Your house is probably your most significant investment. Whether you have just purchased a house or plan to put your house on the market, you want to do all you can to increase its value. It is not always necessary to do a major remodel. Many simple home upgrades will increase its value. Here are some examples Summit Way Realty recommends.
8 Simple Home Upgrades
Make Your Entry More Attractive
Your front door is one of the first things that people see when they approach your house. One of the most effective and easy home upgrades is simply making your entrance more attractive. Upgrade your outdoor light fixture to something more high-end that suits the style of your house. For your front door, if the finish is looking old, give it a new finish. If your front door does not have an attractive wood grain, repaint it in a color that complements your house’s exterior. Give the door handles a good polish, or change them out completely, so they shine. Place a pretty plant in an attractive pot by the doorway.
Upgrade Your Landscaping
The landscaping around your home is also important for your curb appeal. Keeping your bushes and trees trimmed will give it a clean and manicured look. If your front landscaping is primarily green with bushes, add some color to it by planting colorful flowering plants in the empty spaces around your bushes. Look for flowering plants that can self-seed because over time, as they get bigger, you can divide the plant and plant the other half in another area. Self-seeding plants are a cost-effective way to get more flowering plants in your landscape and garden. Small colorful touches like these are pleasing to the eye and create an inviting look for your house visitors.
Power wash Your House Exterior
One of our favorite home improvements that you might not think of is power washing your house’s exterior. If repainting your house exterior is outside your budget, you should give it a good power wash. The years of dirt and grime can make your paint look dull, but you don’t notice it because you look at your house every day. Give it a good wash, and you will see how much brighter your home will look.
Create A Garden Retreat
Extend your living area by creating an outdoor living space in your backyard. Consider upgrading your outdoor seating with attractive chairs, benches, and tables. Decorate your bench with pretty outdoor cushions. Set apart your retreat with lovely potted plants that can delineate the area. If your garden is always in full sun, you can place an umbrella by the seating for shade. To enhance your mini-retreat even more, put a pretty stone birdbath that uses running water near your retreat. You will attract pretty birds to your garden, and the sound of the water will create a soothing effect. Hang string lights to enhance the evening ambiance. If your retreat area is larger, instead of a table in the middle, use small side tables, and place a small stone fire pit in the middle.
Update Your Walls with Paint and Molding
Refresh an old room with a new coat of paint. Paint is one of the easiest DIY home upgrades you can do. Visit your home center and pick a color that is neutral and soft. If your walls have trim, paint them a different color that complements the primary color of the wall. The home center has color charts that can help you come up with a winning combination. If your walls do not have trims, consider adding some molding along with the ceiling. Molding gives a plain, drab room a more high-end look.
Upgrade Your Cabinet Doors
The kitchen and bathrooms are high-traffic areas in a home. If the cabinets are looking old and dated, you can repaint or refinish the cabinet doors. You do not need to replace the doors if they are good in quality. And who says your cabinet doors need to be the same color?
For kitchens, you can try a light color for the cabinets above your kitchen counters and use a darker shade for the cabinets below. This look is very appealing to a lot of people. If the existing paint or finish still looks nice and you just want to give the cabinets an extra upgrade, simply replace the hardware on your cabinet doors to update the look. Browse through catalogs to get ideas. New knobs or door handles can give your kitchen and bathroom a high-end look.
Other Bathroom Home Upgrades
Your bathrooms are the most challenging working rooms in the house, and they can look worn-out quickly. In addition to upgrading the cabinetry and repainting it, you can make other touches like a new shower curtain, pretty shelves on the wall, or a small artwork if you have the wall space. If your bathroom has a wall-to-wall mirror, you can add molding to the mirror’s perimeter using the appropriate adhesive. There are plenty of instructions online to teach DIYers on the technique. If you are handy, consider replacing the old vinyl flooring with an upgraded material. For the tub and sink, recaulk the area with fresh caulk. If you have the skills, change out the tub and sink fixtures.
Other Kitchen Enhancements
The kitchen tends to be the center of family activity, so home upgrades pack a lot of punch in this area. In addition to the upgrades mentioned, you can add an attractive backsplash along your wall. You can lay out a stunning tile design or use a one-piece system. You can find various solutions at your home center. Add strip lighting beneath your upper cabinets. These are applied by adhesive. Not only will you have better illumination when you prep your food, but it gives the kitchen a nice effect. Also, avoid cluttering your counter space. Store away small appliances that you don’t use often.
The simple home upgrades above are easy to do and are very affordable. The upgrades will make your house a lot more appealing to potential buyers. You can feel good that you have increased your house’s value without investing a lot of money into the improvements. Summit Way Realty is here for all of your real estate questions, advice, and help.
