Your house is primarily a place to rest your head at night, raise your family, and all-around live a tranquil existence away from the mania of the outside world, but it’s also an investment. After all, it’s unlikely that you’ll have an expense in your life as significant as your property, so it’s in your best interest to ensure that the value goes up, and not down. While there are factors that influence that value that are beyond your control, there’s plenty you do that’ll have an impact. Below, we take a look at some of the smartest ways to increase the value of your property. 

Decorate the Front

Though we’d like to pretend otherwise, the fact of the matter is that we are a judgemental species; we just can’t help it. Even if the inside of your home is magnificent, the initial opinion will be formed when people see the outside of your property. As such, it’s important that you take the time to get the front of your house in shape. It might not feel like it, but it really will add value — or at least, it’ll prevent value from unnecessarily being lost. Subtle improvements are all that’s needed. If you can add some plants, upgrade your door, install landscape lighting, and all-around make things presentable, then you’ll have done your job correctly.

In the Yard

It’s not just the front part of your exterior that you should focus on, either: the backyard deserves some attention too. Getting this part of your house into shape won’t just nudge the value in the right direction, but will also make your property a more comfortable and enjoyable place to be. One of the best ways to get people interested in your property (and remember: more interested people = higher value) is to sell the dream of your house. If people can imagine themselves spending many hours sitting out in their yard on a summer’s evening, then they’ll be more likely to be interested.

Pleasant Entranceway

Start as you mean to go on! It’s a simple, old cliche, but one that’s stood the test of time for a reason: it’s true. In your house, this means paying some attention to your entrance hallway. Many people bypass this area of their home entirely, but it does help to set the tone, and get things off to a good start. As with most aspects of your property, subtle improvements are all that’s needed. Keep things organized (and keep anything that doesn’t belong there elsewhere), add more natural light, and keep things fresh with a bouquet of flowers. You’ll be amazed at what a difference these small improvements make. 

Open Plan Kitchen

The kitchen has always been the heart of the home, it’s just that we forget it for a while, and other rooms took priority. Now, though, we’re coming back to the truth: and that is that a well-designed, social-ready kitchen can add a lot to a home. One of the biggest home design trends in recent years has been the emergence of open plan kitchens. And it’s not hard to see why: people love them! They’re perfect for dinner parties, chatting over breakfast, and all around make cooking a more enjoyable experience. 

Attic and Basement Conversions

The value of a property is closely linked to the number of rooms in the home. Most people think this is something beyond their control, but this isn’t the case. It is possible to add additional rooms to your home, and once you do, they can have a big impact on the value. It’s all about making the most of your space. For instance, if you have a basement and an attic that are currently unused, then you’ve got space in your property that you could be doing more with. So take a look at converting them into usable rooms. This will require an investment of cash, but personal loans can help you if you don’t have savings (or prefer not to use savings for this job). Once the conversions have been completed, you could see as much as a 20% rise in the value of your property, which will likely be a handsome return on the investment that you made during the conversion.

Modern Infrastructure

There are some beautiful homes out there that just aren’t worth as much as you might think they would be worth when you first look at them. That’s because they’re old homes that haven’t been brought into the modern world. While people like to live in a place that looks well-decorated, they prefer to live in a home that’s comfortable. And it’s hard to be comfortable if your home is drafty and doesn’t stay warm. If you’re in a slightly dated home, it’s worthwhile taking the time to bring it up to modern standards. Upgrading your heating system, adding insulation, and all-around ensuring that your house is a comfortable place to be will make your property more appealing to potential buyers.

Change Your Windows

And while you’re upgrading certain areas of your home, take a look at your windows. They’re something that is commonly overlooked by homeowners, but they can make a big difference. They can provide a better view of the outside and let more light into your home too. Changing the windows is one of those things that people rarely think to unprompted, but it can have a profoundly positive impact on the overall feel of your property, and can thus help boost the value. 

Focus On the Main Rooms

There are many aspects to your home, but they shouldn’t all be given equal billing on the priority list. It’s better to focus on the rooms that will really make a difference to the overall feel of your property. The master bedroom, living room, bathroom, and kitchen will all be the things that people who are looking for a property will all look closest at (the presence of a utility room will be welcomed, but what condition it’s in will be largely unimportant). If you’re looking to quickly boost the value of your home, pick the room (of the four mentioned above) that’s in the worst condition and bring it up to standard. 

An Additional Toilet

There are plenty of thrills that you can add to your home, but it’s important not to overlook the essentials. At the top of this list will be the number of bathrooms and toilets in your home. This will be especially important if you’re trying to make your home appeal to families. You’ll probably find it difficult to add an extra bathroom, but it’s usually possible to add another toilet somewhere downstairs. 

Structural Matters

Sometimes, the best way to add value to your home is to take care of the things that can really drag the value down. As we said above, there are a lot of things that can help to subtly make your home better — but they’ll count for nothing if there are large, underlying problems with the property. Take structural issues, for example. Since this affects the livability and safety of the home, it’s not something that can be overlooked — and thus, if you have problems, you’ll find that your home’s value takes a big hit. As such, be sure to handle these problems as soon as they present themselves. They’ll only be more difficult and more expensive to fix later on down the line.

Fix The Small Problems

However, that’s not to say that you should ignore the small problems either. Multiple small problems can add up to one large problem, and can negatively affect your home’s value since it lessens the overall quality of your house. As such, from time to time, it’s worthwhile looking at the small issues that your home has, and spending a little time correcting them. It can be highly valuable to learn a few of the basic DIY skills, since it’ll allow you to fix the problems without having to call out a professional.

Storage Options

It’s normal to accumulate more items than you really need when you have a home, but it’s worth remembering that these items can negatively impact your home, and even cause the value to drop. The house must be seen in all its glory if it’s going to be viewed in its best light, and that just won’t be possible if there’s too much clutter. You can get rid of the items you don’t need, but one smart way to appeal to potential buyers is to invest in more storage options. We’ve made great strides in this regard in recent decades, and now it’s nearly always possible to add some clever storage to all corners of your home.

A Lick of Paint

Finally, don’t forget the power of a lick of paint! It can really make a difference to the overall look and feel of your home. It can make it feel fresher and more modern. If a room is beginning to feel a little tired, get out the paintbrush, and get to work.