home improvement Archives

How to Attract Buyers with Home Features

What homeowner doesn’t want to maximize overall home value when the time comes to sell? In order to sell your house faster and for more money, it’s important to have a firm understanding of the specific housing features that matter the most to prospective buyers.

Well-Established Property Value Boosters

If you’ve ever considered home renovations, you’ve probably heard that the biggest boons to overall resale value are updated bathrooms and kitchens. In order to set your house apart, however, you may want to go the extra distance in these rooms to make them truly special. A bathroom with a Jacuzzi tub or a walk-in closet, for example, may just make the final difference in the mind of a buyer who would otherwise remain on the fence bout a prospective purchase.

Other Buyer-Attracting Home Features

To borrow a word from HGTV.com, people are often looking for homes with an extra bit of “pizzazz” when it comes to making that final purchase agreement. This can mean the presence of existing architectural flourishes and unusual floor plans or more practical amenities such as ample garage storage space and a separate laundry room.

Here are just a few features that will make your home shine during your future open house:

The Backyard Patio

According to the independent financial authority Kiplinger, 87 percent of buyers are looking for a concrete patio surrounded by an attractive backyard.

The Playroom

Although this feature will be of value only to families with young children, the presence of a good playroom is often the deciding factor for prospective homebuyers.

Green Features

Whether you’re talking about solar panels, a highly efficient HVAC system, or double-paned Energy Star-qualified windows, homebuyers are increasingly looking for green building features to control their utility bills and help save the environment.

Ceiling Fans

Home improvements don’t have to be extensive or expensive to be effective. Kiplinger reports that 85 percent of prospective homebuyers are looking for one or more ceiling fans in their new home. Even with a full lighting kit and a remote control unit, a newly installed ceiling fan should set you back less than $500 in total.

Let Your Specific Goals and Restrictions Guide Your Way

Before considering renovations to boost the value of your home, ask yourself exactly what you hope to gain from those renovations and exactly how much those renovations will cost. Depending on your budget and your level of ambition, you may opt for popular, value-boosting features that range from the installation/restoration of hardwood floors to the addition/improvement of exterior lighting fixtures.

How to add value to your home in 3 ways

You may be wondering how to add value to your home, regardless of whether you’re selling now or in the future. Investing in your residence can benefit your quality of life while also increasing eventual selling price and overall home value. Luckily, there are plenty of simple things you can do to boost your home value. Here are some ideas to get started:

Upgrade for energy-efficiency

Whether it’s to help the environment or to save on utility bills, homebuyers are continually looking for energy-efficient homes. There are many ways you can add to your home value by investing in energy-saving appliances and features.

For example, using low-flow bathroom fixtures and tankless hot water heaters are both great options with good ROI. If you have an old home, consider upgrading your HVAC system and windows for better temperature control and lower costs. You may even want to add some smart home technology, such as a smart thermostat, to complement your new HVAC system.

Add new fixtures & surfaces

Simple changes can make an enormous difference. Swapping out old, dated finishes and materials can be a simple way to make your home more attractive to potential buyers and increase the internal appeal.

Try replacing brass handles and drawer pulls with sleek, contemporary stainless steel. Replace linoleum flooring with real or synthetic wood flooring for instant appeal and great ROI.

Invest in landscaping

Landscaping is another area of home improvement that consistently has tremendous resale value. Every so often, it can be as simple as cleaning out weeds, but also consider replacing garden pathways and planting new flowers and shrubs. Water-saving hardscaping with rocks and drought-tolerant plants is another way to keep the yard healthy and add value to the property with low upkeep.

Home Improvement: New Projects That May Have Missed Your Radar

Regardless of how long you have lived in your home, you probably have a list of home improvement projects that you want to finish in the near-term and the distant future. This list likely includes all the most common home improvement projects, such as a bathroom remodel, fresh paint or a new patio or deck.

However, you won’t want to ignore the smaller and lesser-known home improvement projects. These innovative ideas can transform how you live inside your home:

Create a Reading Nook

A reading nook is a relatively simple home improvement project to complete, as it does not require a lot of time, experience or money. Simply find a small corner or space in your home, and make it as comfortable as possible. You can add built-in shelves to house all your favorite books, and place a comfortable chair or pillow on the floor.

Design a Home Fitness Area

Fitting in your daily workout is very important, but it can be difficult to find time to go to the gym. Instead of spending a lot of money on a luxury gym membership, create a fitness area in your own home. You can put your favorite exercise equipment in an extra bedroom or in a corner of your basement that is often ignored. Mount a TV on the wall and paint the room your favorite color. You’ll find yourself looking forward to those workouts.

Establish a Zoom Room

Whether you regularly participate in virtual seminars or you work full time from home, you are likely going to need a quiet, functional and visually appealing space to take all of those Zoom calls. An old closet or an unused bedroom can easily be made into a Zoom room. Paint the room a neutral color and add some soft lighting to ensure you’re plainly visible during your meetings with no strange drop shadows or distracting hues.

While kitchen remodels and finished basements are great projects to complete, you won’t want to forget about some of these interesting ideas. By making the most out of the space inside your home, you will be able to fully enjoy every moment that you are there.