The following contribution is from another author.
Are you planning to sell your home within the next 1-5 years? If so, you may want to consider different ways to increase your resale value. Here are 5 areas to consider updating to increase the value of your home.
Home Exterior
Create nice outdoor living spaces for entertaining and relaxing. In the backyard, you could build a deck for outdoor seating and a grill. You could also add a fire pit for a low-cost update which tends to be a big hit with buyers. In front of the house, curb appeal is key. Maintain the lawn and pay special attention to the landscaping around your garage and front door which are the main focal points. Consider hiring the experts at TruGreen Lawn to make your yard look green and lush.
Kitchen Renovation
A renovated kitchen is one of the first things a home buyer looks for. You can keep costs down while updating the look of the kitchen by painting the existing cabinets and replacing old appliances with matching stainless steel. For a more extravagant renovation, replace old countertops with granite or quartz.
Square Footage
There are several ways to increase square footage of the home. You could add an ADU (accessory dwelling unit) which is a guest house or a mother-in-law suite. In addition to increasing property value, the ADU can be used for your visitors or as a rental unit to earn extra income if you are not selling your home immediately. Other popular ways to add square footage to the home include converting the attic or basement into additional living spaces, offices, game rooms, bedrooms etc.
Energy Efficiency
Going green in the home saves money in the long term and attracts buyers in the short term.It’s estimated that installing solar panels can increase your home’s resale value by about 4.1%. LED lighting is also an inexpensive option to keep electric costs down. A more pricey option is to install energy efficient windows. This would be a good option if your windows are already in bad condition and need to be replaced anyway, or if you don’t plan to sell your home immediately so that you can reap the benefits of the lower heating/cooling costs.
Home Accessibility
It is a good idea to make the home accessible to seniors and people with disabilities. If possible, it is best to have the master suite on the ground floor to limit the need to go upstairs. A wet room is an excellent option for a bathroom remodel. Wet rooms have showers without any ledge to step or trip over which creates a more open and updated look. More importantly, they are accessible for wheelchairs and walkers
The best way to get started is to decide on your budget. Next, take a good look at each area of your house and make a list of all the items you want to update. Note the price estimation for each item and triage the list by priority. Don’t worry about completing everything on your list, just focus on the areas that are most critical. Don’t try to DIY everything, or you could end up spending more money hiring professionals to fix your mistakes. Unless you are a licensed contractor yourself, it is best to leave the big projects to the experts. Good luck!
Home buyers love seeing smart products like thermostats, doorbells, smart lighting or motorized shades in the home.These items signal a higher perceived value in the mind of the buyer.