Buying your first home is an experience that you will never forget. If you ask your parents or grandparents about their experience, chances are they will have fond memories to share with you and a wry smile on their faces.
If you have recently bought a new home or you’re looking to capitalize on a rental investment, you might feel overwhelmed by ideas and suggestions.
To calm the noise and figure out the best way forward for your unique situation, take your time to understand what it is you hope to achieve and find out how best to do that with your available time and resources.
Most homeowners and investors want the same thing – to increase the value of their investment. Below are five clever ways to do just that:
1. Impactful Improvements
Homeowners must understand one massive concept regarding homes – impactful improvements are everything. As much as you will get tempted to make changes and adjustments based on your style (and you should if the mood strikes), you need to always think of the long-term implications involved.
If your teenager is going through a phase and wants to repaint their bedroom fuchsia – let them. Paint can be done and redone a hundred times over. The easiest way to make an impactful improvement on your home is to repaint the interior and exterior.
Choose a neutral color for the exterior – anything too wild could have the opposite of the intended effect.
2. Expansion
If you have a bit of extra money to play around with, or expansions become a necessity (read: baby number three turned into baby number three AND four) – do your homework first.
More often than not, homeowners are more than capable of supervising a small home improvement project. What needs to be weighed up in situations like these is whether or not the money saved is worth the time spent.
These days, time is money – so call a contractor if you can’t manage to add a DIY build to your hectic schedule.
3. Modernization
There is one thing major area that so many homeowners overlook when it comes to improving their homes – modern touches. With multiple smart and efficient appliances on the market, turn your home into a smart machine and watch the valuation figure tick up at a rate of knots.
Even the most affordable home insurance plan will offer impressive coverage and plenty of bang for your buck, so getting coverage for your technology won’t be a problem.
4. Landscaping
Don’t overlook the outside when you’re planning your modern home improvements. Curb appeal and advanced landscaping will make all the difference in the world.
The right landscaping will frame your house, offer a degree of privacy from onlookers in the street, and help provide shade during the hottest seasons of the year.
5. Safety Features
This tip is so easy it is almost shameful. With everyone wanting to protect their family and possessions, and crime levels increasing across most states – it is no wonder that adding security features will pay off.
Start small if your budget is limited, and add one feature a month for six months – by the end of that period your home will be worth a significant amount more.