they look down to see threadbare carpets and peeling linoleum as they are being shown around your home. You could freshen up your floors with a new carpet, at least in regularly used rooms such as the living room and master bedroom. Choose a carpet style in a darker color that is less likely to show up stains.
Or, if you want to avoid the expense of re-carpeting a home that you are planning to sell soon after, you could remove your carpet entirely – cleaned and polished floorboards covered with a few rugs give your property a cozy, homely vibe.
5. Ensure That Your Home Is Clean and Tidy
Of course, any amount of renovation work is unlikely to make an impact if your home is not kept clean and tidy, and there is nothing more off-putting to potential buyers than a property that is dingy and stained and has clearly not been looked after.
Take some time before a viewing to go around your home and tidy up: vacuum and mop the floors, dust any exposed surfaces, and tidy away any unsightly clutter, as a starting point. You should also keep on top of any repair work, such as removing carpet stains, replastering and painting any holes, and patching up chipped paintwork.
Brian Zeng
Founder of Ponbee.com: I like to write about self-improvement and achieving excellence, and believe that it is these qualities that ultimately make people successful in life.
