When the time comes to sell your property, one of the first things on your mind will be finding ways to boost its value. It’s important to not overdo it when renovating a home to sell it, as you may find the added value isn’t more than the value of improvement, and you aren’t able to recoup your losses. With that said, here are five DIY home improvement projects to boost your home’s value that you can do yourself – at least that way you’ll save on labour costs.
Declutter
This is the first task you should tackle for practical reasons if you want to increase the value of your home. But it’s easier said than done. We all know the feeling: your home has lots of clutter and you feel overwhelmed by the scope of the task. The best thing to do to combat that feeling is to put all the clutter in the middle of your room and slowly organize everything based on categories: keep, recycle, or throw away. You can even donate some of the stuff that you’re not using anymore. But at the same time, you should also eliminate all trash and broken items that are not functioning properly.
You will be amazed at how much space you can save this way. The fewer items you have of your own in the home when potential buyers come to visit, the easier it will be for buyers to imagine themselves living in the space.
Replace Your Old Front Door
Don’t discount the value of a first impression! One home improvement task that offers a surprising benefit for such a small cost is replacing the old front door. By taking the time to create a welcoming threshold that draws people in, guests will be able to enter the home with higher expectations that you can then reinforce. Don’t forget to upgrade the accessories on your front door too; get a visible house number, add a new knocker and doorbell, and get a new letterbox. These are all small changes that could have a big impact.
Painting
You’d be surprised at what a fresh coat of paint can do to your home. It leaves it looking much fresher and newer. Even if you can’t repaint the entire property on your budget, you should at least be able to brighten up one or two rooms. The effort is easily worth it when you consider what it does to the appeal of a home, and the overall value of your property. Consider giving a room a brand new feel by choosing a different, bolder colour. And if this time-consuming task is something you would rather not DIY, you could splash out (pun intended) out on hiring an interior painter.
Upgrade The Lighting
The better lit your home is the more appealing the prospect of living there becomes. Lighting makes a home feel spacious and comfortable, which can mean prospective buyers will be happy paying a higher price for the house. Focus on creating more areas with natural lighting as well. This can make a home more cost-effective as there won’t be a need to use electrical lighting. It will also brighten up your home making it feel nicer all around. When it comes to electrical light fixtures you could also consider installing automated lights, that link to a smart home system so that lights aren’t left switched on when nobody is in the room. Which brings us to the next point.
Automate Your Home
Home automation is sure to improve the value of your property. Invest in things such as automatic garage doors and smart devices like smart meters to give your home an instant property value boost. These can help to optimize your home’s energy efficiency which can be used to market your home when you decide to sell. An energy efficient home will make your home an attractive option to buyers.
Strategically Place Mirrors
If you want to make your home look better and bigger, it’s a good idea to strategically place mirrors in key areas. These should be near the entrance, in your living room or in any room that feels smaller like a bathroom. The light will naturally reflect of these mirrors creating the illusion of a larger living space.
Sort Out The Garden
Taking the time to sort out the garden on your property is great because it adds to the overall perception of value for the property. Everyone enjoys the feeling of having a property they are proud to drive up to. Improving the garden and landscaping of a property adds some extra colour, making the experience of being in the garden better. Add some flowers and shrubbery to give your home some much-needed cheer and improve the perception of how valuable it really is. Make potential buyers feel just as happy and proud to drive up to the home as you are.
Replace The Toilet Seat and Old Taps
Old taps and the toilet seats need to be replaced for hygienic and aesthetic reasons too. This will end up making your home feel fresh and more appealing. It’s amazing how much a simple change like this can make quite the difference in the minds of your buyers.
Replace Curtains and Blinds
Speaking of replacing stuff, it’s a very good idea to replace your blinds and curtains if you can. This is a great thing to do especially if you want to make a small change that doesn’t cost a lot of money. Over time curtains and blinds can become faded and make a room look dowdy, so by replacing them you will give your room a fresh modern look that appeals to buyers.
Stage for Selling
Staging your home for selling can be quite impressive right off the bat. Start by cleaning up your home. Add some fresh flowers, an old trick is to bake some cookies so it smells cosy inside, then open the windows to make your home feel and look amazing.
Summary
All these ideas can be great if you want to make your home look amazing. It is always a good idea to give a new vibe to your home before you sell. Even if the budget is small, you can easily make some changes to change the appeal of your home. After all, there’s no need to spend a fortune when it comes to renovating your property to increase its value ready for selling. The right investments in the right places make all the difference. Don’t just throw money into your home and hope for the best; be smart about it.
