4 home improvement projects to add value to your home

If you’re planning on selling your home in the near future then you might be thinking of ways in which you can increase the value. But it’s important to choose the right improvements and updates that will actually pay off when you sell. And even if you’re not planning on selling any time soon, you still need to be careful that your renovations aren’t going to reduce how much your home is worth.

Add a fireplace

A real, working fireplace can make a home feel a lot cosier, especially if you’re living somewhere colder. While it’s not often included on lists of essentials when people are house hunting, many people will consider it a bonus that makes a house more valuable.

If your living room has a boarded over fireplace or even a fake fire, then getting it converted into a proper log burning stove can be a great idea. And they can be more energy efficient than you might realise, heating larger rooms more effectively than a standard radiator in some cases, which is another bonus for buyers. You can even add a wood-burning store to a new build house to boost its value.

Our brilliant video below shows how easy it is to install a Schiedel Sirius stove system into a house.

A real, working fireplace can make a home feel a lot cosier, especially if you’re living somewhere colder. While it’s not often included on lists of essentials when people are house hunting, many people will consider it a bonus that makes a house more valuable.

If your living room has a boarded over fireplace or even a fake fire, then getting it converted into a proper log burning stove can be a great idea. And they can be more energy efficient than you might realise, heating larger rooms more effectively than a standard radiator in some cases, which is another bonus for buyers.

You can even add a wood-burning store to a new build house to boost its value.

 

Update the kitchen

A modern kitchen can seriously boost the value of your home. For most buyers, it’s one of the most important parts of a house, and an outdated kitchen with old appliances can put them off.

It’s a good idea to kit out your kitchen with new worktops, plenty of cupboards and storage, and energy-efficient whitegoods.

If you’ve got space to extend your kitchen then this could add even more value to your home. You either knock down a wall to make an open plan kitchen dining area or if you’ve got a side-return that you’re not making full use of considering using it to make your kitchen bigger.

However, it’s important to not go overboard with your kitchen revamp — keep the amount that you spend relative to the overall value of your home. And make sure that the design is in keeping with the rest of the house and the area you’re living in.

You can find a wide range of kitchen styles from places like DIY Kitchens, which makes it easier to update your kitchen in a way that matches your home.

 

Tidy up your interiors

If you’re looking for some smaller home improvement projects to add value to your home then tidying up your interiors can make a huge difference.

You can box over untidy things such as boilers, gas metres and electric metres to make your home seem neater. A fresh coat of paint everywhere can also make it seem cleaner and brighter. And if you’ve got any bold coloured walls it could be worth painting them with something more neutral.

It’s also a good idea to update your storage solutions and use furniture to help the place look less cluttered. Places like Furniturebox offer affordable storage furniture that will allow you to keep the place tidy and boost the value of your home.

Homebuyers are often put off if there’s too much stuff lying around and it doesn’t seem like there’s many cupboards or areas to add storage in.

 

Loft conversion

Converting your loft into a usable space is a cost-effective way to increase the square footage of your home. And if you can turn it into an extra bedroom that could increase the value of your home by 10% to 15%.

It’s important to note that you’ll lose some space on the lower floor if you’re adding in a staircase for access to the loft, and you won’t have as much storage space in the loft once it’s converted, which can be an issue for some buyers.

A loft conversion can be a great home improvement project for adding value but it’s a significant investment. You need to carefully plan it out so make sure that you’re making the most of the space.

These four home improvement projects will not only add value to your property but also give you more space and a better home to enjoy while you’re still living there.

But before you get started it’s important to do some research — keep in mind the property’s overall value compared to how much you’re spending, the style of your house, and the area that you’re living in.