When you take a look around your home, condo, apartment, or property, most of the time, the eyes drift toward the places we are unhappy with. We see the cracked paint, unfinished basement, and broken door. What we don’t focus on are the places in your home with the most character, the best pieces of furniture, and are the most loved.
Renovating the parts of your home that you want improved is not only a great way to fall back in love with your home, but it can be a great investment. Many renovations can increase the value of your home, which can pay off big when it’s time to sell your home someday or refinance your mortgage loan. Take a look at these home improvements that add the most value.
Bathroom Remodel/Addition
The most common, and most assured, remodel to make at home is within your bathroom. This can vary from:
- Updating fixtures
- Adding a new tub/shower
- Retiling the floors
- Doing a full redesign
Like most projects, this can be costly, but if you shop at local hardware stores or DIY what you can, you can get more bang for your buck.
Think creatively and make this bathroom a place where you can relax, wind down, and be comfortable in. Find new fixtures or shower doors to create a nicer space for you to use.
There may also be room in your home to install a new bathroom entirely; more rooms typically result in higher value. Consider your dream bathroom and get started today!
Landscaping
Landscaping is an untapped market when it comes to the remodeling business. Start this project by going to your local landscaping and/or garden center and chatting with an expert to brainstorm ideas on what would flow best with the space you have.
There is not always a need to contract out a landscaping service. With the right amount of time and effort, you can create a design, outline of your yard, and put it into action.
When thinking about the curb appeal of your home, consider asking neighbors, family members, and friends for ideas on what they think would look best and make a list. You won’t need to implement every suggestion given, but this can give you a good idea of what others see as room for improvement in the land surrounding your home.
Your additions may include a back patio, water fountain, colorful flower arrangements, or flagstones – all of which can enhance the appeal of your home. Not only will this revive your home, but increase its overall value as well!
Reinventing a Room
When you began your search for a new home, you most likely had some requirements. Wanting at least two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, a study, a covered patio, etc. are just some of the qualities you looked for – and potential buyers look for, too, when purchasing a new home.
Think of all the rooms in your home and consider which is used the least and has the most potential. You may have a spare bedroom that can be turned into an office or a large living room that a dining room can be added on to. There may be a corner with good sunlight, making a perfect space for a breakfast nook or mini-library. Or, if you want to take it up a notch, consider finishing the basement and creating a media room. This is the place for your creativity to come into play!
Transforming an existing space is a simple way to bump up the value of your home.
Kitchen Updates
A classic, but important, home improvement is updating your kitchen. This project doesn’t have to entail ripping up your floors or destroying your cabinets to make room for new ones. A minor kitchen remodel can actually go a long way! Some of the best ways to restore your kitchen include:
- Repainting the walls
- Adding a backsplash
- Updating your fixtures
- Sanding and resurfacing your cabinet doors
These kitchen updates are fairly simple but can increase the overall value of your home.
Adding value to your home does not necessarily mean spending the most money on your project, but it means putting time and effort into the pieces of your home that could use some TLC and elbow grease.
Contact a loan originator in your area to learn about Waterstone Mortgage’s renovation loan programs.
