There are a number of perks of adding value to your home that go beyond upping the sale price. If you want to spruce some things up around the house, and want to add value to it at the same time, you may not know where to start. Start with the areas of your home that you want to improve the most, as almost every project will add some value. Take notes from this list of some of the best home projects for increasing value, and let the inspiration begin.
Start With the Front Door
A new front door could change the entire look of your home. A new door can add as much as 90 percent value to your home, and more if you are upgrading the door significantly. A steel door with a warranty for only a few hundred dollars can turn an old door that you can’t stand, into a home with a feature to sell.
This project can also offer you the intrinsic perk of possibly selling your home a little faster. If the door you are replacing had seen its day, replacing the front door increases the aesthetic value of the front of your home. It’s the first thing that buyers and visitors will notice when they arrive.
Add a doormat to the look, and you add a little pop to the first impression for potential buyers, family, and friends.
Give Your Home a Facelift
Do you ever come home from work and groan as you pull into the driveway because you just wish everything looked different, or better? If you are thinking of selling, you might have some potential home buyers thinking the same.
Feeling better about the face of our homes is another perk of adding value to your home. Before you order the construction equipment rental, look at the front of your home one element at a time.
A power wash to the outside of your home can change the face of it in an instant. This won’t be one of the best home projects for increasing value, but it does increase curb appeal. Make a point to have that done annually if you aren’t selling yet.
If you want to add more value than a pretty face to your home, use a commercial painting service for residential properties to give your home a different kind of facelift. A new exterior paint job is one of the best home projects for increasing value and you’ll get 95.5 percent of that back. It is also one of the least expensive.
Fencing and Decks
Backyard fences and decks are among the best home projects for adding value, especially if you didn’t already have them. Still, you can get as much as 50 percent of the value back. You also get the added perk of having a more secure landscape, and a nicer place to enjoy the outdoors from home.
Other perks to adding fencing are privacy and keeping pets and children safe. This is something that new buyers look for when they ask to see the backyard.
Consider the materials you are using when you decide to design your fence or deck. If your fence and deck match in materials, this is something that will stand out to buyers. Solid fencing such as concrete adds more value as they offer more security. They are also considered more aesthetic.
Landscapes
Landscaping isn’t simply about offering curb appeal, it is one of the best projects for adding value to your home because it provides a 100 percent return. Having a nice landscape at home makes you feel good about having a pretty home that people admire. That is the same feeling that potential buyers feel when they drive up to your home for a showing.
Landscape design is worth the investment if that change is something you are seriously considering. A professional service from a landscape architecture firm will add the most value. However, if you like to do some gardening, spend some time researching what features you could add to both the front and back of your yard. This will be money and time well spent.
Make sure that you keep the maintenance going on this brand-new yard of yours. That also adds the intrinsic value of beauty to your home. Another perk to this is that potential buyers will have the first impression of a home that has been well-maintained. That makes them more confident about the home before they even walk through the front door.
Install Security
A brand-new system with video surveillance services may or may not add value to your home, but it often does. It doesn’t add value the same way that a new kitchen or landscape design will. That is because video surveillance or even mid-range security systems will require the new owner to maintain upkeep in monthly fees or additional hardware costs. The idea of security will be appealing, but they may not want it if it is too advanced.
On the other hand, you can purchase minimal hardware yourself and handle the monitoring yourself as well. You can add one or two cameras at key points in your yard, and backup the data on your own devices whenever you want. This is a more affordable solution than a system that requires monitoring.
It’s also a solution that is appealing to buyers, which is why it makes it one of the best home projects for increasing value, even if it can be a little expensive upfront.
There are other things that you can do for security outside that can help to add value. Motion sensor lights outdoors are not something that will require upkeep or maintenance beyond electric costs. Window sensors on the home accomplish the same goal.
Another one of the best home projects for the increasing value that can provide between a 62 percent and 77 percent return on investment is a garage door change. Adding a garage door opener is a security feature as well. If you don’t already have one, install garage door openers to offer a roll up door to new buyers. If you upgrade to a garage door that offers smart features, even better.
Kitchen Remodels
Once you are done upgrading the outside, you’ll want to move to the focal points inside. There are a number of projects that are among the best home projects for increasing value to your home. Using kitchen remodeling services is a great place to start. A new kitchen will get you a return on your investment of approximately 98.5 percent.
There are major kitchen remodels, and minor ones, and either will always get you a return. A minor remodel for a mid-sized single-family home could involve re-facing cabinets and replacing drawers, adding a wall oven, changing some fixtures, and revamping the flooring. That kind of remodel will cost in the $15,000 range and may include up to 30 feet of cabinets. Adding recessed lighting in the kitchen can also add to its value, and help with the intrinsic perk of making it look like a new kitchen that you will enjoy more.
If your home is worth over $500,000, consider using more contemporary materials and redo the kitchen entirely. Stone and glass counters can change the face of your entire home. These materials breathe new energy into the home, which brings another perk to the table when it comes to the perks of home projects.
Adding plantation shutters to the kitchen is a trend that is also considered as one of the best home projects for increasing value. It will always give you a return on your investment and will make your kitchen look like it just came out of a magazine.
Plantation shutters can be expensive, and cost as much as $10,000, depending on how many shutters that you need. There are a number of different materials you can get shutters in, and this can change the affordability for you. They are always worth the investment and buyers really love this trend that will create a timeless look.
Bathroom Remodel
It’s an old real estate adage that kitchens and bathrooms sell homes because they do. They are good for you and good for the buyer. A bathroom remodel will always be among the best home projects for increasing value, because it will give you a return of approximately 93.2 percent.
In a bathroom that is approximately 5×7 feet, relocating major fixtures, changing the closet, and adding a ceramic floor will cost up to $25 thousand dollars.
Change Your Roof
A new roof is something many realtors will say will always get you a return on your investment because it will, but it may only get you 55 to 60 percent. A repair is a good alternative if you don’t want to purchase a new roof. Contact roof repair services to get some quotes, and build your budget from there.
If a new buyer comes for a showing, knowing they won’t have to replace the roof for 20 years is enticing. A new roof is one of the best home projects for increasing value.
Adding Square Footage
You don’t have to build an entirely new room to add square footage to your home. Changing existing space into livable square footage can become one of the best home projects for increasing value. Remodel an attic into a bedroom refinish a basement, or turn a garage into an apartment. This extra space that is livable is appealing to buyers and could give you a 95 percent return.
Some areas of the country will give you a higher return. In the West, it is estimated that a revamped attic could give you a return as high as 105 percent. In the Midwest, you might only get 82 percent.
Insulation in the new space will also lower utility bills. The United States Department of Energy website can direct you to the right kind of insulation available in your area.
A basement remodel will also give you a nice return of 90.1 percent. A completely finished basement could cost as high as $50,000, but it is a feature that new buyers love. If you are having any flooding issues, refinishing the basement may be able to help you prevent flooding.
There are many options of seamless flooring that can help you to improve the condition of your existing basement. New flooring can make a room you currently use for storage into extra living space.
For flooding prevention, have an inspector check the weeping tile. It’s an additional expense to fix that, but this will also pay off when it comes time to sell. Bigger gutters or a re-sloped yard can also help with any basement flooding if you are taking on a basement remodel. Basement remodels can get you a return as high as 108 percent because it is the extra square footage that is heated and livable. They will always be one of the best home projects for increasing value.
Make it Open Concept
Making a room an open concept room has the same impact as adding square footage, and as such it is always going to be one of the best home projects for increasing value. Taking out a wall to open up the kitchen and family room is a contemporary change that buyers love, and it adds value.
This change gives you some extra square footage, and also adds light. Don’t do this task without consulting with a contractor.
Start Remodeling Today
If you want to add value to your home, there are a number of projects you can start with. You can go as big or as small as you like. Any permanent change is going to add value, whether you are just adding a door, or pulling a full demo in the kitchen and taking down some walls. Begin taking notes for your inspiration today.