Five Simple Ways to Increase Your Home's Value

Whether you just purchased your home or have lived there for 30 years, there are simple ways that you can increase your home's resale value.  If you start out by making a plan on how to tackle upgrades intentionally and not impulsively, you will fare better. Start out by creating a list of changes or upgrades that you would like to make to your home. Realistically look at the time and money that you would need to invest. Prioritize your list and determine what is a "must have" and what is a "dream".  

Small Improvements Really Pay Off

Many homeowners think right away that to add value to their home they need to involve themselves in major costly kitchen or bathroom renovations. While statistically these upgrades do add immediate value it can be a strain on the homeowner's budget and may not bring about the return in dollars that the homeowner is looking for at the sale of their home. It surprises homeowner's to find out that a combination of improvements to their home's décor along with smaller upgrades actually bring about a better payoff! Upgrades, such as replacing old faucets, permanent lighting, and doors, while minimal in cost and time compared with renovations, can make a home feel newer and fresher. Also improvements in home décor such as new window treatments, furniture, freshly painted walls, new electrical plugs or wall outlets and a new lamp can all aid in increasing your home's value. These are small projects that can be completed quickly and can help the homeowner see real progress.

A Clean House Now Brings Profits Later

Potential buyers are attracted to houses that are clean, bright and sparkly. Just the same, a house that it cluttered, dingy, has musty odors or unpleasant smells will repel buyers. If your home is on the market or you plan on putting your home on the market, one of the best ways to increase the value of your home in a potential buyer's eyes is to present them with a clean, healthy well maintained home free from any potential expensive problems.

Beautify Your Bathroom

If your bathroom is due for a major upgrade and you have the budget for a renovation, then definitely embark on the journey. An upgrade of the bath area can bring a whopping 85% return! However, bathrooms are not just seen as functional rooms, people see them now as spa retreats. The fixtures and surfaces in bathrooms consist of stainless steel, granite or marble countertops glass tiles, heated floors and jetted showers. Since bathrooms cost less per sq footage this may be a place worth really splurging!

Upgrading the Kitchen

Any realtor will tell you that the No. 1 upgrade that will bring you the greatest return is in the kitchen! It can also be the costliest upgrade. So why not do a mini-remodel? A mini-remodel consists of changing the paint on the walls, perhaps painting or re-facing the cabinets, upgrading the appliances to stainless steel, or adding a kitchen island. A new backsplash or new tile in a kitchen is an upgrade that always adds value in a kitchen. 

Always Check with Your Professionals

Prior to embarking on any project you want to always do your research. First talk with a realtor to see what kind of return the improvements that you are thinking of making will bring. Some improvements will add greater value to your home over others. Homeowners always hire certified home inspectors to check a potential home for any costly fixes before they buy the home. Whether you're planning on putting your home on the market soon or in the future, having a home inspection performed on your house is like having a checkup performed on your car. You maintain your car keeping it in optimum working condition to avoid costly repairs or complete failure in the future. Why not do the same for your home? If you know about problems with your home in advance you can take care of any problems early on warding off costly future problems or avoid having to make concessions to the buyer during contract negotiations for those problems. Cleveland home inspections performed by Keystone Home Inspections have been able to even help our customers to decide on which home improvements or upgrades to invest in to bring about the greatest increase in their home value. If you are looking for ways to improve your home's value contact Keystone Home Inspections and we can lend our Cleveland home inspection services to assist you.