Over the last two years, homeowners have spent more time home-bound due to the pandemic, so it’s no surprise that many have been inspired to make some changes to their surroundings in order to adapt to their changes in lifestyle. In fact, reports stated that in 2021, 51% of homeowners planned to renovate, up from 46% in the year prior.
When you think about changes you can make to your home that add value you’re probably thinking of things like; remodelling your kitchen, getting a conservatory put in or having a swimming pool installed. These large changes can certainly be tempting because they will make so much of a difference aesthetically, but you might be surprised to hear that these more drastic, high priced changes to your home might not actually add as much value as you’d think.
Expensive Renovations
There are many different types of conservatory with a wide range of prices, the average conservatory installation will set you back $15,000 and only adds around 5-10% to the property’s value. So if your property is $300,000 and you spend $15,000 on a conservatory, you will only yield a maximum of $330,000, perhaps even just $15,000.
If you try to cut corners and install a cheap conservatory that isn’t up to standard before selling your house, you could actually end up doing more damage than good and devalue your property instead.
Similarly, having a hot tub installed will be a pricey investment, varying anywhere from $2,000-$20,000+ depending on the size and brand – not to mention the added price to maintain it with the ongoing energy costs and chemicals used to regularly clean it. While some buyers might see it as an added luxury, others could see it as high maintenance and be put off.
Adding value to your home on a budget
Not only is the above potentially not as worthwhile as you might have previously thought, for many these top of the line upgrades just aren’t financially feasible. So instead of spending a whole heap of money and time, you might actually be better off doing some alternative home improvements without needing to spend months saving and just as long with your house under construction.
Upgrades to your attic space are an extremely popular way to not only add value to your house but also actually save you money and space. LoftZone’s innovative attic shelving and access boarding provides extra storage space, helps the environment and is suitable for homes old and new.
Compared to standard attic boarding, raised boarding can protect and enhance your insulation by allowing for ventilation to prevent condensation as well as stopping the compression of insulation.
Just as an attic is often used as a place to store belongings you don’t regularly need, many use their garage in the same way. Despite its original purpose, nowadays it’s rare to see a garage used to keep and protect a car. It’s certainly an ideal place to stow garden equipment, but if you spend some time organising and clearing out non-essential belongings you could easily transform your garage into a home gym, or workshop for a relatively low cost. All it takes is fitting durable flooring, and ensuring the space is insulated in order to protect your new equipment and make your time spent in your new space more comfortable.
Beyond these, there are some smaller changes you can make around the home depending on its age. You may have an old heating system that could be replaced (e.g. with a heat pump) to add value to your home before selling. And if you’ve decided to update your boiler, it would make sense to also give your radiators a facelift at the same time. A fresh splash of paint is one way to go, but not only are modern radiators far more efficient than their older counterparts but there is also a much wider range of styles now to incorporate them into your home decor.
Some of the simplest home DIYs that anyone can do without the help of a professional is to refurbish your house making it more appealing and modern. This can be easily achieved by targeting your kitchen cupboards, drawers and countertops. You’ll soon see a big difference and can modernise your kitchen without the need for splashing out on new appliances and entirely renovating your kitchen. Similarly, you’d be surprised by how much you can transform your bathrooms by simply changing to a neutral decor such as white tiles in order to appeal to more potential buyers.
Contact LoftZone
If you want to get started and make some changes that won’t cost the earth, please get in touch with a member of the team to help you make the most out of your attic space.