When it comes to home improvements, you really want the best bang for the buck. It’s a fact that kitchen and bathroom renovations always get the highest return on resale. Not surprisingly, that’s probably because of the simple fact that kitchens and bathrooms are the most used part of the home. It’s also, obviously, incredibly difficult for people to live without these rooms in place - and fully functioning.
When potential homebuyers view a home in their search to purchase a property, they more often than not want to see the kitchen and the bathrooms first. The reason is simple, says Paul DeFeis, senior managing partner of Trade Mark Design & Build in Hawthorne, New Jersey, who has 15 years’ extensive experience in Residential Design. If they are happy with those rooms, they can move in with complete peace of mind, then spend time worrying about the rest of the house at their leisure.
Improving your kitchen or bath can definitely boost the resale value of your home, whether you plan on moving in the near future or whether you want to do some updating with the intent of moving in the future. However, many other improvements and additions can also give you a good return on your investment.
Here are some of DeFeis’ top tips for doing either home additions or improvements:
- When designing a kitchen or bath, functionality within those spaces is the most important. Make sure they are as user-friendly and functional as possible.
- No matter what room you decide to do up or add on, go for something neutral. We steer people down the path of doing things that are widely acceptable to most people, but are still within their own parameters of taste. We tell them to go with their overall style but try not to make it too individualized or personalized if they feel they might sell the home within 5 to 10 years. Beige walls, yes. Bright purple walls, no. Plain carpeting, yes. Psychedelic-striped carpeting, no.
- One way to improve the value of your home is by completing any major home repairs that detract from curb appeal. Roofing and siding are good examples of this. Nothing puts a potential buyer off more than falling in love with a house and then realizing they will have to stump up the cost for a new roof.
- Gardening is another home improvement that is often overlooked, yet a front garden is usually the first thing a potential purchaser sees when they approach your home. Gardens that are ugly, unkempt or unruly can turn potential buyers away.
- Any type of home addition is great, especially defining one room for a single purpose, such as a family gathering. With this in mind, more and more people these days are choosing to add on additions such as gaming rooms, family rooms or a home theater, as these ideas can really bring in a lot more interest.
A home addition can be a great way to improve your quality of life while increasing your living space at the same time, and home improvements will make your home nicer while also increasing the value of your property. From installing a brand new entertainment room to putting in a new kitchen or bathroom, you really can’t go wrong.
