Creating the family home of your dreams to watch your children grow up in? Or perhaps you’re making improvements in order to sell your home for the best price and move on to somewhere new. Either way, not all home renovation projects are created equal. If you have a lot of potential to realize, sometimes it can be hard to know exactly where to begin!
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Home improvement projects tend to fall into two camps. The ones that will actually add value to the bottom line of the house generally increase the square footage. They make the house more liveable by giving your family extra space and if you do want to sell, they enable you to command a higher asking price.
Then there are improvements that make the place more appealing – to you if you’re living there and to buyers. Although they can’t be said to impact on the bottom line value, they will make the house attract more offers and could ultimately drive the price up by getting buyers competing.
So what are the best home improvements to aim for?
Extending Your Home
One of the biggest projects you can do, extending your home can be disruptive and expensive – but nothing will make a bigger difference to your home’s value or how it is to live there. From a perspective of inflating the asking price, it’s the most valuable project to tackle – especially if you have spare or unused space at the side or rear of your property, that would allow you to extend without minimizing the yard. Adding a big open-plan kitchen and family room or a garden room are all modern features that growing families tend to look for and that you will enjoy while you’re there. Adding functional living space is the main goal here.
Revisit Your Attic Space
An attic can be just a dusty storage space, or it can provide room for another bedroom or even a master suite with a bathroom and dressing room – that will really add value to the bottom line. If you have a roof height of at least 2.4 metres, your attic is usually suitable for development. Think about adding an extra bedroom with a small ensuite bathroom as this really boosts value. Work with an architect to draw up plans that make the best use of the space, and make sure you find an experienced contractor to carry out the building work for a quality finish that will make your home a dream to live in or really get the offers rolling in if you want to sell your home.
Upgrade Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home and an important family space, so upgrading to a new one if yours is a little outdated is a positive move. It’s an improvement that your family will love. If you’re planning to sell, it doesn’t quite add the same value as extending but it is a big draw. A modern kitchen is a big tick for potential buyers and will usually attract higher and better offers. Choose beautiful Kitchen Cabinets, range cookers and a dishwasher to make it extra appealing and consider an island unit if you have the space. Adding LED lights to the underside of units can also work to make the space look luxurious and modern.
Update Your Curb Appeal
Potential buyers often form their first impressions – and an idea of what they’d be willing to pay – before they even cross the threshold. So it can pay to take care of the exterior of your home. Similarly, it’s a view you see every night when you come home – so why not make it appealing to lift your spirits? Adding a new front door or enclosed porch to take off dirty shoes, and add extra insulation and security is a big plus. If you don’t want another building project, simply jet washing paving or covering it with slate chippings, touching up the exterior paint work and adding a few attractive planters or potted trees can work wonders to make the space look inviting.
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