Value Added – 5 Simple Ideas to Increase Your Home’s Resale Value
No matter how great a house is, most homeowners can’t help themselves, they need to do a few home improvement projects. Even if it’s just a tweak here or there, these are projects nonetheless. If you are part of this group who can’t help but consistently renovate, why not maximize both your time and your home improvement funds by taking on projects that also increase the resale value of your home? Below are 5 ideas for simple projects that you can take on over time to raise the resale value of your home.
1. Throw in Some Technology
Create a “state of the art” mindset for prospective buyers by installing a few smart home security devices. Whether it’s a Bluetooth smart lock or a smart push-pull door handle, if secure technology is a buyer’s first interaction with your home, you will instantly upgrade the house in their minds.
2. Install Easy-to-Clean Floors
Future homeowners may not be consciously thinking about it, but they are looking for a future home that is easy to maintain. What better way to signal low maintenance than to install floors that are easy to clean? Not only will laying new hardwood or laminate flooring increase the resale value of your home, it also won’t break the bank. Such clean, sleek flooring immediately brightens the interior of your home, making it more attractive to guests and potential buyers alike.
3. Do an Energy Assessment
Before you begin investing in all sorts of energy-efficient appliances or renovations, hire an auditor to do an assessment of your home. For a relatively low cost, an auditor will review all the areas of your home where you may be using energy inefficiently. They’ll then recommend a set of improvements tailored to reducing your future bills and boosting your resale value. This tactic may even qualify your home for energy rebates!
4. Improve the Yard
Your front yard needs to at least mirror, if not exceed, the attractiveness of those maintained by your neighbors. That being said, future homeowners may be dissuaded by high-maintenance flower beds or water features, so the goal is to find the perfect balance of simple and attractive. If you intend to add more significant pieces like a bush or a tree, the professionals recommend that you opt for natives. Not only will such native plants provide shade in the future, they will also require less energy to maintain.
5. Upgrade the Kitchen
The kitchen is the most frequently used room of the house, so any upgrades you can make to it will increase the resale value of your home. If you want to start relatively small, replace older, dated countertops with granite or quartz. Your next project could be replacing cabinets, adding a new backsplash or installing new lighting, all of which will modernize the room. If you are able to go a little bigger, consider replacing all older appliances with new, energy efficient ones that match.
Your DIY home improvement projects could serve a dual purpose—they could make the home more enjoyable for you to live in now as well as increase its resale value in the future. Ensure you maximize both your time and your funds by getting an energy assessment to identify the projects with the greatest impact. Once you have those priorities, integrate other small projects into the list, like replacing old keyed locks with smart locks, improving your yard, upgrading your kitchen and installing low maintenance flooring. Each of these projects is relatively low-cost but offers a solid return on investment.
