How should I spend my home-improvement budget? – It seems now days everyone has an interest in home improvement, just flip through cable TV channels and you will probably find a home improvement show to watch. It is not hard to understand why home owners are interested in home improvement, the right improvements can increase a homes value tremendously and give the home more enjoyability to the home owners. The question that always seems to pop up is “how do i spend my home improvement budget?”
The average American will move every 4-6 years so always take resale value and home appeal into account when planning any home improvement project. People all have varying tastes so avoid doing anything to extreme that may hurt resale value and is to difficult to undo, but it is your home so express yourself just keep it within reason.
No matter where you live a kitchen or bathroom remodel will add the most value and appeal to your home. These are expensive projects to undertake and many bathroom and kitchen remodels will cost over $10,000. Although small cosmetic improvements like faucet upgrades and new cabinet hardware can increase the appeal of a kitchen and bathroom for little money.
New flooring is also a nice home improvement that adds value, however new carpet will not add as much as value and appeal as adding hardwood floors will. Many of todays laminate hardwood floors can be installed DIY by the homeowner relatively easily. If you are unsure how to install hardwood flooring check with your local home improvement store, many offer classes on hardwood floor installation.
Not all home improvement projects have to be expensive or large to make a difference. Some smaller projects can include improving or adding landscaping, interior and exterior painting, resealing a driveway and upgrading lighting fixtures. These are small projects that can be done in a weekend or a few hours. These home improvements all will add curb appeal and increase the value of your home at the same time.
The things you will want to avoid are adding items that require maintenance and ongoing expense such as hot tubs, saunas and swimming pools. While one of these items may appeal to you they may not appeal to a large percentage of buyers and will not increase your homes value by much, in fact they may cause your home to sit on the market longer if you ever decide to sell A swimming pool is a good example of a negative home improvement , swimming pools require additional homeowners insurance due to liability for injury/death, they are expensive and complicated to maintain and can be dangerous to small children and some pets.
With the proper planning and research spending your home improvement budget correctly is an easy task to accomplish. By using the Internet, television shows and your local home improvement stores as references and you are almost guaranteed to choose the right improvement for your home.
By: Darin Sewell
Posts Tagged ‘New Carpet’
How Should I Spend My Home Improvement Budget
January 10th, 2010Add Value to Your Home Without Spending a Fortune – Affordable Home Improvement Ideas
December 8th, 2009
They always say that investing in your home is an excellent way to add value. However, with the way it is in this economy you may be asking yourself is it really smart to make a large investment my home? Quality improvements can cost an arm and a leg sometimes. So maybe the question should be how can I maximize the value of my home while minimizing the costs? Where there is a will, there is a way. Here are some home improvement ideas that will keep your costs at a minimum, and your home’s value at its max.
Give the interior of your home a complete face lift.
• It will only cost you less than $1500 to get back that crisp, modern look by painting all the walls and rooms of your home with a fresh coat of paint. Experts say that the price of paint is usually added to your initial asking price upon selling. Along with the new paint job you may want to minimize the clutter take down old family pictures, put them in albums, and simplify your space. If it is something of interest or need, a brand new carpet in the living room and bedrooms will definitely improve the look and feel of your home. If that is not within budget confines, simply get on your hands and knees and clean them all or hire a cleaner.
Give the outdoors and your yard some attention.
• Making the exterior of your home attractive can definitely be inexpensive. Paint your trim a fresh coat of color and take care of little things such as straightening out the bird feeder and whacking at some weeds. Be sure that your front door looks are in good working condition and that your home’s exterior lights and mail box are in good repair as well. Repairing these items will not cost a lot at all, and just the outdoors alone contribute to about 15% of your home’s value. You may purchase smaller accents or simply plant a garden for additional aesthetic appeal.
Refurbish your bathrooms.
• You can literally spend thousands of dollars to upgrading an old bathroom. But if you are thinking about selling, your options may be less limiting. A fresh coat of paint on the wall, along with a brand new toilet and sink may be all you need. You might consider a beautiful vanity along the walls and of course some brand new towels to showcase the bathroom’s attractiveness. This can all be done for around $1000. As you know this is a small investment will help of your adamant asking price.
Impress with your kept kitchen.
• Kitchens are often considered to be the heart of a home. Buyers really want to be impressed with a nice looking, beautifully kept kitchen. Again there is no need to spend a whopping $20,000 for remodeling. If your cabinet doors are worn, you simply replace the doors and bypass installing completely new cabinets. You can quickly modernize your kitchen this way with a fresh new coat of paint. Counter tops are sometimes made of granite or quartz in newly modeled kitchens. However, there are relatively inexpensive stones that look like laminates available in all corners of the world. They are commonly purchased and provide modern kitchens with an almost identical, solid appearance.
• Having a professional install a new laminate or linoleum floor may be one worthwhile expenditure. If you cannot afford that you could always install the peel and stick vinyl tiles on y our own which will only cost you a hundred dollars.
By: Autumn L Rose