There is always a long list of home updates that can increase your home’s value. It’s important to consider a budget and check in with your real estate agent on what trends are relevant and most effective in your neighborhood and real estate market.
#1 Walls and Floors
First and foremost, walls and floors can be the simplest and most effective update you can make in your home to increase the overall value. A fresh coat of paint, new or refurbished flooring, and accent walls or features can give your home a clean slate for the new potential buyer. Can’t decide on a paint color? Check out the trending paint colors for this year.
#2 Bathroom
A major or minor update to the bathroom can drastically increase your home’s worth. Minor changes, like updated hardware, re-caulking, re-glazing the tub, or trending paint color, can make the room feel refreshed and clean. A major remodel can consist of new tile, flooring, tub, shower, vanity, and new bathroom hardware.
#3 Landscaping & Exterior Updates
Landscaping and exterior updates are important and often can affect your home’s ‘first impression’. It’s important to use varying heights for landscaping and a pop of color on the front of the house. Most homes’ pop of color is generally on the front door or can be the home’s trim color. Other pops of color can be highlighted with the use of landscaping, like flowers, colorful trees, garden ornaments, etc.
Exterior updates can include plenty of different updates, but most importantly a fresh layer of paint can do wonders. Remove any old awnings, windows, or doors. Replace damaged railings or unsafe stairs. Update and replace the siding to ensure there are no missing or warped pieces.
Deck, Patio, or Porch additions can really improve your home’s value. We have been seeing an increase in indoor-to-outdoor spaces and meshing the two spaces together. So, these improvements can create a better flow and give your home a spacious and diverse atmosphere.
#4 Kitchen
Generally, a minor kitchen remodel is a cosmetic update and doesn’t usually include any changes to the kitchen floorplan. Refresh the cabinet paint, update hardware and light fixtures, and even possibly update the flooring.
Complete kitchen remodels can repurpose your entire kitchen space, a whole new floorplan with a kitchen island, countertops, a spacious sink, new appliances, flooring, backsplash tiling, and more. Planning to sell? Stick with neutral colors for walls and window treatments. Remodeling to please yourself? Choose colors you love.
#5 Finished Attic or Basement Space
An attic conversion can add value and usable space to your home. Finishing your attic space with high-quality insulation can lower your utility bills and increase your home’s efficiency.
Updated or remodeled basements make wonderful bonus spaces, and don’t usually need much. Some drywall, fresh paint, and flooring will make a world of difference. If your basement has concrete floors, carpet squares can provide an easy and quick solution to warm up the space. Carpet squares are convenient and can be removed if damaged or stained.
#6 Replacement Windows
Windows are important and can affect the efficiency of your home. Especially in cities like Seattle, San Francisco, NYC, Boston, etc. where the average homeowner recoups more than they spend on replacement windows, so either way, it’s a great investment.
#7 Room Additions
Any addition that is added to the home’s original floorplan shouldn’t be obvious and should have an open transition, like a wider doorway, to visually connect the addition to the rest of the home. An addition like a sunroom, only counts in the home’s square footage only when the room is heated and cooled for year-round use.
Get Started Now!
In conclusion, pick a project and start right away. Today is officially the soonest you can start, so just do it. Get started now.
Not only does Kari Haas have more than 300 real estate deals under her belt, but she has an outstanding success rate. When multiple offer situations arise, Kari’s clients win in over 95% of those instances! Put the Kari Haas Real Estate team behind you. Call or email us today!