Making improvements to your property is usually first and foremost about enhancing your family’s enjoyment of your home. But savvy homeowners and those with selling on their minds also pay attention to the effects their changes may have on resale price. There are plenty of effective ways to increase your home value.
Below, we offer a wide variety of home improvements you can count on to provide a return on the investment. While there’s always an element of generalization in lists like these, the recommendations come from a great deal of real-world experience, including our own here at Infinity Realty, as well as that of countless other real estate experts.
Also, before you start making renovations and other major changes, hire an experienced real estate agent to take a look around your home. She can give you tailored, prioritized, specific suggestions as to what needs to be addressed and where there’s easily room for improvement. Having your home professionally inspected is another smart investment at the start of the process.
How to Raise Your Home’s Value
These tips are presented in no particular order, and obviously range dramatically in price. But all should pay off at sale time relative to what they cost. There should be logic behind how you proceed. Things like a fresh coat of paint are best just before listing your home so that it is, in fact, a fresh coat of paint at the right time. Also, remember to pace yourself to keep things manageable, and it’s usually easiest to tackle one room or space at a time.
- Since we already gave a spoiler on this one, let’s start with applying fresh coats of paint, inside and out
- Have an energy audit performed by your local utility company and follow up on their advice to improve your home’s energy efficiency
- Plant shade trees in your yard
- Replace old, rusty gutters
- Have your yard professionally landscaped
- Add an irrigation system to your yard if you have large areas of grass or garden
- Minimize yard maintenance needs and costs, especially by reducing lawn in favor of other popular ground covers like mulch, pebbles, pavers, seashells, etc.
- Add low-maintenance plants that are native to your location
- Build a deck or patio in the backyard
- Create a functional, comfortable outdoor entertainment space
- Install an outdoor kitchen or grill station
- Install a relaxing water feature like a fountain, pond, or hot tub (but not a pool—pools are great, but if you spend $50 or $100K on it, it won’t add nearly that much to your home price)
- Replace old windows with energy-saving windows and repair damaged sills
- Opt for hardwood floors or other hard-surface floors everywhere but the bedrooms
- Install new carpeting in bedrooms shortly before listing your home
- Expand bedroom closet space if possible, especially in the master bedroom
- Put in overhead lighting with dimmer switches
- Install ceiling fans with lights, or replace old ones
- Put all new fixtures in all bathrooms and the kitchen
- Replace outdated vanities or counters in the bathrooms
- Put in a luxury shower and/or bathtub in the master bath
- Repair plumbing problems and replace old plumbing
- Install new, high-quality, energy-efficient kitchen appliances (stainless steel is the most coveted)
- Put in a new, attractive backsplash
- Install quartz, granite, or marble counter tops in the kitchen
- Consider a full kitchen upgrade; it’s the single best major home improvement project for raising your home value
- Also consider total remodels of your bathrooms (particularly the master bath), as this is the second room type after kitchens that delivers the biggest ROI and boost in buyer appeal
- Knock out non-load-bearing walls on the first floor to create a more open floor plan
- Convert an extra den or home office space into another bedroom if possible (often, it just needs a closet to qualify)
- Have a stationary generator professionally installed
