Home improvements make living in your home more fun, and comfortable and ultimately increase your home’s value. If you’re thinking of selling your home this year, summer is the best time to make your home improvements. It’s warm, thus reducing the worry of unexpected weather changes that cause delays.
Similarly, since the pandemic hit, there have been growing fears of home price drops, increasing the essence of making home improvements. Below are simple home improvements that can increase your home’s value this summer and attract potential buyers.
14 Simple Home Improvements That Can Increase Your Home’s Value This Summer
Fresh paint and décor
A fresh paint coat throughout your home can do wonders. It covers previous paint that could be chipped or dirty, making your home look newer.
Additionally, an advantage of repainting your home is that you can do it yourself, especially during summer; this can be one of your projects together with your family.
A décor refresh also goes a long way in increasing your home’s value because it adds to the curb appeal. You can change the drapes, get new carpeting, add wallpaper, or switch up seat cushions and pillows, among many others.
Whether you plan to attract buyers or keep living in your home, simple redecorations and repainting now and then do no harm.
Update a dated kitchen
It’s almost impossible to go wrong with kitchen updates when you have the right ideas and help. The kitchen is the heart of the home; updating it can increase your home’s value by 77%.
However, if you’re remodeling to sell soon, avoid making more personal décor decisions; your dream kitchen features could be a potential buyer’s nightmare.
When updating your kitchen, ensure you stick to high-quality features like granite counters and stainless steel; avoid pairing them with cheap material, such as laminate. Try a different design with your kitchen, like the open-plan, L-shaped, U-shaped, or galley.
Replace windows
Although summer is warm and you may open windows, if you experience breezy and cool weather when you shut them, it’s time to replace your panes.
Windows not only add curb appeal to your home but also prevent loss of energy that can increase utility bills. One of the things that potential buyers look into is conserving energy and avoiding paying hefty bills on top of paying for a home. Replace your current windows with more energy-efficient ones, such as vinyl, for high returns and a warmer home.
Modify your bathroom
A bathroom remodel with updates like new fixtures and countertops increases your home’s value from about 57 to 64 percent. However, you don’t have to splurge on many fancy designs; work with classic features that appeal to any home buyer with contemporary or traditional tastes.
If you already have a tub, you don’t have a Jacuzzi; it won’t break or make a sale. Instead, modify your bathroom by touching upon existing features; you can add space or restore surfaces of toilets, tubs, and sinks by recoating porcelain, ceramic, or fiberglass to make them look newer.
Get new flooring
Very few floors can last years and still look good on your home; even if they aren’t worn out, they’re probably out of style. Gone are the days when homeowners sought after patterned carpets, lino tiles, and carpets in bathrooms.
Updating your floors can be inexpensive, but it goes a long way in increasing your home value. You can transform your home’s entire outlook with easy DIY options, but ensure you get the suitable types of floors for particular rooms. Add elements of value, such as wooden floorboards or natural stone, like limestone that gets better as it ages.
Install solar panels
Nowadays, many people are looking to increase their home’s energy efficiency while reducing their carbon footprint. Many greenhouse gas emissions result from home energy use; installing solar panels this summer can significantly lower your utility bills.
Although solar panel installations cost a lot, they are a valuable investment and increase your home’s value. However, it’s best to install solar panels if you plan on living in your home for five years to earn back your initial outlay.
Convert your attic
If you have an attic, you can add floor space to your home through its conversion. Establish its size and look into any height restrictions to determine whether you can do a conversion, how much it would cost, and the amount of work needed.
Converting your attic, according to the Guardian, can increase your home’s value by 20%. Although converting your attic will be destructive and invasive, it can add to the much-needed room in your home, for example, a playroom or extra bedroom.
Install a deck
The summer period is all about spending as much time outdoors with friends and family as possible; it wouldn’t be complete without a deck.
Building a deck not only boosts curb appeal and gives you a place to hang out during summer but also increases your home value.
You can recoup up to 75% of the project’s cost after selling your home. However, it also differs with the kind of material you use; although a wooden deck is cheaper than steel, it’s appealing and retains value.
Landscaping
Your home entrance is the first area that potential home buyers see before they walk into the house. It makes sense to make simple improvements, such as adding lighting, surrounding your home with a fence or hedge, planting flowers, and mowing the lone.
Invest in perennial plants and plant trees; they’re not only appealing but also save the environment from carbon dioxide emissions, and soil erosion, filter pollutants from underground, and block storm-water runoff.
Approach your house from the curb to your front door when determining which areas of your yard to attend to; that’s where home buyers make their decision.
Fix your roof
If you’ve experienced leakages in the roof during wet seasons, this summer is the best time to fix it. Fixing your roof or replacing it altogether is essential for structural and insulation purposes.
Leakages in the roof expose you to health hazards as water-logged structures are prone to rotting and are a breeding site for pests and mildew.
A leaking roof is also unattractive and reduces your home’s energy efficiency while destroying other surfaces and furniture. Fixing your roof goes a long way in protecting your home and attracting potential buyers.
Improve your central heating system
If you don’t have a central heating system, you severely damage your home’s value. Similarly, an old and inefficient central heating system and boiler can be a put-off to potential home buyers if you’re planning to sell.
Nowadays, central heating systems are constantly being improved and modernized to be more efficient. Before you get your home into the market, ensure you upgrade your boiler/heating system and get the necessary certificates. Although it will cost you, it can save a lot on utility bills and at the same time add value.
Pool cleaning
If you have a swimming pool, one of the most superficial home improvements you can make this summer to boost value is pool cleaning. Apart from air conditioning, a swimming pool is a refreshing and tremendous asset that makes summer fun. Additionally, the clean, blue, and sparkling water are attractive to many homebuyers with the stay-at-home new way of life.
Ensure maintaining your pool comes at the top of your list, including water analysis, balancing and monitoring water chemistry, clearing debris, installing backwash filters, and vacuuming and brushing.
You can choose to maintain the pool or hire a professional to do it for you. All in all, pool maintenance eliminates the need for unexpected repairs and saves you from long-term costs.
Add built-in storage areas
Extra storage space within a home is a premium feature for many home buyers. When a home has in-built storage spaces, a potential home buyer wouldn’t have to buy additional furniture that is seemingly bulky.
Even if you have a small space, you can make the most of it; there are many clever ways to add storage space, for example, alcoves, pull-out drawers, or storage benches.
Ensure you have in-built wardrobes for the clothes and, if possible, utilize under-the-staircase space as storage for shoes, coats, or cleaning devices.
Add a sunroom or conservatory
You don’t always have to enjoy the sun from outside during summer; you can enjoy it in the comfort of your home in a sunroom. Research reveals that one of the most cost-effective ways to add value to your home is by adding a conservatory.
It provides a perfect space to hang out with friends and family and sip on drinks as you engage in conversation. Also, during cold seasons when you can’t go out much, a sunroom comes in handy; it provides the much-needed natural light and extra space to grow indoor plants.
Take advantage of the pleasant summer weather and everyone being home to make improvements to your home. Whether you plan on living in your home for a few more years or selling, home improvements can go a long way in adding value and making you more comfortable.
Update your home’s kitchen, floors, your bathroom, and take care of other structural issues. There is so much you can do! And you can have fun along the way.
Do you have anything you want to add to my post about simple home improvements that can increase your homes value? If you do, please leave me a comment below!