Renovations That Will Increase the Value of Your Home

If you're planning to sell your home, you may be looking for ways to increase your property's value.

Here are some of the top ways you can increase the value of your home:

1. Give Your Bathroom a Facelift

Bathrooms show wear and age quickly, so giving yours a facelift is one of the best ways to increase your home's value. You don't need to tear out the entire thing, though.

Focus on the cosmetic features and replace or reglaze your tub, add a fresh coat of paint to your walls and cabinets, and update your faucets and other fixtures.

Your goal is to make it look spacious and clean, so if your shower door or mirror is looking dingy, it's worth replacing.

2. Improve the Exterior

It's amazing what a little landscaping can do for the overall feel of a home.

Start with problem areas by re-sodding your lawn if it's overrun with weeds, trimming unsightly branches, and clearing out weeds.

Add some color by planting flowers and laying fresh mulch that complements the exterior colors of your house, and plant some more permanent shrubs and ornamental grasses. Give your front lawn some extra attention, give a fresh coat of paint to your front door, and repaint or replace your house's siding if need be.

You can even update your light fixtures, house number, and porch railings if they're looking a little dated.

3. Update Your Kitchen

Similar to the bathroom, you don't necessarily need to tear out your whole kitchen and start from scratch to give it a facelift.

Repaint or stain your cabinets, install a trendy backsplash, and add lighting both in the ceiling and under the cabinets.

Replace the appliances if they're dated or not working properly, and consider replacing the countertops and floors. New window treatments and cabinet hardware can also do a lot to freshen up the space.

4. Add Extra Living Spaces

Adding additional living spaces can be tricky since different homeowners want to use these extra spaces for unique purposes, so try to accommodate this when planning your remodeling project.

For example, if you do decide to finish your basement or turn your attic into a bedroom, make sure that you also leave plenty of space for storage in your design, since some people would rather have that than an extra living space.

Adding a high-quality back patio or deck, however, is almost always a crowd-pleaser, especially if it increases the overall attractiveness and usability of the yard. Just make sure all stairs and railings are up to code and well-maintained.

5. Maintain all the Invisible Equipment

Even though this won't necessarily add to your home's value, it will help you maintain it.

Most potential buyers won't check your heating and cooling units and other behind-the-scenes workhorses very closely when they visit your home, but you can be sure a home inspector might.

Save yourself this headache by fixing all of these systems now.  You don't need to do this yourself, though. Simply call a water heater company, for example, to come to inspect and fix your unit ahead of time.

6. Refresh the Little Things 

While you may not notice your dingy and cracked light switches and outlets, a potential buyer will.

Updating these and details like them will add more value to your home than you might think. Swap out your old doorknobs for more modern ones, add some crown molding, and repaint the baseboards for a quick refresh. Move your furniture out from the walls and remove clutter to make spaces look bigger, and draw attention to unique features such as a fireplace or bay window. These little things might be what set you apart from the competition.

Taking on home renovation projects can be a great way to increase the value of your home. Even if you aren't planning to sell yours yet, you can do these projects over time to spread out the cost and have some time to enjoy them yourself.