Maybe you’re thinking of selling your home. Or maybe you just want to spruce things up so that you can continue enjoying it for years to come.
It’s time to renovate, and you have the itch to make your home more beautiful and comfortable for you and your family. If you’re thinking about making significant home improvements, why not get the most bang for your buck?
It is also recommended that you consider home insurance to protect yourself, since your home is one of the largest investments most people make.
Arrange Financing
Before you get too far into your plan to update your home, you should be sure you know what you can afford in terms of home improvements. Your heart may be saying full kitchen renovation, but your budget is limited to a new can of paint.
You can arrange financing for your home improvements in any number of ways. Some families save up over time to pay for a major renovation. Others use a home equity or short term loans to cover the cost of upgrades. Still others take out a personal loan to give them cash on hand for home improvements now that can be paid off easily at a fixed rate. No matter what your budget, you have plenty of options.
Choose the Best Home Improvements
Some home improvements pay off when it’s time to sell your home. Others are simply money well spent so that you can enjoy your home and your new comfort from the improvement. If you want to be sure your money is well spent, consider the advantages of different types of home improvements.
Repaint the living spaces. The least expensive home improvement project is a few cans of paint, a roller and a few weekends. For less than $150 you can completely refresh and improve the inside of your home simply by updating the paint on the walls and ceilings. You won’t realize how dingy your old painted walls have become until you put that new, fresh coat of paint on.
New siding. You can transform your home in a week when you replace your siding. Install new vinyl siding if you’re looking for a cost efficient update. If you choose vinyl siding you won’t have to worry about paint since the vinyl comes with colors. If you can’t afford all new siding, at the very least spend
the money to get your home’s exterior repainted and refreshed.
Entry door upgrade. The front entryway creates curb appeal and an ugly, cracked or wimpy front door can actually hurt your home appeal overall. Replacing your front door with a modern steel door will not only improve the style of your home, but it will improve the security of your home as well. Buyers will pay more for security.
New deck. A new wood deck in your backyard can be a major selling point for future buyers and it’s a project that you can hire contractors to do or simply do yourself if you have the right know-how and tools. A large deck is perfect for gatherings of family and friends and it can add a full outdoor living space to your home as well.
Minor kitchen remodel. A major kitchen remodel requires removing all of your cabinets and starting the entire space from scratch. A minor kitchen remodel saves you thousands of dollars by simply reusing the cabinet boxes and replacing only the cabinet doors. Keep the same layout but refresh the kitchen with new cabinet doors, a new backsplash, some updated lighting and possibly a new floor.
New garage door. It’s often overlooked, but the standard garage door on most homes isn’t helping much. In fact it might be hurting your curb appeal and bringing down your home values. You can easily
remedy this, however, by updating your garage door. Replace the standard, boring garage door with one that has additional insulation, better hardware, stylish design and a better color.
Updated landscaping. If your home is older and you have overgrown or partially dead shrubs and landscaping, it’s time to clean it up. Clear out the old stuff and make room for some new landscaping. Even if you have some nice basic shrubs and trees in your yard, be sure they are well pruned and add some annuals like flowers or pretty grasses to help fill in the blank spaces and make your yard pop.
Attic insulation. It’s not glamourous, but you can get a lot of bang for your buck when you look at replacing your attic insulation. An attic that is not well insulated lets a tremendous amount of heat in and out, which can dramatically affect your heating and cooling bills. Update your insulation in the attic and you will see returns on your investment almost immediately as your electric and gas bills drop considerably.
Wood flooring. New flooring is a beautiful upgrade, but not all new floors are considered equal. The gold standard in flooring is a hardwood floor that is finished well. If you have carpet, laminate or any other type of flooring, consider an investment in new hardwood flooring. It can be expensive if you pay full price, but you can often get a nice discount by shopping for sales or purchasing your flooring at a discount center.
Minor bathroom update. Just like the kitchen, you can see considerable bang for your buck in the bathroom without having to take the entire space down to the studs. Start with a fresh coat of paint. Then regrout the shower to freshen up that space. Add updated fixtures and lighting and consider
updating the flooring if it is dated or unattractive.
Replace old plumbing. Finally, it’s an investment that pays off both now and in the future. If you have metal pipes in your home, they are bringing down your home value and they are leaching old metal into your water supply. Replacing metal pipes no longer requires tearing into walls and replacing large sections of sheetrock.
Instead, professionals can update your plumbing using flexible plastic hoses that snake into your walls and spaces much like cables or electrical cords. Give yourself peace of mind that your home and water is safe, and you can see the true value of a full plumbing replacement when it’s time to value and sell your home.