They say a car starts to lose its value the moment you drive it off the lot. Thankfully, your house is entirely different. Now that the housing market has recovered, your home should be increasing in value a little bit each year.
The key word there is “should.” If you do not take good care of your place, it can start to lose value as amenities and structures begin to age. Regular maintenance like cleaning can help a lot, but so can the right home improvement project. Read on to learn more about what remodeling you can do, including which project to pick.
What Improvement To Pick?
Making changes to your home can add value and help your family enjoy their home — if you pick the right one, of course. Adding a mudroom might sound trendy, but few people use it. More importantly, it doesn’t add much value to your house.
Then what does? HGTV explains there are two rooms where you should focus your home improvement efforts: kitchens and bathrooms. These rooms are always used by your family, and some improvements here can give you a real return on your investment. Specific remodels that add value include natural wood and stone flooring, walk-in showers, and modern appliances.
Other improvements to these rooms include replacing old knobs and door fixtures, installing a new shower head, and resurfacing cabinets or countertops. And don’t forget that a fresh coat of paint can really help both rooms look modern and warm.
Leave These To Pros
As you look at your kitchen and bathroom, your mind will probably wander to larger projects. That’s fine, but you have to be careful. As the Huffington Post explains, there are some home improvement tasks that are better off left to the professionals. That’s because the tasks are either too dangerous or require so many expensive tools that you won’t save any money doing it yourself.
For example, removing a tree (one that’s dead or just in the way) could turn disastrous if you don’t know what you are doing. Adding a new room (or expanding a kitchen or bathroom) takes too many skills for a DIY project. And while you could pave your own driveway with stones, it would take forever for you to finish.
Great DIY Ideas
Of course, there’s a lot more to home improvement than kitchens, bathrooms, and gutters. BobVila.com lists several easy DIY improvements you can get started this weekend. Find a boring room and jazz it up with some colorful paint. Since so much in your home uses power, spend some time adding surge protectors and organizing your power cords. Power wash your pathways and patio. And to trap more air conditioning in your home, make sure your windows and exterior doors have weatherstripping.
If you’re still unsure what to do, spend some time thinking about your home improvement skills. Are you good with pipes and a wrench? Consider installing new faucets. Love to paint? Reglaze your bathroom tub. And if your skills leave something to be desired, contact your local hardware store and see if they offer free clinics and classes.
Improve Your Home
To make sure your house holds its value — or even to increase it — you need to do the right home improvement project. Leave the dangerous jobs to professionals. Then go through your skillset and focus your attention on the kitchen and bathroom. Besides adding some value, these jobs can help you appreciate your home that much more.