Every homeowner wants their home to be worth more, whether you plan on selling soon or sticking around for a long while. Whatever your homeowner status, you have the ability to put in a little elbow grease for a do-it-yourself project that raises your home value. Many DIY projects are under $100, but make your home more comfortable, desirable, and valuable. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Upgrade a fixture
One of the best places to look to start your DIY projects is your existing fixtures. Plumbing and light fixtures get dated faster than most home features, but lucky for us they are often affordable and relatively simple to upgrade on your own.
For plumbing upgrades, you usually just need a few wrenches or pliers, and some sealant. Electrical upgrades are also easier than you might think. I’m no Bob Villa, but I’ve changed toilets, installed a ceiling fan, and took care of other projects around the house myself. Just make sure you turn the power off before you get started to avoid a dangerous zap!
Install an appliance
Installed appliances usually stay with the home after a sale, so any upgrade here will also upgrade the home. A fridge, stove, microwave, or other built-in appliance can boost the value of one of your most valuable rooms to begin with: the kitchen.
Kitchen upgrades often top the list for a return on investment when upgrading your home. Appliances can be expensive, but also remember that you use many of the multiple times every single day. Even if you never leave your home, a new appliance in the kitchen likely improves your quality of life. That’s a win even if you don’t turn a profit.
Add new storage
Your garage, attic, and outdoor spaces are excellent for storage. Don’t waste your hard earned money paying for a storage unit every month. Instead, make a one-time investment in storage upgrades at home. If it saves you from renting storage space, it will pay off before your know it.
Inexpensive storage comes in the form of metal and plastic shelving, which is great for indoor spaces like a garage or unfinished basement. You can also get storage cabinets, which line up well along a garage or outdoor wall. For a the luxury version, you can build in shelving or even an overhead storage area in a garage with a high ceiling.
Fresh paint
It only takes time and a paintbrush to give any room or even an entire home a new look. Painters tape, paint, brushes, and rollers are all relatively inexpensive considering the outcome. These photos show the stunning results of a fresh paint job.
Painting is one of the easiest DIY projects you can do at home. Be creative, but remember that if you plan to sell your home in the foreseeable future, you should stick with colors that are trendy now and widely enjoyed. Nothing too exciting or splashy, or you may scare off potential buyers.
Upgrade your entry
Your home’s entry is the gateway every visitor passes through. Shouldn’t it show off the best of what your home has to offer? A little paint, some new trim, or even a new door can do wonders to enhance the entry to your humble, or not so humble, abode. A new door can increase curb appeal at the same time it improves energy efficiency.
Most front doors cost around $1,000 to $3,000, though there are some cheaper options and some much more expensive options available. A high-end door installation can cost as much as $20,000, so be careful or your costs can spiral out of control.
Outdoor lighting
On a trip to Israel, then President Bill Clinton told the Israeli Prime Minister that the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem are beautiful, but hard to see at night. Shortly after, Israel added upward facing lighting on the outside of the Old City to show off its splendor.
You can do the same at your home. Lighting for your home and landscaping can make your home pop, and ads a lot of curb appeal with little cost. Just keep in mind that this curb appeal only happens at night.
Make a paver path or patio
Pavers, those nice looking bricks used for paths and patios, are a beautiful upgrade to any outdoor space. Even better, unlike large concrete jobs, you can add pavers as a DIY project!
Adding pavers requires clearing a level space, adding a sand layer to keep the bricks level and at the right heights, and then adding the pavers one-by-one in whatever pattern you choose to fill the space. You may have to get a few pavers cut for the edges, but otherwise it is like doing a Lego project, but in real life that you will actually walk on.
Bathroom refresh
After the kitchen, the next best place to invest in your home for ROI is the bathroom. And, like a kitchen, bathroom fixtures are often the fastest to become dates. Rather than keep that old, ugly bathroom the way it is, you can do some upgrades for a great result.
Combine some of the DIY projects listed above for a full bathroom remodel. Upgrade the faucets, toilet, paint, and shower or bath tile to give the room a whole new look.
Questions? Ask an agent.
Not sure if your upgrade will pay off? No one knows better than an experienced real estate agent. Having a good relationship with a local agent is a great way to ensure you have someone to call when it’s time to buy or sell. Don’t know who to call? Start your search for the perfect agent at AgentHarvest.
If you are buying or selling a house and are looking to hire a successful real estate agent to help you through the process, take a look at AgentHarvest's list of top-ranking local Realtors in your area. We found these agents by examining their sales track records, awards, rankings, client testimonials and by conducting personal interviews.