Any kind of home renovation can be nerve-wracking to do, even if it’s just reapplying paint or changing lighting fixtures. If you want your dream home, either to have a cozy home to live in or a more valuable property to sell, you need to gather the courage to make small or big updates. You’re not alone in pursuing home improvement, though, as American homeowners have spent almost $400 billion in renovating their houses in 2017.
The budget can be an issue, but there are plenty of upgrades that you can try without breaking the bank. These changes can also increase the value and marketability of your house. Here are some home upgrades to consider:
1. Beautify Your Yard
The first thing that people see when they visit or pass by your house is your yard. A landscaped yard can leave a first good impression on anyone, boost your property’s curb appeal, and prevent bigger and costlier disasters, such as mold or falling tree branches. If done right, landscaping with some factors of green marketing can boost your property’s value by 5%.
2. Put In a Patio
A patio can add more living space to your home and can readily be used to entertain guests. Patio installation can be quite expensive, but you have to find ways to keep its cost down to get a high return. And no matter how much fun you’d think it’s going to be, entrust its installation to the professionals. Use materials that match the rest of the house and keep its size in proportion with how big your home is.
3. Upgrade Tech Basics
Did you know that some buyers now take into account the speed of your Internet connection? They might even consider it more valuable than local amenities and off-street parking. Investing in technology such as Amplifi HD, with its industrial design intended to complement the look of your house, would be a good start. It’s a router that you can afford to be in full view. Wi-fi mesh networks also have excellent features that give you more bang for your buck, from its powerful antennas and strong signal to its smart LCD screen and free VPN software. It is wireless and ensures superior WiFi performance, too.
4. Improve Your Windows
Changing your outdated windows or even cleaning up fogged up ones can make a huge difference to your home’s curb appeal. You can also upgrade to more energy-efficient ones designed to keep the warm air in, the cold air out, and more light in. Window cleaning can cost you about $200 while installing new ones can set you back up to $5,000, depending on the size of your home.
5. Breathe New Life to Your Roof
Your old roof may not only look unappealing. It may also be costing you more for being energy inefficient as the roof is your biggest insulator. Replace your roof and gain back around 60% to 70% of its cost, which could range from $5,000 to $10,000.
6. Apply Fresh Coat of Paint
This is one of the cheapest home upgrades you can make, but it can still earn you some as it may raise your house’s value by 2%. You can also use the repainting to let your personal preferences and personality shine through, although a home for resale should have safe, neutral colors.
7. Overhaul Lighting
Regardless of how big your windows are, your house won’t get enough lighting if you don’t upgrade the lighting fixtures either. Study what suits your interiors best and prepare around $200 if you want recessed lighting or less than $100 for basic pot lights.
8. Dimmers Are Your Friend
Change the atmosphere in a second by dimming or brightening up your home space. Install dimmer switches for around $100 to $200 and you’ll see the difference in the way your house looks.
9. Don’t Forget About the Shutters
Improve your exteriors by choosing your shutters well. Plantation shutters, for instance, are a practical investment because they can boost your property’s energy efficiency and add to your home value as well.
10. Open Your Floorplan
Don’t be afraid to break down some walls, if it means giving you the feeling of moving into a bigger home. But first, enlist the services of a structural engineer to ensure that tearing down one wall will lead to the collapse of the entire structure. You might enjoy a 6% increase in your home value for this alone.
11. Make Way for More Shelves
Storage is always valuable and you can create more of it at home by building shelves, something that even buyers would appreciate. This can cost $1,000 to around $4,000, but if you’re good with your hands, a DIY installation will reduce the projected expense to less than $200.
12. Update Your Driveway
Driveways should not only be designed to secure your car. It should also be appealing without old dirt, cracks, and weeds and there are many ways you can improve it.
13. Fix Your Doors
Replace creaky and warped interior doors with ones or repair the ones that you can salvage. You can spend around $100 to fix or replace each interior door. Your front door should also leave a strong impression on other people, especially on potential buyers. They could make up their mind just by seeing your front door.
14. Climb Up and Down a New Staircase
Stop getting annoyed over your creaky staircase. Ensure everyone’s safety in the household by replacing it.
15. Bring the Outside In
Instead of blocking your view of the yard with a concrete wall, fix that by replacing it with a sliding glass door. If you can have an unobstructed view of what’s outside, it can make you feel like you’re outside as well. Glass installation may cost you around $1,000 to $3,000, but the outdoor scenery will be worth it.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be a nervous wreck over the possibility of home renovation when you can use any of the ideas above to upgrade your house. You don’t have to take out a massive loan for home improvement when you can do it bit by bit until you have a refreshed atmosphere at home and increased home value.