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Whether you’re looking to move out of your home soon, or just know that the time will come eventually, you are probably looking for some ways to improve the home’s value. When the time comes to sell, you want your home to be worth as much as possible, and to do that you’ll likely need to make some changes. Luckily, there are plenty of things that you can do to improve the value of your home, and they range from small tasks up to big projects. Here are just 5 ideas to get you started.
Landscaping and Outdoor Features
Before any prospective buyers enter into your home, they are first going to see the outside. Not only that, but a home’s backyard can do a lot to improve the value. A few things you can do to improve the outside of your home are repaving the driveway, installing a new sidewalk, adding a small pond, planting new trees, altering the landscape (raising or lowering it), or installing a patio. The goal is to make it look as nice as possible, and to make it a place people will want to spend time. For more suggestions, contact a local landscaper.
Install New Appliances
Unless you are going to take your appliances with you, installing some up to date models in the home can significantly improve the value. Things like refrigerators, dishwashers, ovens, washers and dryers are all great things to add, and will give people just another reason to consider buying your home. Try and get appliances that go with the decor of the room, such as finding a refrigerator that matches the counter-tops in your kitchen.
Energy Efficient
One trend we are likely to see going forward is that more buyers are going to want homes that are energy efficient. To make your home more efficient, you can do things like install more energy efficient appliances, or convert your home to use renewable energy – like solar power. If your home has the capability, installing solar panels is a great way to not only save some money on your monthly bills now, but provide that as a selling point for future buyers. In addition, many states will allow you to use upgrades to your home that are energy efficient as a tax write-off, letting you save even more money.
Expand The Home
If you have the space on your property, adding to your home is a great way to increase its value. For instance you could add another room onto the home, expand the kitchen or one of the main bedrooms, or even add another story to the house. Be sure to keep in mind that if you are adding to the house, you are likely going to be taking up yard space, so plan out your additions carefully.
Add A Bathroom
Finally, one thing that home values commonly depend on is the amount and size of bathrooms that are inside the home. If you can find space for another bathroom – or even just a half bathroom – you can significantly improve the value of your home. For those of you that can’t add on to the size of your home, consider making another room smaller in order to add a bathroom. You’re likely to get more value from another bathroom than you are another closet, or by having a larger basement area. Finally, if you can’t add more bathrooms, then perhaps you can just remodel a current bathroom.
Tracking The Value Of Your Home
As you are planning out additions, it is important to track the value of your home. By knowing what the value is, and how it is likely to change based on certain upgrades, you can make better plans. Many realtors can help you to find the value of your home, often through their website (such as this real estate agency from Woodinville). If you have a goal in mind for how much you want your home to be worth, you can use their estimates as a starting point, and then make calculations based on your upgrade ideas.
Improving your home’s value isn’t always easy, and it can cost some money, but in the end it could be worth it. You have to weigh how much your home will be worth, and how much it will cost you now to make that upgrade. If you can make the math work, then improving the value of your home is a great goal to pursue.