Which Home Improvements Add the Most Value to Your Home?

Ash Collection Kitchen from Olive & Barr

Buying a home is an investment. Whether it’s your first home on the ladder, or your forever home, you need to look at it as an investment and make sure that you get a good return on your investment. Luckily, some of the best home improvements that can see a good return on your investment are also the most sought-after by house hunters. This means you can request a higher asking price when it comes to selling your home. From kitchen and bathroom remodels to roofing and drainage, here are some examples of the kinds of home improvements that will be desirable to buyers and provide a good return on investment.

Home Improvements for Energy Efficiency

Solar Panels are one of the home improvements that can help improve energy efficiency

With the current cost of living crisis, environmental crisis and increased energy prices, homeowners are actively seeking to make energy-efficient adaptations to their homes. Such adaptations are, of course, initially expensive, but they can pay dividends over time and are worth the investment to future-proof your home. Keeping the heat in with additional insulation, adding efficient heating systems, solar panels and new windows are all highly recommended and are guaranteed to improve the resale value of your property.

Kitchen and Bathroom Remodels

A freestanding Duravit Happy d.2 Plus bathtub in front of a circular window

Duravit Happy D.2 Plus C-Shaped

Most buyers will have a list of desirable features that they want their new home to have. It may be a home office, a large garden, or even a pool. However, it can often be the standard rooms that win over a buyer’s heart and help to win the sale.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and a good entertaining space could be a deal clincher. Another home improvement that pays dividends is the bathroom. This space is seen as the sanctuary for the home, a private space we can escape to in order to rejuvenate and relax. Attractive bathrooms that incorporate wall-hung toilets and stand-alone baths can significantly boost the chances of a quick sale and add value to the home.

However, even if you have no plans to sell your home, the return on investment of a new bathroom or kitchen is still worthwhile, given the advantages of well-designed kitchens and bathrooms. These two new rooms can make better use of space, accommodate a larger family, and become more efficient for how you wish to use the space.

Good Quality Fixtures

Kahrs Rugged Crater Wood Flooring by Carpetright

There are many things a buyer will look for, and some aren’t immediately obvious. For instance, you can add more value to your home by upgrading the fixtures that are attached to the home permanently and will stay after the home is sold. Simple things like upgrading the doors and door handles create a feel of quality that will leave a lasting impression on the buyer.

Good flooring is another fixture that will be attractive to potential buyers. The better the flooring looks, the higher the chances you will get your asking price. Make use of hardwood flooring by having it cleaned and sanded by a professional, as buyers love this, and make sure you replace any damaged carpet. People are more likely to be attracted to a home that looks like it has been well looked after and cared for.

The Roof and Drainage 

The home’s drainage system is like the veins in your body. Plumbing, roofing, and external drainage combine to move effluent and wastewater away from your home. This ensures you aren’t flooded with water. But more than anything else, it means you aren’t exposed to harmful bacteria. Any work that needs to be done when a buyer views your property will lower your valuation. But if you are staying put, there is no price you can place on this kind of safety.

Extra Bedrooms or Bathrooms

Loft Conversion featuring Velux centre pivot windows

Loft conversion featuring Velux Windows

If you can add more space to the property by turning a two-bedroom house into a three- or four-bedroom house, this is a great way to increase the value of the property and therefore provide a better return on investment. It is generally accepted that adding an extra bedroom will add approximately 15% to the value of your home and an additional bathroom could add up to 6%.

This home improvement can be realised in a number of ways depending on the space that you have to work with. You may be able to convert a garage into an extra ensuite bedroom, divide a large room to create two bedrooms or to add an ensuite using a stud wall, or you could go up into the roof space to create that extra room, in which case you might want to look into loft conversions.

Just make sure that when you are creating new rooms that they aren’t too small to be practical as this is unlikely to provide the return on investment that you are seeking and may put potential buyers off.

Landscaping and Glazed Extensions

House with a large glazed extension from Westbury Garden Rooms

A glazed extension from Westbury Garden Rooms

Some of the most rewarding improvements for your home are the functional ones. This encourages buyers because they know they are getting more use from the home. So additions such as gardening space, decking, and patios are favourable. Yet you can take it further with glazed extensions and sunrooms so that you can make use of the garden all year round. These are very practical additions to the property and will add value to your home because it adds flexibility to how it can be used.

So there you have it. These are a few of the home improvements that you can make to your home to ensure that you get the best return on investment.

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