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Three Easy Ways To Add Value To Your Property

Whether you’re thinking about selling your house or hoping to leave it as a legacy to your children, it makes sense to do all you can to add value to your property. Home improvements are a great way to do this, although it’s important that the potential increase in your properties value is going to be greater than the cost of the improvements themselves. The three improvements below don’t have to cost a lot and can make a significant difference in the value of your property, which can be great news for you and your children.

1. Making Your Home More Energy Efficient

Increasing numbers of people are becoming environmentally aware and looking for greener options wherever possible. That’s good news for the planet as a whole, and it can be even better news if you have a home that’s energy efficient and eco-friendly, as studies show this can add around 6% to the value of a property. Adding double glazing and loft and wall insulation makes a huge difference to how warm a property feels, and they also ensure that much less energy is wasted, which increases your green credentials. Solar paneling is another green energy option that can make your home stand out in a crowded property market.

2. Turn Empty Spaces Into Useful Spaces

You may think that you make the most of all the spaces in your property, but if you have an empty loft or garage, the reality is very different. An empty space is a wasted space, as a loft or garage conversion allows you to add an exciting new room to your home. A conversion can be used for everything from a home office or study to a gymnasium or games room, or even an extra bedroom for guests. These additional rooms can come in very useful when you’re living in a property and are even more useful when you’re trying to sell it.

3. Spruce Up Your Landscaping

A beautiful looking home is not only a great place to live; it’s also sure to impress potential buyers, too, but this can be undone if the garden and landscaping let it down. Keeping your garden in perfect shape is essential but making the right additions to the exterior of your property can really boost its value. A well-kept garden building is undoubtedly a plus, but just as important is garden fencing. Fencing helps to protect the privacy of the homeowner and their family, and that’s a commodity everyone is interested in. To create the best impression it’s important that the fence is of high quality in good condition, so it’s worth buying a new fence from experts in the field like Northland Fence.

Home improvements can transform a property from top to bottom, but making a home more energy efficient, converting an unused loft, cellar or garage space, and adding high-quality, durable fencing are three of the best improvements you can make. Each of these additions can give your home a competitive advantage if you try to sell it, and the increase in property value they bring means they could pay for themselves many times over.

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Design Dilemma: A Bright Idea in Paris

We love seeing smart-thinking and good planning applied to even the smallest of spaces. Good ideas lead to good living! That’s evident in this 388-square-foot Parisian studio, which formally was okay, but not as livable and bright as it could be. The owners resolved that problem by taking two relatively large closets and opening them up to become a bedroom set apart from the living room by one large partition of glass.

Below, take a look at the before:

In this before shot, the open kitchen is on the right, and the bathroom is on the left behind the closet. Opposite this view, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the street. Because the old bathroom (below) was disproportionately large for the space with a six-foot tub and large toilet, the owners decided to relinquish some of the space to create a true, very small bedroom.

And here’s the after.

Here’s a view from inside the bedroom. The new design even allows for storage shelves and a built-in closet in the bedroom.

The large glass partition is smart design. It brightens up the bedroom, allowing natural light to filter into the small bedroom, while extending the sight-lines from both the bedroom out to the living area, and from the living area to the bathroom.

The smaller bathroom, below, is more functional than the bigger one had been. Eliminating the tub means a walk-in shower takes up less space. A vanity mounted on the wall makes the space appear larger than it would have otherwise. The glass partition in the shower also opens up the space visually. The black tiles in the bathroom match the tiles in the kitchen, helping the small studio to feel cohesive throughout.

In the old design, below, the kitchen was dark and tight.

The new design, below, removes the small partial wall separating the kitchen from the living space. Sleek cabinetry extending from the kitchen straight to the living room blends the kitchen and living/room functions seamlessly. The enameled cabinets without hardware disappear. There is space for a new flat screen television. Patterned black and white tiles on the floor set the kitchen apart, adding a splash of interest.

A large mirror at the entrance seems to double the space.

The studio feels twice as large as before, and it’s more functional, thanks to much more cabinet space.

Bravo to this renovation par excellence!

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Design Dilemma: Three Things to Consider Before You Remodel Your Kitchen

So you’re thinking of remodeling your kitchen. But before you let that contractor rip out your old cabinets, stop for a second. Ask yourself these questions:

1. How will you use the kitchen?

Will it be for entertaining, or mostly solo use? It may sound basic, but think long and hard about how much space you’ll really need, as it will affect every appliance and storage choice you make. If you entertain a lot, your cabinets and appliances will need to handle multiple sets of plates and serving platters. You might think about a bigger refrigerator to hold lots and lots of food, and maybe double ovens and double sinks. Extra counter space, an extra dishwasher, a wine cooler, may also factor into the equation.  The two kitchens above are an example of entertaining kitchens. In the second kitchen in this post, three ovens mean you can cook lots of dishes all at once. The second kitchen opens directly onto an open patio and dining area, allowing guests to wander between kitchen and other areas. The cook doesn’t feel isolated while the party is going on.

And what if you seldom entertain? Enjoy the compact convenience of a smaller galley kitchen with a small footprint, as below.  Small can often be more comfortable and convenient than large, but not if you love entertaining.

2. How much value does a change bring, versus the cost of making the change?

Some changes may cost a lot, but you think they’re worth it— the extra large farmhouse sink, above, is not only beautiful to look at, but it’s perfect for cleaning the goose you like to prepare each Christmas. Is it worth it for that one-time big event? You decide.  Ask yourself if the change will really improve your everyday life. Will the change improve a problem that bugs you every time you use your kitchen? Then make it! Finally, and lastly, will it improve the value of your home? If you’re only so-so about the need for a change and you think it’s too personal to appeal to too many potential buyers, then your decision is clear — better off saving your money for something else!

One good way to figure out how much to spend on a given project is to prioritize your desires by analyzing the frequency and duration of the cooking tasks you must perform. Tasks you do frequently or spend more time on should get more weight than those you seldom do, or don’t mind doing. If you use, for instance, your cooktop 80 percent of the time and your oven only 20 percent, prioritize a great cooktop over a wall oven. Below, a splurge to remove the upper cabinets on one side of the kitchen and to build a storage cabinet in one corner, lends the kitchen a feeling of spaciousness and makes shelves easier to reach. It was worth it to the homeowner.

3. Is it functional or aesthetic? And which is more important to you?

Aesthetics refers to high-end finishes, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances, custom tile backsplashes. These things are beautiful but not necessary to make your kitchen function well. Function refers to layout, among other things. Do refrigerator and kitchen doors open easily, or do they block doors? Is there enough space to allow two people to attend to kitchen tasks at the same time? Some people may decide to put their money into aesthetics, particularly if they seldom use the kitchen, so it’s more about look than functionality. In many cases, these homeowners may choose countertops that are beautiful but easily damaged, and it’s no problem. Those who love cooking, however, may never cede on functionality. They are the types who may spend lots of money to change the plumbing to allow for two sinks, but don’t care about extra fancy stainless steel appliances. It’s a change that means a lot to them, but that remains virtually unseen. So it all boils down to, what’s your priority?