Home renovation is on the up-and-up, even with the economic state of the U.S. at present. In fact, up to 71% of homeowners have renovated their homes in the past year, with re-painting being the most popular upgrade.
If you’re looking to renovate, there’s no time like the present — and no, you don’t have to be selling your home in order to upgrade it. Just know, that whenever you choose to renovate, you’ll be adding undeniable value to your home.
Find inspiration for the best home upgrades you can invest in this blog.
Worthwhile Home Upgrades for Your Next Renovation Project
New home upgrades may cause a degree of disruption to your everyday home life, and the timing of your project may never be ideal. But some home upgrades are well worth it based on how much they can improve the space you live in, as well as your home’s resale potential.
Even if you don’t intend on moving any time in the future, certain home improvements can improve your quality of life and the amount of time you actually spend at home.
However, some projects are far more worthwhile than others. Here are the top 10 worth considering:
1. Repaint Your Interior or Exterior
Whether you choose to repaint your bedrooms or the exterior of your home, both of these tasks offer great results, for pretty minimal effort.
The cost to paint a room or two costs significantly less than most home upgrades and you don’t always need to hire professionals for this job. Home painting is an upgrade you can easily DIY.
Otherwise, you could see yourself forking out anywhere from $3,600-$6,000 for a professional inside paint job for the average size home. An exterior paint job costs at least $5,000 or more.
Just make sure you choose the best interior or exterior paint colors that are timeless and work to improve the resale value, rather than detract from it.
2. Install an Automatic Gate
This is another one of those new home upgrades worth paying for, and it won’t break the bank, either. The addition of an automatic gate offers a modern, sophisticated edge. It’s also convenient and bolsters the safety of your property.
Due to the many designs and materials of automatic gates today, it can also add major curb appeal to your home. Do your homework on popular front gate materials and always go with the best automatic gate opener for high-quality functionality.
3. Construct a Deck/Outdoor Patio
Not only is this a great way to add an entertainment area to your home, but it also increases its square footage. This is a double-whammy for adding value to your property.
Potential homebuyers view the addition of a deck or patio as a seamless transition from the inside to the outside of the home. It’s convenient and looks fantastic, too.
If you’re considering the installation of a deck, opt for natural, rustic wood rather than composite materials. This material is sure to add serious value and the overhead cost can be easily recouped.
4. Renovate Your Kitchen
Naturally, this is one of the first places most homeowners look to upgrade in their homes. It’s always a good investment because the kitchen is the heart of any home.
It’s difficult to go wrong when it comes to kitchen upgrades. But if you’re keeping resale value in mind, try not to make your upgrades too personal, unusual, or niche.
Some good ideas include:
- Swapping out old fixtures for new, high-quality ones that are stainless steel, brass, or copper
- Replace old and tired counters with granite, travertine, or quartz
- Replace old wood cabinets with a chic, high-quality laminate option
- Repaint accent walls in the kitchen
- Add high-quality tiling to your backsplash areas
Remember that when it comes to kitchen renovation, you want to make sure it reads as ”sellable”.
5. Install Energy-Efficient Windows
It goes without saying that homes with single-pane windows are not as energy-efficient as they could be. These homes are most likely susceptible to bad weather, and run extra cold during the winter.
The installation of energy-efficient windows is one of the best investments you can make for your home today.
It helps to drastically reduce your energy bill and adds an extra measure of safety and soundproofing. They also help to reduce drafts and can make your home warmer and drier in the winter months.
6. Upgrade Your Bathrooms
Along with a kitchen upgrade, bathroom renovations are a sure-fire way to boost the resale value of your home. They don’t need to be drastic either.
It’s a matter of simply replacing bathroom fixtures, re-tiling the shower, replacing the bathtub, or upgrading the lighting and mirrors. Another great investment is resurfacing areas such as your sinks, the toilet, shower, and tub. By recoating ceramic or porcelain surfaces, it will make your bathroom look brand new.
When it comes to style, stick to the classics because this tends to appeal to people with both traditional and contemporary tastes.
Completely pulling out your entire bathroom? This is one of those new home upgrades to skip unless it’s really essential.
7. Overhaul Your Garden Landscaping
Re-landscaping your front or back yard is always going to be a good idea. But even more so, your front garden. This is an area of your home that people see first. If you have a low garden fence, your front yard also adds to your curb appeal.
It makes sense to overhaul this area and put some real effort into its layout, the plants, shrubbery, and flowers you use. If you don’t want people looking into your front yard, invest in a decent garden hedge.
A good way to spend your money wisely on a landscaping overhaul is by investing in perennial plants. This means they flower year-after-year without you having to do much work.
Trees are also a good investment for your garden, especially if it’s on the larger side. They keep erosion at bay, filter your groundwater, improve soil quality, reduce carbon dioxide surrounding your home, and keep the rest of your garden healthy.
Some of the best tree types to invest in include the Colorado blue spruce or live oak. If you can’t afford to work on your entire garden at once, start off by focusing on the area closest to the curb and your front door.
8. Transform Your Basement
A damp, neglect basement is not only creepy, but it’s not healthy for the rest of your home and tends to detract from the resale value. More so than this, a neglected basement is a huge waste of space.
But before you dive into the transformation of your basement, it’s super important to make sure it’s dry, first. In fact, this should be more of a priority than completely renovating the space.
If your basement is persistently damp, prone to flooding, or leaks, it’s recommended that you call in a professional to sort out the situation. They will seal up leaks, add drywall, and insulation for you.
Once you have a well-established, dry basement, only then should you consider remodeling it.
9. Install Radiant Floor Heating
This may seem like a real luxury, but adding radiant heating to your home is another one of the top investments you can make. However, if this is a project you’ve been considering, you’ll need to time it right.
Ideally, you want to line up your floor heating installation when your home flooring is being replaced. This is because you have to rip up the flooring, before installing the heating.
So, if you’ve been planning on re-tiling a bathroom, or kitchen, this is the best time to add underfloor heating. It’s a great investment because it’s an energy-efficient way to heat your home, and it adds an undeniable touch of luxury.
10. Install a Swimming Pool
This home upgrade is a great investment, but it depends on a few important factors. First thing’s first, you want to take your local climate into consideration.
If you live in a warm state, such as Florida or California, a pool installation is a no-brainer. It can seriously boost your home’s value. Not only this, a swimming pool offers an escape from the heat and you know it will be well-used and received.
However, if you live in a climate that is a little more temperate, prone to blustery, cold weather, swimming pool installation is one of those builder upgrades to avoid.
This is because of the prospect of maintenance and whether it will actually be used enough. In some cases, it can be a significant turnoff for potential homebuyers.
Find Home and DIY Inspiration Just a Click Away
If you’ve been considering a home renovation project, these home upgrades are a good place to start and are guaranteed to offer some form of return-on-investment.
If you’re keen to DIY your own project or need inspiration for a bedroom overhaul, don’t miss out on the rest of this site for more!
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