10 Ways to improve the value of your home
10 WAYS TO IMPROVE THE VALUE
OF YOUR HOME
With housing prices increasing and the economic growth forecast to be at an all-time low, now is the time to invest in your home to capitalise on its value.
To create space, knock out non-structural walls or remove the kitchen island.
Financial Guru shares tips on how to increase your home’s value…
1. Ensure your walls are pristine
It goes without saying that if your house looks bad, with cracks, mould, bubbling paint, damaged boundary walls etc., it could potentially lose value.
Installing a weatherproof exterior wall coating, with a 10-year warranty, will add value to the house. Home buyers want to know that the house will still be standing after you leave.
Presenting documentation to show what you have done to the property will add a lot of value and possibly ensure you get your asking price. You also want to use a contractor worth their guarantee.
2. Make room
To create space, knock out non-structural walls or remove the kitchen island.
Anything that opens the space, creates a sense of flow and lets in light will be more appealing to buyers.
To keep your garden looking great, remove dead trees, trim bushes, preen trees and clean walkways.
For a minimal financial outlay, you could transform the look and feel of your home.
3. Landscape
We are fortunate enough to live in one of the biggest manmade forests in the world.
Many older properties in Johannesburg have large running gardens which are breathtaking. Such gardens create a wonderful ambiance but if left unkempt an otherwise beautiful space could become an eyesore.
To keep your garden looking great, remove dead trees, trim bushes, preen trees and clean walkways. This will greatly improve the appeal of the house.
4. Let the light in
Where possible, let in natural light as this will significantly improve the feel of the house. A bright and airy room with lots of sunlight looks aesthetically pleasing and inviting.
No one wants to live in a cellar so invest in LED lighting. These bulbs save money as they use less electricity. They’re therefore well worth the small investment and you can use them as part of your unique selling point.
Investing in maintenance and repairs is not only money-wise but it could also be crucial to a sale.
5. Maintenance is critical
Before embarking on an expensive kitchen upgrade, address the basics first.
Insulate your home, repair plumbing leaks, replace rusty rain gutters, and inspect the fireplace and the septic system.
You also want to replace or repair leaky windows, install storm doors and weed the flower beds.
These kinds of fixes go a long way toward adding value to your home.
A lot of homeowners think they have to put in a lot of money to see a big difference but they really don’t. Investing in maintenance and repairs is not only money-wise but it could also be crucial to a sale.
The important aspect in the market, now more than ever, is that your house be in pristine condition and that you price your house for the market.
6. Go green
Research published by The Appraisal Journal estimates that energy savings add twenty times the annual savings to the value of your property.
An entry door can make a great statement and finding the right door could significantly improve the look and feel of your house.
Energy savers make your house more desirable.
When renovating, consider greening your home because a lot of home buyers are asking about green utilities.
Today, more than ever in South Africa, we’re in a situation where energy consumption is a critical concern and we need to consider options that add value through energy savings initiatives.
7. Make an entrance
An entry door can make a great statement and finding the right door could significantly improve the look and feel of your house.
No one wants to walk into a house with a rickety old door swinging on broken hinges. Go to Builders Warehouse and look through their range of inexpensive doors to find one that suits your home. To get a near-perfect match, take a picture of your current front door when you go shopping so you can compare the image with the available doors at the warehouse.
8. Floors matter
Many real estate professionals recommend spending money on floors. This doesn’t need to be a costly exercise, what matters most is that your floors look good.
Take on small projects that will have a big impact like repairing broken tiles, patching damaged floor boards, and removing wall-to-wall carpeting.
It may not be economical to embark on a major renovation if you’re trying to spend as little as possible before putting your house up for sale. Fortunately, some bathroom upgrades are cheap, easy and fast.
In some cases, however, a new floor is needed. An ugly floor is an eyesore, and many buyers will walk away from a house due to the finishes. A tight economy means that buyers are looking for value for money, and an ugly or damaged floor is hard to hide.
9. Upgrade the bathroom
Many brokers will tell you that when it comes to home renovations you should upgrade the kitchen first, and then the bathroom.
It may not be economical to embark on a major renovation if you’re trying to spend as little as possible before putting your house up for sale. Fortunately, some bathroom upgrades are cheap, easy and fast.
When upgrading your bathroom, you want to replace frosted glass with clear glass, clean the grout, remove rust stains, paint, change doorknobs and cabinets, replace faucets, and install a dual-flush toilet.
10. Neutral wall colours
Just because you like royal purple or blood red doesn’t mean this will work for everyone. So, when picking out house colours, be sure to paint the house in a neutral colour so buyers can envision themselves living in the space.
This will also give them a blank canvas to work with.