5 home improvements to add value to your home

Home improvements can improve your lifestyle at home and also add financial value to your property. But what are the best kind of changes to make? If you are thinking of selling and want to maximise the sale price, here are 5 home improvements to add value to your home.

Build an extension

Whether it’s at the rear or the side of your home, building an extension can add a significant amount of value. From conservatories and orangeries, to kitchen and living room extensions, it means you will have more living space which will convert into a higher selling price once it goes onto the market. Recent changes to planning laws also means that most extensions do not require planning permission – although always check with your local authority before any work begins.

Loft/Garage conversions

If you use your loft or garage for storage, why not consider converting it into a liveable space? Not only will it add a lot of value to your home (as much as 15% for a loft) it can be a cheaper short-term alternative to moving to a larger property. Most conversions fall under the permitted development category (always check this is the case) which makes the entire process much easier to manage. These types of spaces can be transformed into bedrooms, home offices, playrooms – whatever you think adds the most value.

Landscape the garden

When it comes to home improvements, a lot of emphasis is placed onto what you can do with the interior of your home. Because of this, garden areas and the value they add to your home are often overlooked. You can focus on small changes like tidying up the lawn, de-weedng or planting new flowers and shrubbery, or if you have a larger budget, install a new patio, pathway, garden furniture or even hire a landscaping professional to oversee a much larger overhaul.

Re-decorate

One of the simplest – and most cost-effective – ways to add value to your home is to re-decorate. A new lick of paint will instantly transform the space and bring it to life. It doesn’t cost much to invest in paint, brushes, rollers and sandpaper, and if you use neutral colours it will enable buyers to project their own ideas into each room. You might want to hire professionals to ensure the job is finished to a high standard, but it is also something you should be able to do yourself.

Relocate the bathroom

Selling a property with a downstairs bathroom isn’t always easy, so if you have major works on the agenda, relocating could be something worth considering. For example, if you are thinking about extending the kitchen and converting the loft, you could remove merge the kitchen into the existing bathroom space and perhaps use the loft for the new bathroom. This is at the higher end of the scale in terms of cost, as it will require significant re-plumbing work, but if you can afford to do it then you can expect a healthy increase in property value as a result.