Once the decision has been made to sell your home, it’s time to maximize the return you receive on (hopefully) your most prized investment. Luckily, there are various quick design changes and fixes that homeowners can make to their interiors that will raise the value of their homes.
Some of the best design ideas include freshening up windows, installing a fireplace, refreshing kitchens and bathrooms, staging with houseplants, rehabbing aging internals, and upgrading your home’s technology. Of course, each of these ideas will add value to a home. Still, tackling multiple aspects at once can lead to actual profit potential.
You don’t need to be rich or handy to undertake many of these projects. In fact, most of these tasks can be completed in an afternoon or weekend with simple tools and an extra set of hands. And raising the value of your home with simple interior design projects doesn’t have to be much more complex than that. So to drill down on some details, be sure to read on.
Freshen Up Windows
One of the biggest problems that prospective homeowners are sure to notice are windows that are cracked, broken, or otherwise in disrepair. Even a dirty window can significantly detract from an otherwise beautiful home. Fixing a broken window is one thing. However, bringing order to a mixture of aluminum and wooden windows is quite another.
Why does this count as a design fix? Well, if you live in an older home, you may have a variety of fixtures and window types that have accumulated on your abode over the years. Getting rid of all the superfluous storms and going with a unified set of windows can help put an end to this confusion. Not only clarifying a look but possibly adding thousands of dollars in real value to a home as well.
Adding a Fireplace
A fireplace is one of those no-brainer additions for anyone who doesn’t have one already—and this is doubly true for those in colder climates. While it isn’t the cheapest design fix on this list, the enduring popularity of a fireplace with homeowners can’t be ignored.
One thing to look out for is ensuring that your preferred fireplace type is trendy in your area. For example, a hearth & fireplace installer in Fort Ashby, WV, will be able to give more specific advice on popular fireplaces around Mineral County. Knowing what other West Virginians like in their homes will help ensure that you pick a fireplace with good resale value.
Refreshing a Kitchen or Bathroom
When it comes to bang for your remodeling buck, few areas of the home are more profitable for homeowners when it comes time to sell than a freshly redone bathroom or kitchen.
Little fixes can add up to a big change in both rooms. For example, in the kitchen, even replacing pulls and other fixtures on cabinets and sinks can make a big difference in the look of the space.
Bringing the Outdoors Inside
Just because you are in your living room doesn’t mean you can’t indulge in a little bit of landscaping. And while adding something as temporary as houseplants might seem an obvious ploy to raise the value of a home, still, Better Homes & Gardens says that the presence of houseplants can positively impact the final sale price.
If you are going to try houseplant staging for yourself, there are a couple of rules to keep in mind. First, be judicious in how many plants you put in any single room. Yes, you want to create a lush and verdant landscape. But, no, you don’t want it to be so full of fauna that it looks like the set from Robin Williams’ Jumanji.
Rehabbing Your Houses Internals
Replacing an aging boiler or HVAC system may not be the most noticeable upgrade, it can give homeowners a big bang for their buck when they sell. This possible profit only grows if a reputable brand is chosen and so long as the replacements are still within the first third of a unit’s typical lifecycle.
And while you may want to replace a unit or more minor component, it’s best to leave the larger system alone unless truly necessary. This is because a new HVAC system can cost upwards of $5,000.
Smarten Up Your Home’s Appearance
Nowadays, almost every aspect of a home’s functions can be controlled via an app on your smartphone. Unfortunately, programming your thermostat by punching buttons on a wall unit remote seems antiquated to prospective homebuyers of a certain age. So, if they see an old-school thermostat on the wall, they may think it is a collector’s item rather than functional.
Still, if your home is one of the ones that have yet to take the plunge into a more connected world, consider an upgrade to smart lighting, doorbells, and security cameras to add value to your home. Not only will these additions make your home more future-proof, but each bit of tech added can help your home’s value through adjustments. But, of course, there is no added value for technology that leaves the house with the seller.
