Essential Improvements to Raise Your Home’s Value

Whether you’re upgrading or moving into something smaller, selling your home requires more than an excellent realtor to guide you. If you want to get the most money for an older home, several renovations are essential to raising its value.

Kitchen Renovations

Many families consider the kitchen the heart of the home, which means it is imperative that yours is modern and functional if you wish to add value to your home. Start with the floor. Depending on the kitchen’s style, you may consider neutral-looking tile, hardwood or sleek and modern gray tiles. Another excellent way to add style and value is to update the backsplash. If your kitchen is large enough, consider using two different but complementary designs to add more depth, but ensure any backsplashes match the rest of the kitchen’s style and avoid anything too flashy.

While flooring and backsplashes are an excellent way to add a bit of style, the real money is in the appliances and countertops. Ongoing trends in kitchen renovations include stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops. If the space doesn’t already have it, consider adding modern sinks and a new dishwasher to complete the renovation, but only do so if you can afford to hire professional plumbers to do the work.

Bathroom Renovations

The bathroom is the next place to consider when it comes to adding stylish upgrades. If you just need to update the space a little, new cabinets, a stand-alone sink, and a massaging showerhead are all excellent options. If you can afford a larger renovation that requires the help of plumbing experts, consider creating a bathroom made for people who want to age in place. Walk-in showers and comfort-height toilets are accessible to people with mobility issues but don’t take away from the overall style and convenience of the room for the rest of the family. Finish off the space with new paint and a heated towel rack.

Household Essentials

Are you on a tight budget? Skip the bit renovations altogether and instead focus on upgrading the home essentials. Energy-efficient windows are budget-friendly at about $500 each and have a return on investment of about $575 each. Maybe your home is still using old-fashioned light bulbs that require replacement every few months. Upgrade the lighting system to add better illumination and gain energy efficiency. LED lights have life expectancies of 15-20 years.

Don’t forget to consider what your home has going on behind the scenes. A Plumbing & HVAC expert can ensure your home’s pipes are in good working order, install a tankless water heater, verify the electric panel works well, and even upgrade your furnace.

The amount your investment brings in for you depends on which renovations you completed, but even doing the bare minimum of updating essentials can raise thevalue by about four percent. That may not seem like much, but if your home’s original appraisal was $300,000, you could see a $12,000 increase. Every little bit helps. No matter which improvements you decide to invest in, always hire professionals to help you complete the work. There is a time and a place for DIY projects, but that time is not when you want to sell your home.

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