With house prices increasing in recent years, a brand-new house will be the biggest investment that most of us will make in our lives.
Just like with any other investment you will want to see a profit when it eventually becomes time to sell.
Which is why home improvements can add some real value to your property and make sure you see a great return on your investment.
Reading through this guide will give you 7 great additions you can make to your home to add some real value!
Table of Contents
Fix underlying issues
First things first, fixing, and underlying issues that your home either has or may have is the go-to.
Subsidence is a huge issue that can impact the value of your home massively as the ground is sinking around your home.
Subsidence is mainly treated by underpinning the foundations of your home which can cost up to £50,000 depending on how much damage and how long the subsidence has been occurring.
As well as subsidence there is a range of other issues that you should be fixing such as damp, a missing roof tiles, a leaking roof, drainage, and Eaves.
Add a new boiler
Adding a new heating system to your home is a great way to add some value to your home.
If your home is a new build then chances are that you will not need a new heating system however if you are living in a period property or a property that’s older than ten years, then it is more than likely a new boiler would be needed.
When living in a period or older property your boiler is most likely old and outdated which means it is a lot less efficient than a modern counterpart.
When looking to upgrade your boiler you want to make sure that you choose the right kind of boiler for your property from combi boilers, system boilers and conventional boilers:
- Combi boiler – Suitable for a home with just one bathroom
- System boilers – Better for a home with more than one bathroom
- Conventional boiler – Better for a home with more than one bathroom (require a lot of room for both hot water cylinder and hot water tank)
While adding a new boiler to your property can be expensive it has been shown to add between 4 – 6% to the overall value of your home, which in some cases could be a significant increase.
Paint and decorate
Painting and decorating may seem like something that will not add too much value to your home it can, in fact, add some value just from making your home look good.
The most important part of adding value to your home when re-decorating is to not be too strong with how you decorate.
This is because it could potentially put future buyers off buying the property or even make them ask to reduce the price a bit.
Making sure that you use colours that accompany items in rooms is vital, neutral colours such as white, grey, and cream generally work well as they will often not clash with any furniture or items that are in your home.
Convert your loft space
Most of the time the loft of a home is either left bare or left as a dumping ground for the Christmas decorations.
Adding a loft conversion to your home can add an amazing amount of value to your property however it is not always possible with every loft as there are certain height and diameter restrictions that need to be met, there may also be certain building restrictions in your local area, so it is best to get in contact with your local authorities before you start.
The two most popular loft conversions are rooflight conversions and dormer loft conversions.
Loft conversions have been shown to add around 10-20% to the value of your home if they are properly constructed and meet all the requirements a buyer would be looking for.
Renovate your bathroom
A great way to increase the value of your home is renovating the bathroom that you have already got.
People often use their bathrooms as a place to show off and will have their bathroom be the most modern part of their home, which is why it is important to make your bathroom look as modern as possible.
Some of the best things to renovate in your bathroom are your shower, flooring, tiles, and storage.
A bathroom renovation, depending on what features you choose to add, could add up to 10% of value to your home!
Shower
In modern bathrooms, the shower is often seen as the centrepiece so upgrading your shower is a great way to add some value to your home.
Tiled walk-in showers are very popular and add a sense of a more open-plan bathroom, which again is very popular.
Updating your showers head to a rainfall showerhead is also a very popular renovation to make.
Flooring
Updating a bathrooms flooring is something that is often overlooked however can really add that vital finish to really modernise the room.
Adding flooring such as painted floorboards to add a classic yet modern finish or adding a rustic stone floor to give the floor that country finish.
Adding underfloor heating, while expensive, is another renovation that can add a large amount of value to your home.
Tiles
When it comes to tiles it is best to keep it simple and stick to whites, greys, and other neutral colours, just like when it comes to painting your home.
This way you are not going to struggle to match the rest of the bathroom’s accessories to the tiles.
Storage
While it does not seem like an important element to a bathroom adding some storage space.
This storage space will allow things like towels, shower gels and other bathroom products to be stored. This allows the bathroom to look less cluttered and tidier.
Improve your home’s energy efficiency
With green energy becoming a topic that is being talked about more and more it is important to make sure that your home is as energy efficient as it can be.
So, adding some improvements to make sure this is the case is a good idea. Adding any or all of these to your home can really improve the energy efficiency of your home:
- Add a smart thermostat to your home to control your heating more efficiently.
- Consider adding solar panels to your homes roof.
- Add a water-saving showerhead to your home’s bathroom.
- Upgrade your heating system.
- Check cavity wall and loft insulation and update if needed.
- Draught proof your homes windows and doors
Invest in your garden
Gardens can often make or break a home when it comes to selling, so making sure that your homes garden is both attractive and practical can add some real value when it comes to selling time.
Adding a patio or decking to the home adds an area of outdoor living space, where you can entertain guests in the summer.
Adding an area with a fire pit that is perfect for BBQ’s and fires in the summer can also add some real value to your home.
Making sure that your garden is an area that will allow people to entertain guests and relax outside during the summer.
This could add up to 20% value to your home, depending on other factors such as the size and privacy of the garden.
Following this guide is a great way to get some knowledge of what you can be doing to add some value to your home.
Make sure to carry on reading and see what else you can do to really see a huge return on your investment in your home!
