Home Improvements If You’re Planning on Moving

The following contribution is from another author.

If you’re a homeowner that’s thinking about moving in the next few years then there are some projects that you should be avoiding. You should focus on home improvements that are going to add value to your home or add a focal point for buyers to remember when thinking about your home. This means you need to be extremely careful when picking and choosing which projects you should be completed before selling and which you should save for your new home (if it needs it). You can check out ghclark.com for more tips and ideas on how you can add value to your home.

Think about the timelines when you’re looking to do home improvements, if you know that you will sell in the near future make sure you’re investing your money wisely and only look to add key features such as a fireplace for a focus in the main living space, modernethanolfireplaces.com has some great options for achieving this. 

Some of the projects that may not have the best return include: 

Costly Landscaping

Landscaping is a really easy way to transform the way a house looks, and it is an important feature to make sure you get right. It should be clean, tidy and well presented. It’s important to the first and last impression for anyone viewing your home when buying , however, you need to be careful not to go overboard when it comes to landscaping. While having  fancy, and expensive backyard may be nice it’s not going to add much value to your home. If you’re planning on selling your home you’re not going to get much of a return on expensive landscaping so keep it simple. If you want to add personality to your garden try adding in flower beds or raised beds that can be easily removed if a buyer doesn’t like them. 

Instead of investing loads into your landscaping why not think about the basics, make changes to improve your curb appeal. It’s really important as someone who is selling their home to understand and put into practice the benefits of good curb appeal. The outside of your home is the first and the last impression that people get of your house and this happens even more for buyers. If you have an unmanaged and messy outside then this will be what buyers expect to see inside the home and you risk them walking in with an already clouded opinion of your home, not only this they will leave the same way and have the messy outside as their final view of your home and will most likely want to see this reflected in any offer they make. Some of the areas to focus on include: 

• Walkways and Pathways should be clear of debris, weeds and repaired if needed.
• The roof should be in good working order, with any damaged or missing tiles replaced. 
• Your windows should be clean. 
• Your door should be clean and well maintained  if it needs painting or replacing you should do this. 
• Grass should be cut to a tidy level, weeds should be removed and edges should be straight. 
• Make sure that the doorbell is working if you have one and any numbers on the door are visible and clean.

Remember that sometimes it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference. 

Extravagant Kitchens And Appliances

While you may love having all the latest appliances, an expensive cooker , and statement worktops, these very much costly additions won’t add value to your home so unless you are planning on taking them with you there is really no point in adding them in the first place. If you did want to remodel your kitchen but are planning on moving in the next five years or maybe less then you should invest in quality appliances that will appeal to a large array of people. You should make sure you’re in line with the neighborhood and the feel to the rest of the home too. It’s possible to increase the value of your home with a remodel, however, you should avoid too much personalization as this can turn buyers away. Of course, if all the houses in the area are remodeling and including some high-end accessories it may be a good idea to include a few in your designs, there is  such thing as too basic too. It’s about finding the balance with each home.

When thinking about making improvements to the inside of your home you should try to keep it basic, there is plenty of projects you can complete in order to add value and get a return. Once you’ve sorted the curb appeal of your home, it’s time to think about the inside. You shouldn’t stress yourself too much with trying to complete large projects but you should make the small ones a priority. Buyers don’t tend to want to move in with a long list of jobs they need to complete, it’s just going to drag the value of your home down. Some areas to focus on include:

• Painting the white areas, make sure all the doors, radiators and skirtings have had a fresh coat of paint. 
• Make sure any damages are repaired, dents in the walls, cupboards rehanging, etc
• Make sure it’s clean and clutter-free throughout your home when viewings are taking place. 
• Consider updating the grouting in the kitchen and bathrooms. 
• If there is any wallpaper that is ripped or falling away from the wall try to rehang it or replace it. 

You have an abundance of options when it comes to home improvement options that will add value to your home, but there are also a large amount that makes be too personal or costly if you’re looking to move soon. Home improvements don’t always pay off as much as you would like, so the key is to try and appeal to as many buyers as possible, especially if you’re not going to stay for long. If you do plan to renovate, concentrate your efforts on smaller projects that will make your home appeal to you and buyers.

Have you completed any projects that added value to your home when you were selling? Please share any ideas and thoughts in the comments section below.