DIY ~
If you are looking to add value to your home there are many DIY projects which you can undertake that are quick and easy but, more importantly, cost-effective.
Simple DIY Projects That Increase Home Value
One of the most important things to keep in mind when doing any DIY work to add value to your house is who you are doing it for. Maybe you want to add value to your house, but you’re not planning on selling the house. In this case you’re free to add whatever style and look you want to your home. If you’re undertaking DIY jobs to improve the chances of selling your home, you need to think about the buyer, rather than what you want. You may love floral patterns, but not every buyer will. If in doubt, keep it as simple as possible.
Also, remember that your initial investment needs to make a good return. If the project is going to cost more than the value it will add to your home, then you need to either think of a cheaper option or check if the job is really worth doing.
With that in mind, below are some of the best DIY projects real estate professionals recommend to their clients:
Cleaning and de-cluttering
This is one of the best things you can do to add value to your home. It’s also extremely cheap to clean and de-clutter your home, so the return on investment should be relatively high.
Tasks Involved: Wash and clean both the interior and exterior of your house; remove personal items that overpower any rooms; tidy furniture; clean carpets; freshen air; polish woodwork and mirrors.
Estimated costs involved: £50 – £300
Potential return on investment: 300% to 400%
Brighten up your home
If a potential buyer walks into your home and windows are not letting in any light, it can put them off instantly. Lack of light makes a property seem dreary and, more importantly, it makes the space feel cramped and claustrophobic.
Tasks Involved: Clean windows and skylights; replace or remove any old curtains; repair broken light fixtures; fix any windows that don’t open properly; remove any obstacles that block the light coming into the home.
Estimated cost: Free – £250
Potential return on investment: 250%
Landscaping
You may have put a lot of effort into making sure you home is presentable from the inside, but what about the garden? A messy garden at the front of your property worries many buyers as it makes them wonder what potential problems there could be inside the house. The best plan is to keep the gardens as tidy as possible, but also simple. Try to keep them as neutral as possible as well, and use flowers that aren’t too overpowering.
Tasks involved: Mow the lawn; remove all leaves, branches, and debris; add planters and hanging plants; remove weeds and cut any dead plants; power-wash any dirty paths.
Estimated cost: £300 – £400
Potential return on investment: 150% – 200%
Fix any electrical or plumbing issues
Having a property where lights don’t work and leaks are common-place is a real turn off for potential buyers. If you’re showing buyers around your home, everything should work. This is a very important DIY project to undertake, so you should ensure that you call in a trained technician if you’re unsure of what you’re doing.
Tasks involved (Plumbing): Repairs all leaks (especially under sinks); check all toilets are working properly; remove any mildew stains.
(Electrical): Replace any old plugs with new fixtures; fix any loose wires; update any old wiring; check the door bell is working correctly.
Estimated cost: £400 – £500
Potential return on investment: 250%
Fix roof and ceiling damages
Roofs may look sturdy on the outside, but they are more likely to be the culprit for property devaluation. Make sure that roof repair is one of your priorities. Let the professionals repair the heavy damages like complete retiling, or roof replacement. If, however, your fixer-upper is simply a few leaks and a few loose roof shingles, you can simply repair them using existing tools at home.
Tasks Involved: Repair any leaks and replace loose roof tiles or shingles using waterproof sealants and roofing cement.
Estimated Cost: 10-50 pounds, depending on the amount of damage
Potential Return on Investment: 300-400%
All these jobs are simple DIY jobs which have the ability to add a great deal of value to your home. If you are planning on selling your home, it’s all about making it presentable to buyers. Potential buyers often want to move straight in, so any issues with the house could put buyers off and stop you from selling your home.
Michael Truby is a freelance writer and DIY enthusiast based in Oxford, writing on behalf of MORE TH>N home insurance. These are his own thoughts and do not represent the views of MORE TH>N.
Image credit:
Pretty house by slack12 on Flickr.
My favorite is the decluttering! That costs me no money and ends up making my whole life better!
I completely agree, clean house, clean mind!
Those are all good tips. Hopefully a home is kept up as needed so you aren’t stuck trying to get all that done.
Those are great tips! I think making sure the electrical and plumbing at up to date is the most important thing. It seems like such a daunting task to potential buyers. It would definitely turn me off to a house if it wasn’t up to date or had issues.
Me too. I wouldn’t buying a house with issues that I could take care of that were fairly inexpensive, but when it comes to things that I know nothing about and have no idea what they cost, I lose interest real fast.
This is good, solid advice. I’m not selling my home, but I’m cleaning and decluttering right now for the Spring. It’s good, cheap fun. Ha!
Christina, I agree with it being fun. Especially if you get the whole family involved!
Good tips and very important! Watch a house hunting/buying show and you will see how potential buyers are turned off by overgrown lawns, dirty showers and spaces, and weird paint colors. Making a few relatively simple changes can really add to your house whether you are selling or just making a nice home for you.
You are right. Poor curb appeal and nasty showers definitely turn me off really fast. I like painting, so the poor paint wouldn’t drive me off, but it does drive off many.
I’m not selling my home right now but I’m going to remember these tips so when I do sell I can use them. Great ideas!
I am not a home owner, but these are some very good ideas. I LOVE how that tree looks all lit up with white lights!!
This is our last year of house payments. Yeah! We bought an older home so now we have to re-roof, insulate and I don’t know what else. It will all add value. If I had to do it again, I would’ve stayed in an apartment!
Oh no! I hate that you have to do all those repairs. Owning a home can be super stressful at times. That’s for sure.
Very helpful, I really need to do two of these which are brightening up the home and landscaping. I’ve been thinking a lot about landscaping lately and I think it’s something I would have fun with but I just don’t know where or how to start!
I think I would start by looking around some home improvement places and nurseries to get an idea of what you like first. That is what we did a few years ago when we bought our home. Now we have several trees planted, monkey grass, shrubbery, hosta and all kinds of other stuff planted. Also, if you plant something and then don’t like it there, you can move most anything. We have done that a few times now. It really doesn’t have to be a big deal or too difficult. Just start simple. 🙂
Thanks for the info and responding!
No prob!
A-place-for-everything-and- everything-in-its-place concept of organization is easy to maintain. Once you take in new items in the home, you must be ready to giveaway/sell the other items.