Improving Your Home's Value

by Mike Hughes

If you are a person trying to sell or your home or even thinking about the possibility of selling your home in the future, and want to improve the value of your real estate, there are many things you can do. First, you can improve the value of your property through landscaping. This is important because buyers often judge whether they want to enter a home by its outward appearance. Thus, it is crucial to fix up your home.

Begin by adding color to your landscape to create a visually appealing and cheerful entrance. Colors like red and orange are very attractive, whereas colors like blue and purple are a symbol for relaxation. Additionally, it is recommended to use recycled ground rubber mulch which does not deteriorate and always looks colorful. Another way to improve your landscape is to invest in artificial grass. This transforms dead yellow grass or dirt patches, into a perfectly green lawn. The allusion of space is also key for an attractive landscape. By removing boundaries or hiding fences with plants, you can create of more space. Finally, make sure your driveway is well-maintained and get rid of all the oil spills or grease marks.

Aside from one’s landscape, improving the exterior of your home is also crucial to improve the total value of your property. This includes exterior remodeling and repairs not only on the main house but any building on your property (i.e. garage, shed, dog house, etc.). Make sure that the paint is new or at least not peeling, and also that you have good siding because that means that your house can retain heat. It is important that your roof is in great condition, and that your windows are clean and new because old windows can make a house cold and drafty. The addition of new windows not only saves heat and is appealing, but they can increase the value of your home by thousands.

All in all, if you really want to improve the value of your real estate, you must be willing to work for it. It is important to remember that you must spend money fixing up your home and its appearance to make more money selling it in the future.

Here are two lists that show what things will increase your home’s value and what things decrease its value:

Increase home's value
1. An updated kitchen 2. Modern bathrooms 3. A well-appointed master suite 4. Natural materials 5. Curb appeal 6. A light, airy spacious feel 7. Good windows 8. Landscaping 9. Lots of storage 10. Basement

Decrease home's value
1. A pool 2. No garage or small garage 3. Garbled floor plan 4. Outmoded appliances or systems 5. Stale or overly personal decor 6. A bad roof 7. Bad location 8. Poor maintenance 9. Environmental hazards 10. A long list of needed home improvements

Sources:

20 Things That Can Alter the Value of Your Home
http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/103338/20-Things-That-Can-Alter-the-Value-of-Your-Home
Improve Value through Landscaping
http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20090123_landscape.htm
Real Estate & Selling Your Home: Improving Your Home’s Value by Improving and Repairing its Exterior
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/436629/real_estate_selling_your_home_improving.html