Cheap Upgrades to Add Home Value
Everyone wants to maximize the value of their investments, and there is typically no greater investment for the average American than their home. But when it comes to appraising a home, whether it’s time to sell or just time to take stock of your assets, the little things often make a big difference in its value.
While changing the core selling points of a home—the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, the square footage, the number of floors—can be extremely expensive and often impractical, changing small details to maximize a home’s value is something that’s within reach of all homeowners.
Subtle changes that make your home look and feel more expensive can not only increase its value on the housing or rental market, they can also increase your sense of pride in being a homeowner. In addition, many of the most effective small changes are easy DIY projects that only require a small investment of money and time.
If you’re looking to make your home’s appearance rival the more expensive houses in your neighborhood, but you don’t want to break the bank, check out Blindester’s top tips below:
Even if your home’s size and architecture aren’t its strong points, you can still make a big impression on guests and potential buyers/renters by creating and maintaining impeccable curb appeal. At a bare minimum, keep your front lawn trimmed and raked, and do your best to fill in bare patches where grass has died or turned brown. In addition, it’s also important to keep your driveway, steps, and walkways swept and clear of debris.
For more intensive curb appeal improvements, consider investing in a professional landscaping service to create a beautiful design and arrangement in your lawn. In addition, washing away years of dirt and mildew accumulation from your home’s exterior can enhance its appearance and value, as can a fresh coat of paint.
Lighting is another overlooked aspect of the exterior of many homes. A lighted pathway and tasteful lighting around entryways not only serves as a security feature and crime deterrent, it also makes your home look more elegant while drawing attention to its beauty.
The appearance of virtually every room in your home can be dramatically improved with nothing more than a fresh coat of paint, some new window treatments, and a cohesive decorating plan. But it’s difficult to make a home look more expensive when it has an outdated kitchen.
If you’re looking to make upgrades and renovations inside your home, put as much money as you can towards the kitchen. It’s easy to look past outdated features and designs in homes that have modern kitchens complete with up-to-date appliances, flooring, countertops, and cabinets.
However, complete kitchen overhauls aren’t always necessary to improve your home’s perceived value. Depending on your budget, smaller upgrades like painting the walls and cabinets, replacing the handles of your drawers and cabinets, and replacing the lighting can go a long way towards minimizing the drawbacks of an outdated kitchen.
Nothing makes a home look older and more worn out than furniture and décor that’s, well, old and worn out. Décor trends for modern homes are trending towards a “less is more” philosophy, and that’s certainly true for homeowners who want to maximize the value of their properties—especially when it gives them an excuse to donate or sell their frayed couches and chipped coffee tables.
A small, classy arrangement of well-maintained furniture and decorative pieces can give a room the same elegant appearance and ambiance as one outfitted with brand new furniture and décor, but at a fraction of the price.
Whether you’re painting, purchasing new furniture, or adding décor, choose neutral colors for your home’s base color scheme. Living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms all look great when dominated by browns, beiges, and whites, and these colors are also predominately found in more expensive homes. If the idea of neutral colors bores you, choose accent pieces and decorative items that are awash in bold colors to create a visually striking contrast to your wall colors and furniture choices.
Crown molding—or ceiling trim—is a staple in many high-end homes, but installing it in your home can be an inexpensive weekend DIY project. With a few basic tools and a few online guides, you can radically transform the appearance of your home’s walls and ceiling in the span of a single weekend. If your home is on the smaller side, choose low-profile molding that won’t take up too much space on your walls. Large molding may make your home feel smaller and more cramped due to the shortening effect it can have on ceilings—especially low ceilings.
If your windows are bare or are equipped with broken, outdated, or ineffective window treatments, getting new blinds and shades is an easy and inexpensive way to make your home look more valuable. At Blindster, we offer a wide variety of window treatments that will fit any budget while blocking out light, making your windows look bigger, and enhancing the appearance of any room in your home. For inexpensive window treatments that are both elegant and effective at controlling light, check out our 2 1/2” Deluxe Faux Wood Blinds.
Lighting plays a major role in how people perceive their environments, and the same principle holds true inside homes. When indoor lighting is mostly composed of overhead fixtures and incandescent bulbs, it’s easy for guests, potential buyers/renters, and even the homeowners themselves to feel bored and uninspired. Creating more dramatic lighting displays with different types of bulbs, lamps, and even small chandeliers is a highly effective way of transforming a room or even your entire home into a more elegant space.
