Let’s face it, your house is made up of many, different pieces. In order for it to be home, it has to fit and move with you. That means moving parts. Anything that moves eventually wears out. I’ve not even mentioned things go out of style!
Today’s Ideal Home Improvements
So everyone knows that their home will need to be updated from time to time but if you’re smart, you’ll target the ideal home improvements first—the ones that will give you the greatest return on your investment. These fall into three categories.
Let’s dig in!
1. Sweat Equity Garners Huge Returns
Any home improvement project that you perform yourself will save you loads of money. Hiring professionals, even affordable ones, require money that could be equity in your home and redirects it out into the world. Here are the big three DIY projects that every homeowner can tackle.
Landscaping
First impressions are enormous! Make sure your home looks great from the street, the sidewalk, and especially… standing by the front door. Re-seal the concrete, trim those bushes, and put down fresh mulch. Then stand back and take pride in a job well done.
Cleaning & Organizing
It may not be fun but this one really pays off! Homes that look clean and organized are more enjoyable to live in and tell the world you care. Any expert real estate agent will tell you a clean, organized space tells prospective home buyers that this house is in good condition.
Painting
Most people will already have guessed the DIY project. It’s simple. Paint is cheap and if you do the painting yourself, you save even more. Making a big difference in an entire room is as easy as an afternoon painting. When in doubt, don’t go bold. Find colors that you love in your friend’s home or online and use those.
It doesn’t matter what year it is, you’ll always get a high return on your investment with these big three home improvements.
2. Projects with the Biggest Difference
This next category is fun. It’s a bit of a seek-and-find and the payoff is huge.
Find the parts of your home that are in the most need of updating. If you update your dining room light fixture just five years ago, it’s likely still in good condition and far from being out of style
But if you have the same bathroom faucets that the builder installed 22 years ago, bingo! you’ve found an ideal home improvement.
Any time you replace a negative (ancient bathroom faucet) with a positive (brand new, stylish bathroom faucet) you will see the biggest, bang-for-your-buck home improvements.
It’s really that simple.
3. Current, Hot Trends
The home improvements that make up this category change from year to year. But not the improvement itself, just how it’s done.
For example, having an attractive front door will always be a strong asset for any home, especially when it comes time to sell. But which type of door is currently the hottest style will change over time. Make sense?
Here are a few hot trends for 2017.
- High-tech appliances – High-end, luxury refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and other kitchen tech are in big demand. They add the “wow” factor for home buyers, save money on electric bills, and pamper current homeowners in style.
- Patterned tile – It’s all the rage on HGTV now and comes in a wide range of styles. Just be careful, what’s hot this year might be considered ghastly come 5-7 years from now.
- Energy-efficient devices – This may be a tankless water heater, a heat pump HVAC system or simply upgrading to new LED light bulbs. Saving money never goes out of style.
So there you have it, take advantage of these ideal home improvements for 2017 and you’ll be so far ahead of the game, you’ll be lapping the field.
