To renovate or not to renovate? That is often the crucial question when you are preparing to put your house on the market. When you want to move up the property ladder towards your dream home, then you need to know how you can maximise the value of the home you are in now. Even if you aren’t planning on selling your home anytime soon, it will be a huge benefit if you know the areas you can make extra money when it does come to selling. There are certain projects which almost guarantee a boost in both your home’s appeal to buyers and its value.
Correct Any Structural Issues
One of the best ways that you can add value to your home is to sort out any underlying structural problems. Issues, such as subsidence, will dramatically lower the value of your home, plus it makes sense to do this before you embark on any internal work or cosmetic improvements, so make it a priority.
Structural issues can in some cases require large costs, so may be amongst the most expensive work you need to carry out during a renovation, but when it comes to adding value to your home, it is essential. Examples of structural problems include: rising damp, missing roof tiles, bowing walls and a sagging or leaking roof.
Add A New Heating System
Many old houses will have had no heating system at one point, so ensuring that the heating is installed and running properly will ensure that your home is not only heated properly but reduces the need for call-outs.
Adding or updating the central heating system within your home will increase the value of a property more than what it costs to do, so is well worth carrying out. Heating improvements should be done alongside improving the overall efficiency of the building, including sealing any drafts around windows and doors, adding insulation to the loft cavity and replacing windows which are beyond repair.
Extend The Kitchen
In a typical terraced or semi-detached house, you may have a side return which is a narrow alley that runs alongside the kitchen. By extending the kitchen out into the side return and the full width of the house, you gain extra space and can also improve the layout of your kitchen and value of your home by around 15%.
You will need to comply with building regulations and work must be inspected throughout key stages of the building work, but once the extension is finished, you will be given the all-important completion certificate. As well as a kitchen extension, you could also consider adding a conservatory onto your home. Once fully fitted out with conservatory furniture, soft furnishings and stylish decor, you’ve got an extra room in your home.