As a homeowner, you may be constantly thinking of ways to improve the value of your home. Regardless of whether or not you’re planning to sell your house sooner or later, there are many updates you can make to your home. Anytime you make updates to your home, you want to consider how much value they add. Unless you have an abundant amount of money for your renovations, you want to consider the best home additions to add value. Home additions and renovations can easily be quite expensive if not handled properly. You want to select the additions that’ll give you the most return on your investment. Listed here are the top 10 home additions you should choose to do first.
1. Energy-Efficient Roofing
One of the best home additions to add value is replacing your roof with one that is more energy-efficient. The roof is one of the most essential components of your home. If your roof is causing problems and is in need of repair, it’s not as efficient as it could and should be. When you replace your roof, it increases curb appeal and resale value. In addition, you can change the look of your home with a new roof by changing the color and the style.
One way to make your home more efficient is to add solar panels to your roof. It may seem like a hefty initial investment, but after that, it begins to save you money. If you sell the house, the new owners would be able to reap the same savings. Houses with solar panels have a tendency to sell quickly. In addition, solar panels reduce your heating and cooling bills because the panels include upgraded insulation.
2. New Windows
Not only do windows make your house look good and add to your curb appeal, but they also make your house more energy-efficient. This makes window replacement one of the best home additions to add value. One of the first things potential buyers look at is the windows on a house. You can choose between wood and vinyl windows. They have approximately the same return on the investment but cost a little more on the front end. When you get window replacement services, you’ll notice an immediate difference in the draft coming in from your windows. This helps reduce your energy bills as it reduces the amount of energy used to heat and cool your house.
You want to look for windows that have the Energy Star symbol on them. This symbol means the windows have a federal certification stating they reduce energy while maintaining performance. It’s critical to keep in mind that having new windows may not increase the offer you receive on your house from potential buyers. However, if you don’t have energy-efficient windows, that could certainly decrease the offer you receive.
3. Custom Window Treatments
When you’re looking for one of the best home additions to add value at an affordable cost, you should consider window treatments. When you want to highlight the best features in your house, you need excellent lighting. When your house doesn’t have a large amount of natural lighting, you can use window treatments to improve what lighting you do have. When considering what window treatments to purchase for your house, think about how they provide curb appeal, filter light, and save money over the long term.
One of the great things about a window treatment is that you can control when and how much light you want to come into the room. You can consider motorized blinds. These treatments can be controlled electronically. You may be able to get window treatments that can be put on a timer. That way, you don’t have to be home to open and close your blinds. You can achieve maximum efficiency even when you cannot be home.
4. Pipe Replacements
When you’re thinking about the best home additions to add value, you may not immediately think of pipe replacements. It’s not unusual since the plumbing of a house is not an area that gets a lot of attention, especially when it comes to upgrades or property value. It may surprise you to know just how important a home’s plumbing is to its value or overall functioning. You couldn’t perform regular daily functions in your house without proper plumbing. If you have any leaky pipes, you want to have them repaired or replaced.
There was a time when pipes were manufactured from steel, lead, cast iron, and clay. Typically this material isn’t used today because those materials don’t have the same integrity as current material. If you’re considering putting your house on the market, you want to replace these outdated materials. Upgrading the pipes can help to minimize corrosion and breaking pipes. This can improve the quality and taste of your water. Not only do you want to consider replacing the pipes, but you also need to have the drains and pipes cleaned. Hair and debris build up in the drain of showers, baths, and sinks. One of the best ways to clean them out is to contact drain cleaning plumbers.
5. Gutter Upgrades
Another one of those quickly forgotten but still, one of the best home additions to add value is your gutters. Simply caring for your gutters may not do much to improve the value of your home. Gutters are a standard expectation of potential homebuyers. They’re an item that they expect to see on the house and to be in good working order. If you live in an area that suffers from a large amount of rain, you should ensure your gutters are in good working order.
Gutter companies make recommendations on the best improvements to make to the gutters on your house. One essential point for your gutters is to make sure they’re installed properly. They should pull water away from the house to ensure no damage is sustained to the foundation. It’s a great idea to have the gutters match your house. They should also be the appropriate size, which is now six inches. You may be able to find a contractor that installs eight-inch gutters. If so, you should opt for those. It would be best if you also opted for standard materials that match your house. You can find aluminum and metal gutters, and either one works as long as it matches the house.
6. Landscaping Additions
The curb appeal of your home is the first thing people see when they drive up to your house. Unfortunately, it’s also the first thing you see when you drive up to your house. If you’re planning to sell your home, landscaping and hardscaping services are a great place to start. When the landscaping of your home is overgrown, it appears as though the house isn’t cared for and makes potential buyers wonder about the inside. This is only one reason why upgraded landscaping is one of the best home additions to add value.
Traditionally, landscaping and hardscaping are expensive endeavors. However, they don’t have to be. You can take some steps to improve your landscaping without breaking the bank. You can plant some new trees but keep in mind tree placement is critical. You should contact a professional before making any decisions about new trees. You want to invest in your lawn to keep it well-maintained and lush. If you aren’t up to the challenge, you can hire someone to care for, weed, and mow your lawn. Once your lawn is in good shape, a nice touch is landscape lighting. Not only does this brighten up your house, but it makes it safer.
7. New Kitchen Components
Surely you know that the kitchen is where everyone wants to be. Anytime you go to someone’s house, you spend a good amount of time in the kitchen. This is typically the room where homeowners spend the most money because they want to create the kitchen of their dreams. It also needs to be functional. This rates kitchens pretty high on the list of best home additions to add value. If you’re thinking about resale, potential buyers want updated kitchens. However, you do have to be smart about it. If you spend too much money updating your kitchen, you might not see a return on that investment.
You can start by doing small touches like changing cabinet hardware, changing out light fixtures, and painting. Those changes may be enough to make your kitchen look brand new. Instead of replacing your kitchen cabinets, you can paint them a different color or stain them. You can install new countertops instead of remodeling the entire kitchen.
8. GFCI Outlets
Updating your electrical outlets is another of the best home additions to add value. Not only does it improve the value of your home but it also makes your home safer. You can install GFCI outlets and breakers to make your electrical system much safer. If you don’t feel you’re capable of being one of the home electricians, you can hire a professional. These outlets help prevent fire by continually monitoring the current going through the outlet. It can shut down the power immediately.
When circuits overload, it’s often because more amps are flowing through the circuit than they can safely handle. This happens when appliances aren’t working properly, or the connections are loose. This can also happen when the wires or connections are corroded.
9. A New Fence
One of the best home additions to add value that many people overlook is adding a new fence. There are many benefits to adding a fence to your yard. It helps your house look neater, which adds to the curb appeal. It also takes it up a notch and makes it look classier and more refined. It’s a clear marker of your property while also containing it. Finally, it provides a distinct line between your property and your neighbors’.
Many fence contractors explain that a fence provides security for your home, and it truly does. It helps to contain pets and children while keeping others from entering your backyard without permission. A fence helps deter intruders from getting to your backdoor because now they have to go through additional steps to get there. Potential robbers may choose another house that’s easier to access. It’s essential that you keep the fence in the back of your house. There aren’t many people who like fences in the front. You also need to select a fence that looks nice and make sure to maintain it regularly. Even the nicest fences can lose their nice appearance if they aren’t cared for properly.
10. High-Efficiency Appliances
Another one of the best home additions to add value for your consideration is upgrading your appliances to high-efficiency options. If you have mismatched appliances, you should consider getting new appliances or getting face panels, so they all look alike. Having all the same appliances helps give your kitchen a cleaner look. When you do have to replace your appliances, opt for energy-efficient models. They use less energy, are better for the environment, and save money on your electric bills.
If you find that you have to contact appliance repair centers to service your appliances regularly, it’s a sign you may need to replace them. Many appliances are affordable today, and it most often makes more sense to replace them than to repair them. Often, the repair bill costs almost as much as a replacement. If you replace it with a more efficient option, you’ll save money on your electric bill.
These are the top 10 ways to upgrade your home. There are many little steps you can take along the way that make significant impacts on the way your house looks. It’s best to keep in mind that when you’re making upgrades, you aren’t spending more on the upgrade than your house is worth. Otherwise, you won’t see a return on that investment.