The best way to add value to your house

Sarah Parker
Authored by Sarah Parker
Posted: Monday, August 2, 2021 - 12:31

Even if they don't intend to sell their homes soon, homeowners want the newest gadgets and upgrades to provide value to their home. They are aware that come selling time, a valuation of the house will compare favourably with others like it as explained by propertypriceadvice.co.uk. What upgrades provide the most value?

1. Kitchen

Return on investment: 83%

Families spend more of their time in the kitchen than any other room except the bathroom. How you use the kitchen will determine what upgrades should be made. For example, if you cook a lot, then splitting your resources between appliances and counter tops would make sense.

Quartz and butcher block counters are trending now. If the budget is tight, then go with a look-alike laminate until the budget can handle new counters. Pendant lighting for focus and task lighting are important over the prep area. Homeowners can paint their cabinets in bright colours or stain them (cherry is popular this year).

2. Bathrooms

Return on investment: 73%

Families spend much time in bathrooms preparing for work and school as well as relaxing after long days. Upgrades should foster relaxation, but aesthetics are just as important. Trending now are stand-alone bathtubs in any colour, some with jets and others with hand-held shower heads. Open showers are making a splash with rain shower heads and jets.

Farm table vanities with double bowls and wall-mounted hardware are big now. Tile in natural stone textures are being used on walls as well as floors. Wall sconces and pendant lighting are being added for extra focus lighting.

3. Master Suite

Return on investment: 60%

Soothing colours and storage space are important in master bedrooms. Buyers look for adjoining master baths with relaxing tubs and showers. A new colour scheme in paint and bed linens, muted lighting, and perhaps a reclining chair offer comfort and relaxation to buyers. Make sure the closet includes plenty of unique storage like organizational shelving, baskets, hanging, and drawers.

4. Open Floor Plan

Return on investment: 55%

Knocking out a wall or two to open up a floor plan is easy to accomplish. Buyers seek out open floor plans and appreciate the house that has one. Even smaller homes of less than 1,300 square feet with open floor plans are being sought by buyers. It lends itself nicely to family conversations, entertaining, and flexibility in space usage as well as natural lighting.

5. Basements

Return on investment: 70%

A finished basement adds usable square footage to a house. It can be made into a small apartment for use by many generations of the same family. Multi-generational homes are being built now specifically for British families. A finished basement would also be good for the home gym/home office combo, a game room, home media center, and the list goes on. Be sure to add plenty of storage to the finished basement for a better resale value.

6. Lofts

Return on investment: 53%

Gaining extra square footage by remodelling the loft into a bedroom is an excellent way to add value to a house. This, too, would make a multi-generational family enough space for everyone to live comfortably and with some privacy. Alternatively, it needn't be a bedroom; it could be a home office, playroom for the kids, or a home movie theatre. Build in storage in this room, too, for a better resale experience.

7. Outdoor Rooms

Return on investment: 100%

Depending on the area of the country in which you live, any deck, patio, or yard space can be transformed into an elegant outdoor living space. Buyers usually seek covers for their outdoor rooms such as a full roof, pergolas, or perhaps retractable awnings.

Outdoor kitchens with dining tables alongside comfortable seating arrangements (much like your living room) attract buyers. Families as well as buyers appreciate the proximity to the indoor kitchen for ferrying treats outside to one's guests.

Fire pits and outdoor pizza ovens aren't necessary, because not every buyer will use them. Most outdoor kitchens make good use of counter space with mini-fridges beneath, sometimes a dishwasher, and with plenty of prep space and a good-sized sink on top. Remember that storage space is important here as well.

Conclusion

The valuation of a house is based on what it would sell for compared to like homes in the area. What a buyer would be willing to pay for the house is a serious factor in the valuation of the house. Upgrading important rooms in the house contributes to its value, because buyers look for these upgrades. Make them, and the house will sell.