Six DIY projects that will add to your home’s value

Whether you’re planning on putting your home on the market today or a few years from now, it’s a good idea to invest in some home improvements that will add value to your home and make it easier to sell. While you can certainly hire a contractor to do some renovations, the costs for such projects can really add up and many homeowners can’t afford the expense. Fortunately, there are some relatively simple home upgrades that you can do yourself to maximize your home’s value before you sell. Here are six of them.

Upgrade your lighting

Prospective buyers really like a well-lit home so trade in those dark curtains for light, airy window treatments. Clean skylights so more sunlight is able to get through. If you’ve got old, dated light fixtures, swap them out. You can install a nice chandelier or a modern ceiling fan in just a few hours. In addition to ambient lighting, install some task lighting and accent lighting as well.

Low maintenance landscaping

Prospective buyers care a lot about curb appeal so they’ll like a well-landscaped yard. However, they also know a landscaping burden when they see one and many yards require a lot of upkeep. Since prospective buyers don’t want to invest a ton of time and money into maintaining the landscaping, it’s a good idea to go low-maintenance. Consider using beds of mulch instead of grass where possible and choose drought tolerant plants. A water-saving irrigation sprinkler system is a good idea as well.

Wood floors throughout

Home buyers are starting to move away from floor-to-floor carpeting which used to be quite popular. Now most prefer wood flooring throughout the communal areas at least and sometimes even in the bedrooms. This is a DIY project that’s a little more challenging but if you take time to educate yourself, you can remove the carpet and install wood flooring or laminate yourself.

A fresh coat of interior paint

There are few DIY projects as easy as painting your home’s interior. For just a few hundred bucks and a couple of weekends of your time, you can completely change the look of your home’s interior and add considerable value to your home.

Stainless steel appliances

Kitchens tend to see the best return on investment so it’s a good place to spend your remodeling budget. Upgrading to stainless steel appliances is one of the safest investments you can make since everyone loves stainless steel.

New and improved bathroom

After the kitchen, the bathroom is going to be the most important room in the home for prospective buyers so it’s a good idea to spend some time and money remodeling it. The average homeowner can’t do a complete bathroom makeover on his/her own but most are capable enough to swap out hardware and fixtures. Replacing the knobs and pulls on the cabinets and drawers as well us installing a new faucet and shower head are relatively small improvements that can make all the difference. Also consider re-grouting the tub/shower and installing a tile backsplash.

Source: US News

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