10 Ways to Add Value to Your Home

Most of the time, your first house isn’t the one you stay in forever. In fact, you’ll likely sell your home and purchase a new one at least a few times in your life. When it comes time to make the big move, the first thing on your mind will be the resale value of your home. If you’ve taken the time to invest in some key upgrades throughout your time in the house, your chances of selling your home quickly and for a price that makes your wallet happy are far greater than if your home is exactly the same as it was when you first signed the paperwork.

Here are 10 ideas to increase the resale value of your home:

Have Your Home Checked for Problems — and Then Have Them Fixed

Have a maintenance problem that you’ve been ignoring for years? Make it a point to correct any issues before opening your home to prospective buyers. Older homes are more likely to have wiring or pipes that need to be inspected and updated. The more updated and — most importantly — safe that your home proves to be, the more that your resale value will rise. You’ll also be gaining your home buyer’s trust.

Paint Those Walls!

This one may seem a little too easy, but really — you’d be amazed what a fresh coat of paint can do for a home, especially if your current wallpaper or paneling is beginning to look dated or if that living room wall has chipped paint. Paint can make your home feel more modern, but don’t be too quick to give a room splashes of reds or other stand-out colors. Neutral tones, like shiny whites and dusky grays, work best to attract home buyers. They can more easily envision themselves and their furniture in your newly painted space and the colors are contemporary. Have a little extra time and money? Consider a backsplash above the kitchen or bathroom sink.

Treat Your Windows to Plantation Shutters

Custom plantation shutters are really the only window treatments that add value to your home. Plantation shutters are a permanent fixture of a house and extremely attractive to buyers. Entirely wooden plantation shutters are the epitome of plantation shutters. Original and authentic, all-wood plantation shutters give your home an upscale appearance that draws in new homeowners. Plus, you can adjust the sunlight using the louvers, allowing just the right amount of light to enter your home and create an inviting ambiance (as well as the illusion of an even bigger space) for interested buyers.

Take Time to Landscape and Tend to the Outside

The outside of your home provides an immediate first impression to interested buyers, and you’d be amazed at how something as seemingly simple as an overgrown lawn can turn buyers away. Hire someone to properly tend to your yard and, if you really want to go all out, consider adding an irrigation system for a proper gardening experience. Buyers, in general, love beautifully planted and maintained trees, lively shrubbery, and outdoor lights alongside the pathway to your home entrances. While you don’t want to add personal changes to your landscape that might make it difficult for buyers to picture themselves in your space (like a giant front yard statue), these broad additions are requested by most buyers and can have a huge impact on home resale value.

Consider Hardwood

The people have spoken: Hard flooring surfaces have been the growing trend for awhile now, with carpet starting to feel outdated and old fashioned in today’s homes. If you have room in the budget, replacing most of the carpet in your home with hardwood, laminate or even tile will greatly increase its resale value in the future. If you have particularly fluffy, modern carpeting that you plan to keep in places like the bedroom, shampoo it regularly and maintain its cleanliness. Carpet cleanliness and appearance is a big part of the reason behind the hardwood trend. You could also try adding a contemporary rug on top of a hardwood floor, particularly in a place like the master bedroom. Using carpeting in small doses to add warmth to your home will also appeal to buyers.

Add Options for More Sunlight — and Fun — to Your Home

The more light and open a room looks, the more buyers will feel like they are buying into an expansive space. Plantation shutters allow you to filter in just the right amount of light for a beautiful ambiance that feels satisfying to potential buyers. Big, beautiful windows, like bay windows, are also popular for letting in sunlight. When it comes to your backyard, try making a patio area with seating, twinkling lights, and a firepit. A gathering area is something that many buyers look for in a home. Homeowners want to enjoy their backyards. A deck is another way to increase your home’s value.

Of course, this may make you wonder about adding a pool, as well, to add to your home’s worth. The truth is, adding a pool to increase a home’s value is much more controversial than you might realize. Some potential buyers don’t want to deal with the maintenance and care involved with owning a pool. Others, however, specifically seek out pools. When it comes to this area of homeownership, it seems that it’s best to only add a pool if you and your family would like a pool during the time that you’re living in the home, not with the hope that it will increase your home’s value (although there is always the possibility that it could). Just make sure to turn your pool into as safe of a place as possible, such as by adding a safety entry gate. This may make buyers with small children more likely to give it a second look.

Smarten Up Your Home

We’re living in the era of smart everything, from smart smoke alarms that send alerts to your smartphone to smart security systems, doorbells, thermostats, and more. These elaborate technological systems all feel luxurious and state of the art to a potential home buyer, thereby increasing your home’s value exponentially.

Replace Dated Countertops and Cabinet Knobs

An updated kitchen or bathroom are some of the things that homebuyers look forward to the most. Take a close look at your cabinets and countertops. Are they reminding you a little too much of a scene from The Brady Bunch? It might be time to consider switching out your counters and cabinet knobs for something more modern. Granite is a favorite of countertops, while stainless steel, long bar handles modernize cabinets for around a dollar a pull at your local hardware store.

Don’t Forget the Faucets

While you’re updating the counters and cabinets, don’t forget to think about updating your faucet, as well. Waterfall faucets are extremely popular right now and can be had for $50 or less. An easy update that will have prospective buyers taking notes on your space. Remember to be sure that you have the latest and greatest shower head in the bathroom, too. These can be inexpensive to replace, with varieties for all budgets, but they can still make all the difference in a home’s worth.

Remember the Power of a Clean Home

Power washing your house can make all the difference in the world when it comes to increasing home value, as can touching up scraped doors or chipped door paint. Inside, organize clutter to the best of your ability. Make the home look as spacious and freshened as possible. Don’t forget to check the garage and attic, too, for any needed repairs or cleanings. If you have a basement, consider turning it into a gameroom or something else exciting for potential buyers.

Start Adding Value to Your Home Today

Custom, all-wood plantation shutters are a great first step toward adding value to your home. Shenandoah Shutters has been handcrafting these gorgeous window treatments for decades and can provide you with the shutters you need for any window of your home, including plantation shutters for sliding glass doors, arches, French doors, tilt-ins, and casements. Contact us today to add value to your home with our stunning plantation shutters.