If your home is your castle, there will likely come a time when you want to make some home improvements. It can be time-consuming, messy and not to mention, stressful. At the end of the day, who wouldn't love to have the best-looking and highest value home on the street?
What's in it for me?
• Sale
If you're thinking of selling your home, a makeover is a great way to impress potential buyers. Sprucing it up so it's in pristine condition, means you have the luxury of charging the price that you want rather than settling for a much lower figure.
• Styles changes
The quality of your home, can be a way to share with the world what you've achieved and show off your personality. Trends vary over time, and maybe you'd like some new French doors and a kitchen island to suit that.
• Function
Your family might be expanding and a playroom might be necessary? Perhaps you want a conservatory or an office space to begin working from home? Over time, our needs change, so our homes need to reflect that.
• Safety
Everything from broken windows to a gas leak can decrease a home's value, so being active to keep your home up to date is vital.
• Money
Maybe you want to leave your property to a loved one one day to solidify their financial security. Spending money on your home now will pay off later. Real estate is a great investment- everyone needs somewhere to live!
• New challenge
Maybe you've got some free time you want to use up or you happen to enjoy home renovations? Either way, increasing your home's value is something you won’t regret. This is your home, it should reflect the life you want. Owning your own home is now a privilege, not everyone can afford, so, why not make the most of it? Let’s take a look at the logic behind investing in your home - it's time to think about how to go about it. We've done the leg work for you and found the most interesting ways to go from the the homeowner trying to keep up with the Joneses, to being the neighbour to watch out for!
How can i increase my home’s value?
1. The money is in the cookie jar
It has been said that kitchen improvements can actually add around 5-15% to the value of a home. This, however, does depend on multiple different things such as the the extent of the kitchen improvement, the condition of the existing kitchen, as well as what the existing value if your home. However, renovations don't come cheap, not if you want it completed well. A great option is a Kitchen Finance Loan. Kitchen finance with iThink Finance is an unsecured personal loan that is taken out to make your home improvement dreams come true.
2. Kerb appeal
Your home is the well-earned symbol of your success but that dream home can turn into a nightmare if regular maintenance is not part of your standard routine. It needs to be as a instinctive as brushing your teeth and buying milk to keep your home in order. Our mother's told us 'never judge a book by its cover' but how your home looks matters because first impressions can go a long way. A simple way to improve your property's value is by mowing the lawn, growing flowers, and trimming overgrown trees. It's the smallest of things that can keep a potential buyer happy.
3. En suite for me, en suite for you
One of the biggest concerns buyers have when buying a home is how many bathrooms a property has. Nobody likes waiting to jump in the shower, so if you have room why not add an extra bathroom?. A study by Direct Line Home Insurance in 2017, suggested that an additional bathroom could increase the value of a property by an average of £12,000, or 5% to the value of a home.
4. Move with the times
The housing needs over the years have changed alongside society. But according to Nationwide, although it can come with a hefty price tag, carrying out a loft conversion can add 22% value to your home, and switching to a freehold bath can add 4.9% value. What’s more, 80% of homebuyers confessed that the kitchen is in their top three rooms of a home and 69% said they would have paid more for new appliances. These are all great ways of increasing the value of your home.
5. Solar thinking
Solar Panels are not the pricey accessory they once were. Solar Trade Association announced there are over 1 million solar homes in the UK, and are now seen as a beneficial addition to your home, alternatively to an eyesore. As a long-term investment, switching to energy-saving materials can increase your home's value by 14%.
6. Embrace technology
Let's face it, we live in the era of the almighty world wide web. Technology is as present in the world as we are so why not embrace it? Injecting smart technology into your home can also be the safety addition that your property desperately needs. In 2017, 1 in 36 homes were broken into with an average loss of £2,230 per break-in. A fully-functioning alarm system, to ultimately make your home burglar-proof could be the icing on the cake, to impress a buyer, and keep your mind at ease.
Final Thoughts
Sometimes, the best thing about owning a property, is making it your own and adding your personal touch to increase its value. It takes planning, patience and a comfortable budget, but that's half the fun!