Investing in home improvement is like any other investment, you’d like it to pay off when it comes time to sell. Choosing the right project is as important as choosing the right home improvement contractor if you want to not only improve your home, but improve your selling price too.
Some home improvement projects will always increase property value – or decrease it if they need to be done. Below is a list of projects that will be an investment in your quality of life while living in your home and in your property value when it comes time to sell.
Curb Appeal
Roof Replacement: A bad roof leads to all sorts of issues, many that won’t show up for years. It also leads to reluctant home buyers who will likely be turned off the moment they see it or will lower their bid to compensate for all the trouble they see coming because of it.
Siding Replacement: Siding can really make or break the appearance of a house. According to the National Center for Real Estate Research, “the negative effects of age are most pronounced for houses 21 – 30 years old.” Siding replacement done by an experienced home improvement contractor using one of the many new styles of siding can be effectively used to update and polish the exterior of your home, making it much more attractive – and valuable – to buyers.
Replacements: You may have grown immune to noticing the dents in your garage door or how dull your screen door has become, but prospective buyers will notice them immediately. They’ll see them as signs of poor maintenance elsewhere too. Replacing your entry doors with a steel entry doors will recoup nearly 100% of your investment when it comes time to sell says a report in Remodeling Magazine.
Gutters and Landscaping for a Dry Basement: Good gutters and proper landscaping around your home not only improves your curb appeal it also prevents water that isn’t properly directed away from your home from seeping in to the basement. A dry basement means potential for more living space and a wet basement means potential for costly home repairs to a home buyers. If gutters and landscaping don’t solve the problem, it’s time to contact a home improvement contractor to assess the problem and make the necessary repairs – a wet basement is nothing to ignore.
Garage: Building “a garage adds about 13 percent to selling price,” compared to a similar home without a garage, according to the National Center for Real Estate Research.
Living Space
While a small fraction of Americans are following a small home trend, the vast majority are in need of more square footage. Some home improvement projects are effective at adding both space and value to your home.
Attic Bedroom: Converting your attic into a bedroom nears the top of most lists of what home improvement projects add value to your home. A finished attic can be used for anything from storage to a master suite, but it can be hard to see the potential when a buyer is looking at all of your old junk and outdated insulation.
Finished Basement: Converting that big storage space beneath your home into a children’s playroom, a family room or a sports bar can add a lot of square footage of living space. Because of the casual and fun environment of finished basements, they not only add to your quality of life while you’re living there, they add to the quality of the bids at selling time too.
Bathrooms: Bathrooms have come a long way over the last couple decades and now quantity and quality both matter. The trend toward home spas is worth investing in, even if you have to add on to have one. Some features to maximize your home’s value include heated floors and showers with multiple body sprays surrounded by natural stone tile.
Kitchen: Kitchens have long been considered the heart of the home, but for many years the focus was on function over form. The trend now is toward both. An updated kitchen with granite countertops, matching modern appliances and furniture quality cabinets can add significant value to your day-to-day living as well as your selling price. It’s also the space many potential buyers will base their decision to buy on, since it’s the one room that can’t be sufficiently updated with a coat of paint. It is worth investing in an addition if that’s what it takes to achieve the right kitchen for your home.
Whether you’re considering a siding replacement or a roofing replacement; finishing your basement or your attic; or adding on to your kitchen or bathroom, the best job and value will be achieved by working with a licensed home improvement contractor.
If you’re interested in a home improvement that will increase the value of your home, contact Bloomfield Construction and see how our 20 plus years of award-winning experience can help you accomplish your goal.
