With the market swinging back around and the economy
climbing back up, now is the perfect time to improve your home. Whether you want a remodel that will increase
the market value of your property or simply a more luxurious living space, it’s
important that your home improvements don’t become nightmares. These simple steps will help you choose the
best remodels for your home.
Consider the Whole
Lifetime
Though you may not be hitting your golden years, it’s
becoming increasingly popular to create homes that are accessible to all
ages. Consider adding a bedroom on the
ground floor so occupants have the option of ignoring the stairs. You can also create a semi-autonomous area of the home where parents or
in-laws can stay. A bedroom coupled with
a bath and kitchenette will achieve this nicely. Ask for a Certified Aging In Place Specialist
to give you more ideas. Even if you
never end up using these aging-friendly amenities, when it comes time to sell,
you’ll have a huge advantage over homes without these components.
Go Eco-Friendly
The public is increasingly environmentally friendly, and
having amenities that work within that framework will help you stand out. This can be as involved as installing state
of the art appliances, or as simple as replacing your faucets with the low-flow
variety. If any of your large appliances
are aging, they’re probably costing you money and wasting both water and
electricity. Consider replacing these
with newer, more efficient devices. It
will save you on your monthly utility bills, and when you put the house on the
market, you can advertise the new appliances and the energy-friendly home
you’ve created.
Compete with
Neighbors
It sounds petty, but in the real estate world, it’s good
advice. If a potential homebuyer has
decided on your area, you’re competing with all the other homes on the market
in your neighborhood. It’s a good idea
to evaluate what they have to offer. For
example, if all the other homes have two bathrooms, and you only have one and a
half, you may want to add another one.
Though the homes won’t be identical, you want to make sure you’re in the
same league as the best homes possible.
Upgrade Kitchens and
Baths
Nothing receives a better return on investment than a
remodeled kitchen or bath. Because this
is where appliances are used most often and it’s most important that nothing
goes wrong, buyers want to know that these areas are not only functional, but
well cared for. Something as simple as
retiling can change the feel of the rooms and make them significantly more
appealing.