Simple Renovations to Improve a Home’s Value
Posted on July 22, 2009 - Filed Under Real Estate | Leave a Comment
Whether readying a home to sell or buying an older home, there are a few simple renovations that almost anyone can do that will improve the look and value of your house. When many people think of renovations they immediately think of their kitchen and their bathrooms. These are the two most commonly renovated rooms. You don't need to totally revamp either one of these to make major adjustments in the overall look of your house. The key is to change small but important details.
Painting is probably the number one recommended renovation and for good reason. Paint is inexpensive, easily changed, and gives a fresh, bright new look to a room. Many interior decorators encourage picking colors that are neutral so as to appeal to the broadest audience possible. This does not mean to paint all your walls white! On the contrary, white is often a harsh color for a room that shows defects easily. Instead, go with light cool colors in the blue and green spectrum that are more relaxing for your bedrooms and bathrooms. Light, warmer colors of yellow and tan are best for kitchens and living areas.
Another simple renovation is flooring. Changing a living room from carpet to hardwood flooring is a fairly inexpensive yet visually stunning transformation. The increasing availability of "floating floor" means that almost anyone can quickly and easily install professional looking flooring anywhere in their house. Even just upgrading the carpet in various areas will improve the overall look of a house without time-consuming overhauls.
Upgrading light fixtures and outlet covers might not seem like a worthwhile renovation, but it can make a world of difference in the appearance of a house. Upgrading the light fixtures has the added benefit of resolving lighting problems such as a poorly lit kitchen or dark bathroom. Replacing outlet covers gives a house a brand new look for only a matter of minutes' worth of work.
If you want to go further with your renovations, built-in bookshelves or other permanent customizations are a great way to add useful, memorable features without major modifications. For example, you can turn a study into a library with the addition of a wall of shelves. Or a bay window in the kitchen can be turned into a breakfast nook with the addition of a window seat.
To make sure the house is really top quality and will bring in top dollar you can install quality windows and replace or add to the insulation. This will ensure that the house is energy efficient. Any prospective buyers should be made aware of this renovation, as it definitely drives the value of the house up further.
Whether painting, or replacing flooring, upgrading light and outlet fixtures, building in customizations, or installing new windows, renovations do not have to mean huge, time-consuming, pricey changes to a house in order to raise the value. Simple, inexpensive modifications can have just as much impact at a much less cost to you.
About the Author: Louise Scoggins is a leading Realtor in the Woodstock real estate market. For more information on Woodstock Foreclosures, please visit www.ThinkLouise.com
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