If you’ve decided to remodel and renovate your home, you probably have a good reason. No matter if you’re trying to create more living areas, open up certain parts of your home or simply wish to repaint the whole thing, house renovations will require some time and investment.
That’s why you should also consider going for the upgrades that will add value to your property, regardless of if you’re looking to sell your home or not.
By adding value to your property, you’ll be making a good investment that will certainly pay off in the future, if you ever change your mind and decide to sell.
With that in mind, let’s check out some remodeling dos and don’ts you should keep in mind when upgrading your property.
DO
Work your way in from the outside
When looking to boost the value of your property, you should – naturally – start from the outside and work your way towards the interior, as the outside of your house is the first part of it anyone will notice.
So, check your fence and see if it needs any repairing, repainting or replacing.
Inspect your yard thoroughly, trim the grass, and get rid of anything that creates either visual or physical mess. You can even hire landscaping services like the ones offered on https://www.neavegroup.com/, and have the professionals take care of your yard for you.
Once both your fence and your yard are nice and neat, inspect your pavers, stairs and porch, as well as your house facade. Of course, if anything is in desperate need of some TLC, get to it as soon as possible.
Finally, make sure you also inspect your doors, windows and shutters, and repaint, fix and recaulk anything that’s not in mint condition.
Take care of the most expensive upgrades first
As you move the upgrades indoors, start off with the most expensive ones first. These will, of course, be mostly contained to your kitchen, bathrooms and toilets, as well as any other areas where you may have plumbing.
Keep in mind that entirely replacing your plumbing will be an enormous project that will require a lot of time and money. Luckily, you can always opt for cheaper alternatives that will still bring plenty of value to your home. Instead of replacing your pipes, for instance, opt for simply relining them. This is a much cheaper and faster alternative that will still prolong the lifespan of your current pipes.
Prioritize the most important areas
Even though all areas in our homes serve a purpose, some of them are simply more important than others.
Again, bathrooms and the kitchen should be your priority, as these areas experience most traffic and are the first ones to show obvious signs of wear and tear.
So, inspect your bathroom fixtures and assess if any of them are in need or refinishing. Avoid replacing your sinks, toilets and bathtubs if they can be fixed with a simple refinish.
Next, inspect your kitchen sink and sink disposal and see if you need to fix or replace any of the elements. Finally, make sure all of your cupboards, worktops and other storage solutions are in good condition and don’t show signs of wear and tear or neglect.
Make big changes with simple solutions
When looking to spruce up your interior, try to introduce as many big changes as you can by using simple solutions.
For instance, if you wish to add more interest to your living room or bedroom, you can easily achieve this by simply repainting the walls, swapping out your curtains or changing your throw pillow covers. By opting for more neutral hues, you’ll greatly boost the value of your home and make it more appealing to prospective buyers.
However, if you don’t currently plan on selling your home, you can choose whichever colors you like. Just remember to repaint your walls if and when you decide to sell.
DON’T
Spend money on unnecessary upgrades
The number one mistake you should avoid is spending money on unnecessary upgrades. These most commonly include things like smart fridges and trash cans, automatic curtain openers, state of the art appliances and similar home additions.
Unless you personally don’t have a strong urge or need for such items, there’s not much sense investing in them, as their value will only diminish as time passes. In a year or two, chances are that newer and better alternatives will show up on the market, rendering the ones you’ve invested in obsolete.
Invest in luxury upgrades
Luxury upgrades are another thing that can actually lower the value of your property.
For instance, believe it or not, investing in building a pool – and especially an in-ground pool – can actually make your property less appealing for future buyers. Such an addition, although initially appealing, comes with its own set of responsibilities and expenses not everyone is willing to commit to.
A full-blown outdoor kitchen is another example. Just because you may enjoy cooking – and doing so outdoors – doesn’t mean that everyone will find value in such an addition. So, it’s always better to stick to a simple inflatable pool and a nice grill, which you can just pack up and take with you if you ever decide to move.
Change the purpose of any of the core amenities
In the end, majorly changing the purpose of any core amenities, such as a garage, a basement or an attic, for instance, is not always a good idea.
As an example, you could turn your garage into a small workshop, or turn your attic space into a walk-in closet. But turning any of these areas into living spaces is not really advisable, unless you choose to go all in and make them into full-blown units with their own bathrooms and kitchens.
Of course, these are just some of the dos and don’ts you should keep in mind when upgrading your property, especially if one of your goals is to boost its value.
