3 Great Projects That Increase The Value Of Your Home

It’s the end of summer, when a lot of us return home from vacation. And sometimes absence does not make the heart grow fonder. After a few weeks away, we can see our homes with fresh eyes, and we don’t always like what we see.

That paint looks like it could use a refresher. That creaky stair is a real pain in the @$%&*#. And is that gutter hanging a little low?

As the economy recovers, home improvement is on on the rise again, so if you find yourself thinking your home looks a little rougher around the edges than you remember, here are three sure-fire ways to renovate quickly and increase the value of your home in the process.

Get Outside

How many times have you driven past a neighbor’s house and thought, “Man, I wish that were my place,” without ever setting foot inside? You just proved it—curb appeal is real. That’s why again and again realtors recommend getting outside your home and focusing on those deceptively simple changes that can help your home keep up with the Jones’.

Here’s how HGTV recommends starting the process once you get outside:

Make a list of ways to enhance the positive and eliminate the negative. If you have a nice curvy walkway, accentuate it with flowers or lanterns. If the first thing a visitor sees is your big wide garage, try to guide their eyes into a beautiful front yard, or paint your front door red to guide the eye there. These things add value.

Not only do they add value, they can also be extremely simple. You can paint a door or add a few new plants in a matter of hours, not days. That’s why the best place to start renovating your home may be outside, not in.

Get Cooking

Let’s face it—everyone’s gotta eat. That’s why we spend so much time in our kitchens. And it’s also why they’re such an important room in every home. When buyers come knocking, the state of your kitchen can make or break the deal.

And even though a full kitchen renovation can start at $15,000 to $20,000 (or more!) even without appliances, there are inexpensive ways to make your kitchen more appealing. Think about replacing things like your faucet set, your cabinet door handles, or upgrading that old lighting fixture to an attractive, energy efficient model. The details matter, but they don’t have to be costly.

Get Comfortable

Most homes are sold in the summertime, but of course, we live in them throughout the year. So it’s extremely important that they are comfortable 365 days out of the year. If your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment is on its last legs, your potential buyer will know they’ve got a ticking time bomb to deal with. And when a furnace or A/C unit goes, it’s usually when you need it most.

That’s why licensed realtors and remodeling experts say things like, “When I show buyers a home, if they see a new furnace/HVAC unit, I usually hear a sigh of relief.”

These are just a few ideas on ways to improve the value of your home. What projects are you planning this season? Get in touch and let us know!

Image credit: leyla.a/Flickr. CC license.