7 Ways To Improve The Value Of Your Home

Improve the value of your home.  It’s the difference between just breaking even, or making some serious profit when you decide to finally take the plunge and put it up on the market. Various things can add to the total value of your property, and some of them are more obvious than others. I’ve compiled a list of different ways you can get your home prepped and ready to make you money, so let’s get started!

1. Start With The Front

Clean House

Clean House Source

The first thing a potential buyer sees when they come to scout your home is the front yard, and the face of the house. Does your front path lack lighting? Is your house in dire need of some paint?Should your door be refinished? From your flower beds to the actual face of your house, every single detail counts, even if it feels small or unimportant. Here are some of the improvements you should focus on if you plan on putting your house on the market:

  • Paint the house
  • Touch up the trim
  • Clean and maintain the flower beds
  • Add lighting to the front path
  • Plant a tree
  • Manicure your lawn
  • Clean and/or replace the gutters
  • Paint the front door
  • Clean the screens on your windows and doors
  • Power wash the driveway/front path

Anything you can do to improve the curb appeal of your home will draw in buyers like flies to honey, and will also greatly increase the amount of money you could receive for selling your house.

2. Landscape Like It’s Your Job

Front Yard Landscaping

Front Yard Landscaping Source

This tip is similar to the first one, but also applies to your back and side yard. If you live in a home with large, broad-leafed trees in the front yard, refrain from chopping them down! A mature tree or two (specifically in the front yard) can increase the value of your house by approximately $16,000. Landscaping your yard has a nearly 109% money return for every dollar you spend, so don’t be afraid to go a little overboard on the bushes and flowers. Just make sure to keep your plants confined to a handful of species, so your yard doesn’t start looking cluttered. landscaping will be worth every penny you spend, and your house will look prettier than ever! Mulch the flower beds, edge your lawn, and just do whatever you can to make it look clean and well cared for. Your wallet will thank you in the end.

 3. Consult A Pro

Interior Designer

Interior Designer Source

Consulting an interior designer can be a great way to see which loose ends need to be tied up before you can begin showing your home. They’ll be able to tell you if you should paint a room,change your accent pieces, or how to rearrange your furniture to make a room feel larger (which is something that can greatly improve the value of your house). The cost of hiring an interior designer can vary greatly, but you can often get an hour long consultation for a fair price, and the feedback is worth the money you’ll spend. If you don’t feel like you can afford a professional, consider looking for decorating tips online or in a magazine. If you’re trying to sell your house fast, these are great ways to pinpoint exactly what you should change about your home before you begin to show it.

4. Use Paint

Painting

Painting Source

Do you have unsightly nicks and scratches on your baseboards, or have a common room with walls that are starting to look dingy? If you do, then paint is the answer to your problems. When it comes to your baseboards, trim, and other wall accents, a small art brush and a can of paint can solve all sorts of problems. If you choose to change the color of a room, opt for lighter, more neutral colors, or something that matches the rest of the house. Creating a sense of uniform cleanliness can improve the value of your home greatly.

5. Maintain Everything

Repairing Your House

Repairing Your House Source

Routinely inspecting everything in your house is a good habit to have. From installing new rain gutters, to changing out that one dead light bulb you can never seem to get to, it all goes toward the overall look and feel of your home. If you keep everything in tip-top shape and make strides to improve the basics of your home, people will notice. A house with less problems than more is a very attractive deal for buyers. Here’s a list of things to check routinely:

  • Check your water pipes
  • Change your light bulbs
  • Replace light switch and outlet covers
  • If you have a furnace, inspect it
  • Check for mold
  • Clean your air ducts
  • Fix the doorbell
  • Check around the foundation

 6. Clean Clean Clean

Clean

Clean Source

You can clean your house until you’re black and blue, but there will always be some nook or cranny you can’t quite tackle. Consider hiring a one-time cleaning service right before you start to show your house. All you’ll have to do when they finish is maintain the work they did on a day-to-day basis, and it will save you from a lot of trouble. No matter how much you improve your home, having a dust, dirt, and grime-free living space is what’s really going to attract a potential buyer’s attention, so any money you end up spending on a cleaning service will be worth it in the end. This step is important when you’re looking to sell your house quickly, because you may not have the time to make some other significant upgrades.

7. Spend Money On The Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen Source

The kitchen is the heart and soul of the house.  If you’re going  to improve your home, you should drop some dough there.  One of the best ways to upgrade your kitchen would be to knock down a dividing wall between it and the living room. It makes the space feel open and accessible, and who doesn’t want a spacious kitchen? Another thing that you should consider if you’re doing a full renovation is the flow of the work space. Should you move the sink closer to the stove for better accessibility? Is the fridge a thousand miles away from the rest of the big appliances?

Always making sure that there’s a place for people to hang out in the kitchen that doesn’t hamper the person doing all the cooking, is a very important aspect of creating a desirable kitchen. If you’re upgrading on a tight budget, consider lightening the room with a new light fixture and a neutral toned backsplash. Here are some more ways you can make your kitchen space feel fancy, and really catch the buyer’s eye:

  • Redoing your floor
  • Replacing old or outdated appliances
  • Painting a wall or two
  • Add good lighting – no one likes a dark kitchen
  • If you have serious cash, consider raising the ceiling. Nothing makes a room feel larger than a vaulted ceiling
  • Adding tile backsplash