It doesn’t matter whether you’ve found your forever home and never intend to leave or if you’re looking to move someplace new. Chances are, your home is one of your most valuable assets.
It’s the roof above your head, but it’s so much more than that. Finding ways to boost home value is one of the smartest ways to protect your investment. Doing so in both small and significant ways over time will pay dividends, regardless of your long-term plans for the property.
Not only will you be happier, but particularly when making energy efficient upgrades, your bottom line will smile pretty wide as well.
Yet with any home improvement project, the task of following through with a plan to make said improvements can seem like a mighty daunting task.
Where do you start?
Pretend you’re a stranger. This is nowhere near as creepy as it sounds. One of the best ways to assess what your home needs, particularly on the outside, is to approach your home as if you’ve never seen it before.
Psychologically, it’s incredibly normal to stop noticing details over time. Now is the time to be picky. Start at the curb and work your way up, assessing things like the landscaping, the roof, the siding, the windows, the driveway, and the sidewalks, where applicable.
Do the same on the inside of the home, focusing on larger ticket items like the kitchen, bathrooms, appliances and your HVAC system.
Still not sure what to tackle first? Here are a few easy and affordable suggestions:
Easy Ways to Boost Home Value
Start outside and work your way in
Small things can make a big difference when it comes to first impressions. The best part is, the list of inexpensive ways to improve your curb appeal is long. Replacing things like your front door, mailbox, door handles, and doormat can have a profound impact. A deep clean of the yard as a whole, including trimming edges and shrubs, also packs a punch.
When it comes to bigger things, it’s best to plan ahead for major expenses like roof repair and replacement, siding or window replacement, or driveway upgrades. Consider setting up a separate savings account for expenses and mapping out a calendar of possible projects over time to avoid having too many things add up at once.
Get rid of clutter
In some cases, like when you live with toddlers, this may not be possible. But doing your best to minimize clutter can make rooms appear larger, ultimately adding value to your home. Doing so reduces headaches for you as a homeowner. Just imagine no longer having to search high and low for that pesky remote.
Clearing out clutter enables potential buyers to more effectively visualize themselves in your space. They can envision where their furniture could go and where they will put their Kitchenaid stand mixer a whole lot easier if it doesn’t appear that the house is infested with Legos. Smart Asset suggests also clearing off counters, organizing desks and other surfaces and straightening up bookshelves as a a few good places to start.
Have a home inspection
Even if you’re not intending to sell your home any time soon, scheduling an inspection every so often is a great idea.
As HGTV illustrates, deteriorating roofs, termite infestation, water damage, and outdated electrical systems could be causing problems you’re not even aware of until it’s too late.
By being proactive, you can learn some ways to improve your home before any of these issues becomes more of a major problems.
Find ways to go green
Big improvement or small adjustment, going green has a way of saving you “green” in the long run.
Many homeowners pay their energy bill each month blindly – it’s another standard monthly expense in one door and out one window. But it doesn’t have to be that way.
Yellowblue’s network of independent authorized dealers are here to help. From educational seminars, to in-home assessments, Yellowblue can help you find ways to go green and boost the value of your home. Contact us to locate an independent authorized dealer near you, or to schedule a free consultation.
Upgrade the money-makers
So many home improvement professionals have said that it’s tough to figure out who to credit with the phrase: kitchens and bathrooms sell houses.
While most homeowners would at least attempt to argue otherwise, it’s tough to deny the innate appeal of features like stainless steel appliances in a gourmet kitchen. Or maybe that clawfoot bathtub in the custom-tiled spa bathroom.
Making smaller upgrades over time is a good way to attack these spaces on a budget, or being sure to set aside funds for when the time comes to do a complete overhaul. Moral of the story? It will be worth it.
All of it will be, as a matter of fact. It doesn’t matter whether you’re moving tomorrow or have set down roots.
Home is where your story begins. Why not make it as comfortable, and valuable, as possible along the way?
