Easy Upgrades to Increase Home Value

When selling your home you probably quickly realized that the real estate market is cold and matter-of-fact. To you, the chipped corners and stains are fond family memories you have loved. Turns out, these footprints aren’t great for increasing the value of your home and are more likely lowering how much you can list for. Yikes.

You also might not even be selling your home, but you are definitely (probably) looking for ideas for renovating your home for future appraisal and are wondering just how much home improvements increase value.

LoadUp has partnered with many real estate agents, commercial property groups, and organizations to clear out the clutter from homes, boost home value, and improve the quality of their listings and home renovation projects. So, we know a thing or two when it comes to refreshing and maximizing space to get the most bang for your buck.

Let’s get ready for that appraisal and learn how to increase home value through both exterior and interior renovations that increase the value of your home.

Why Prepare Your Home for Appraisal

When you’re selling, an appraiser may come by to evaluate how much your home is worth. The square footage, quality, condition, and key features influence the value of your home during an appraisal. When considering renovations, it’s very smart to research which house improvements increase the value of your home the best.

Exterior Home Renovations that Add Value

Everyone knows the importance of first impressions, so don’t overlook the appearance of your front yard. Take a look at it in the morning, afternoon, and night. You will discover that the change of time of day can illuminate various aspects of your yard that need a little TLC.

The same thing goes for the backyard! Although your mindset should be slightly different because when looking at the backyard, you’ll get more bang for your real estate with more practical improvements rather than just cosmetic ones.

The more features that are actually bits and pieces of entertainment will not only increase home value but leave a lasting impression on potential buyers.

The most obvious, yet impactful way to improve your home’s curb appeal is to start by improving your landscape. It’s important to not go too crazy here because buyers don’t want a high-maintenance home. If the yard is just way beyond an average person’s knowledge of gardening, buyers are going to be turned off.

So keep it simple by embracing symmetry and brighter colors. You can start by adding a few fresh shrubs and flowers that accentuate the aesthetic aspects of your home.

You don’t even have to get crazy with the planting if you don’t have a green thumb. Planters and window boxes are always a welcome addition.

To improve the overall look of your entry, creating some front porch seating or even simply adding plants immediately does this. If you’re on a tight budget, we’re confident you can find furniture pieces at a thrift store. They might need a few touch-ups but there are so many easy flip-this-thrift type videos you can follow. Many also detail their costs so you can see how you can flip a chair for $30 and effortlessly reinvent it to look like one you’d find at a store for $150.

Also, If your front porch is too small for a standing planter and seating, you can hang plants from the ceiling or on a wall ladder.

You can additionally paint the door and eye-catching shade of blue or even brown if neutrals are more your jam. Believe it or not, even brown can also standout. This is an easy renovation so don’t be scared! The right contrast can do your front entryway a world of good.

One budget-friendly idea to increase the value of your front entryway is simply reframing your front door. This can work wonders and can be done for very little money. If you don’t have the tools, you can always rent them from Home Depot and similar retail stores. This is another one of those DIY projects that can be done for very little but makes a giant difference.

Having broken, worn down, or faded siding can lower your home’s value and turn buyers away! Which is obviously not what we want. While sure, this project isn’t as simple as nursing a few plants to life in your yard, you will find that it comes with its rewards.

Re-siding your home not only increases its value but also gives you the chance to make it a more energy-efficient home, saving you money when it’s time to pay the electric and/or gas bill. It’s profoundly appealing for homebuyers to know they are moving into an already energy-saving home and they won’t have to worry about the exterior for up to twenty-five years.

Now, when comparing siding materials, consider these three things:

• Efficiency – How well does it keep the house insulated? How hot or cold is it where you live and how well does the siding keep the house cool or hot?
• Longevity – How long does the material typically last, and does it need steady treatment or will an occasional coat of paint be all it needs?
• Damage – Does it dent or scratch? Do you live close to the beach and therefore need to consider the corrosiveness of salty air?

It’s important to consider all three aspects and deciding on one that overall fits your needs best. Selecting the best material for where you live can really cut down your electric bills.

🔍 HELPFUL HINT: Stucco is popular in the Southwest region as it is really efficient at keeping cool air in the house and hot air out even when the sweltering sun is beating down on it.

Speaking of being energy-efficient….If you’re looking to increase home value for appraisal, consider investing in solar panels.

The real estate benefits of solar energy vary from installation to installation but installing 5kW of solar panels can increase the value of a medium-sized home an average of $29,555. The upfront costs can be a little daunting, so make sure you shop around and research all of your options before choosing which company to use for the installation.

Deck remodeling to increase home value

Here are a few steps you should go through to ensure your deck is not only beautiful but safe.

• Make any repairs on the deck and do not forget to inspect the deck-to-house connection
• If your wood deck has begun to rot, you will have major fix-ups.
• If there isn’t any rot but you see a few loose boards and uneven sections, take care of those repairs first. Nobody likes getting a mean splinter stuck in their foot or hand.
• Clean the deck and get rid of old paint off the deck. You can remove paint with sanding.
• Finally, apply the stain of your choice.

And voila! You have a new fresh deck that no longer turns buyers away.

If you love sitting outside but hate the bugs or the paranoia of a peeping tom or sally, you’re going to love having porch drapes. Not only do they offer privacy, but they add a lovely pop of color to an otherwise lackluster space.

As we said, the backyard is about being both practical and aesthetically pleasing and porch drapes do this best. Also, you can absolutely put porch drapes in front of your house if you have space for it.

Maybe you already have all of the things we’ve suggested. Do you feel like the old furniture lying around have been loved a little too much and are ready to go?

Your outdoor area can look smaller, boring and useless with tattered furniture taking up space. If it’s overcrowded, buyers cannot get an accurate scope of how much expanse is actually there. It’s probably time for a good old decluttering.

For yard or storage cleanouts, it’s easiest to call an eco-friendly junk removal company like LoadUp to quickly take away any unnecessary, bulky items and responsibly dispose of them. We’re talking about the rusted playground equipment, old basketball goal, or broken down lawnmower taking up the beautiful expanse that your yard really is.

It’s time-consuming and strenuous getting all of the old things out, so be prepared if you choose to try and recycle the items yourself.

Interior Home Renovations that Add Value

Once the exterior looks good, you need to focus on the kitchen and bathrooms. This goes for pretty much all things home improvement, but depending on how big of a DIY-er you are, the average cost of any project can vary.

We encourage you to get your hands dirty! You will be surprised by how much you can do and the money you can save, and even gather some newfound pride on the way!

If you are still wondering do home improvements increase value, the answer is yes!

The good news is you don’t have to get crazy and get all the heated tile and towel racks. It’s been shown that on average a mid-grade bathroom remodeling (as in new fixtures and average flooring) gets more return than a luxurious bathroom renovation does. The same is true for kitchens!

The bad news is that this will likely be where a lot of your renovation costs come from, but every time you spend a chunk of change you have to remind yourself that these improvements are proven to increase the overall value of the home.

You should invest in energy-efficient appliances that don’t only save you money on the bills but also look nice. Stainless steel appliances are very popular and help sell homes fast, but feel free to find other appliances that are more your speed.

You can take pretty much any skill you learn from renovating the kitchen and bathroom to any other room in the house. For example, you probably updated the knobs on the bathroom doors and drawers in the kitchen, you should also do that to the living room and bedrooms to increase your home’s overall attractiveness and give off “brand new” vibes everywhere.

Wood floors are one of the best home improvements you can make. They’re long-lasting, easy to clean, and well-loved in the real estate world. Hardwoods increase your home’s value and get you the best return on investment in comparison to other flooring options like tile, carpet, stone, or even marble flooring.

However! When deciding on what the best flooring to increase your home value is, you need to take into account the climate of where you live.

Hardwoods are great for most areas but they do not get along well with moisture. If you live in an area with high humidity, you should consider alternatives to wood such as high-pressure laminate, luxury vinyl, tile, or even engineered hardwood.

If you’re asking yourself “Does removing popcorn ceiling increase home value,” the answer is most likely yes.

Here’s the deal, if you have a mid-size home that’s in the $200,000 range, you may not need to remove the popcorn ceiling (unless it’s really, really bad). Houses in that range are in high demand with or without popcorn ceilings.

However, the more expensive and the larger the home, the more likely a buyer is able to walk away from an expensive home with a popcorn ceiling and instead purchase a more updated home, although likely a bit smaller, for the same price.

Whether you have a mid-size home or not, removing popcorn ceilings not only increases home value but you typically get all the money back. Some people shy away from removing popcorn ceiling DIY projects because of the mess it can make.

But what renovation project doesn’t make a mess? Seriously, no one has ever made or improved anything cool and not made a mess. The good news is you can always call LoadUp to remove and dispose of construction debris in an environmentally friendly way.

According to a lot of old movies, we are currently very much in the years of the future. Do we have robot butlers? No, but our phones have assistants and apps that can order us meals, goods, groceries and even liquor straight to our door! Do we have smart homes? Sort of yes, but yes mostly!

You can get smart doorbells, light bulbs, home assistants, thermostats, speakers, and more. All of these products work as a hive, and you are the reigning queen bee!

Now, to make a smart home you don’t need to spend a fortune to get your foot in the smart home door. Start with the basics and build from there.

• Good Wi-Fi that reaches all areas of your home is a plus for many prospective buyers.
• Smart lighting is surprisingly easy but is a pretty inexpensive way to increase value as all it takes are special light bulbs that work with Wi-Fi.
• Smart thermostats can make your home more energy-efficient which we know adds value to your home.

Increasing square footage is a definite way to boost home value. This can be done through home additions or finishing attics, garages and basements.

If you have an unfinished basement or attic you can just do a portion of it if it is too large of a project right now. Even just one room can increase the value, although obviously not as much if the whole basement or attic was done.

The cool thing about partially done areas is that it’s just enough done that a new homeowner can enjoy the completed aspect, but also gets the chance to make this home theirs.

But, if your basement has windows, you should absolutely finish it. These windowed basements are highly sought after because they don’t feel cut out from the world.

Having an unfinished basement with windows is like keeping a beautiful luxury car that doesn’t run but it holds promise that it will… one day run again.

The day is now! Get started and get you that man cave, gaming lair, wine cellar, theater room, home gym, whatever it may be!

One of the best house improvements you can make is simply painting the walls.

Painting the interior of your home pretty much as cost-effective as it gets. It can result in a 107% return on investment, which means you will get back more money than it took to complete the project. It’s a simple no-brainer! Painting your home’s walls will increase the value of your home and leave a fresh impression on buyers.

Neutrals are an easy win because it makes buyers comfortable and able to imagine themselves living there when the paint color goes with everything. Versatile colors like beiges, golds, tans, and grays allow people to move right into this home and not have to spend any time or money repainting.

When potential buyers walk through a home, a popular evaluation is: Where can I put my things? Improving a home’s functional space can be just as valuable as improving its aesthetics. Focus on building shelving or places to hang things from.

The garage is easily one of the most cluttered areas of the home so when prospective buyers see a well-organized one, especially one that can still fit vehicles in it, that automatically leaves a lasting impression. If you invest in your garage, you can easily raise the value of the home.

However, think about all your storage spaces and not just garages, storage units, or basements, but also the closets for clothes and linens!

🧐 Not sure where to start or how to organize your garage like a pro? Check out this great guide!

If you need help with decluttering, LoadUp is in your local area and can come help haul your junk with a simple call or by booking online.

How to Get Rid of Construction/Remodeling Debris

Never shy away from a remodeling project because of the mess it’ll make or the “problem” of construction debris removal. Nothing beautiful was ever created without a hodgepodge of discarded construction materials. And it’s not like there aren’t easy ways to manage remodeling debris.

A few ways of getting rid of leftover construction materials are by recycling, renting a dumpster, hiring a junk removal company, or hauling it yourself and dropping it off at your local disposal events/facilities. If you take it all yourself, make sure you check with your local disposal facility that they take the materials.

Our Real Estate Junk Removal Services

Give yourself the chance to focus on remodeling and designing your home and hire a junk removal company to take your debris away. LoadUp offers a dependable, environmentally friendly way to dispose of your discarded remodeling debris.

By scheduling a cleanout service for a date that works with your remodeling schedule, everyone will remain safe and productive during your real estate remodeling project. This means you’ll hit your deadline on time and with no leftover construction debris!

Related articles from the Trash Talk Blog:

• How to Build an Eco-Friendly House
• Pros and Cons of Tiny House Living
• Get Your Home Ready for Fall 2020
• 10 Tips to Winterizing Your Home