In the world of real estate; improvements on homes are a very common practice. Every now and then reapplying or changing the walls; adding in a new feature or improving/updating the pipelines or electric systems of a house are quite normal. All of these improvements are being made to invoke a new light into the house and enhance its appeal or functionality.
Improvements are as common for homes that are being lived as for people who are seasoned investors in the real estate market. It is a well known and well proved strategy to buy a property being sold at a low cost and then make good improvements and touchups to it in order to enhance its value and appeal on the market. These improvements are far more than an aesthetic upgrade; they can serve as a great business model to reap maximum returns on investment.
So following are a compilation of what ideas and checkmarks you can apply to all the nooks and crannies of a house, all which are an opportunity for improvement that leads to enhanced value.
Exterior of a house:
The external boundaries of the house are going to be the first impression on any passerby. In case you want the property to be appreciated and catch the eyes of investors or simply make your own residence shine from the neighbors, it will be significantly impactful to renovate the external features of a house. This will not only liven up the property but it indirectly helps beatify and appreciate the community’s overall aesthetic appeal.
For the outer most area of a house are the gate and the fencing. Mostly made of metal with painted coats; they are subject to harsh conditions of weather; may it be rainfalls, the harsh sunshine or dust storms. Small chips, scratches and chipping of paint is all too common. Many metal based gates are rusted over time which greatly reduces their appeal. The weather can wither away wooden gates much faster. Fencing itself goes through the same withering and deterioration that gates go through. Furthermore chances are that some strong winds or an animal might have knocked off the fencing. Gates and fencing are the entry way and boundaries of a property; if these are not improved you take away the first chance of giving a good impression of your property.
Try to replace the gates and fencings if they are too worn down to be reworked on. In other cases coat the metal gates with special paints that present rust and are resistant to weathers. The color choice should also compliment the overall aesthetic of the property. For fencing that is chipped or torn down; you can usually do a partial replacement of the wooden fencing or install/replace new units for metal ones.
Moving onwards from the entry of the house the garden and pavement is the next thing a person notices. It might be too much work for a person to go out of their way and do heavy work on the gardening; but good news is there is always someone to be hired for the job. Overgrown grass and weeds give an un-kept and messy look. Moreover chipped or dirty pavements leave an undesirable impression on people who walk into the property.
Try to find a gardener for when the house is being put up for visitors so that the grass can be mowed down evenly and the extra weeds can be removed. Moreover you should take advantage of the flower beds and plant visually pleasing greenery to give a homier feel to the property. For homes being lived in; will have to repeat the process over every few weeks; this investment might seem unnecessary but it is totally worth the money for how much beauty it adds to the house.
The exterior walls are also going to leave a strong impression on any visitors to the property. Similar to the gates; they are subject to withering. The paint can dry ad flake off, some storm or the weather right chip the paint and the color might dull. If you are looking to renovate your house or put it up for sale; it is a great idea to try some weather resistant paints that compliment the house’s architecture and feel to enhance its appeal for your own betterment.
Interior of a property:
Now let us move in towards the house. One of the first things we will notice is the doors. Doors can get loud and creaky over time, to try to oil the hinges. Due to natural wear and tear and handles or locking mechanisms might not work property or get clunky so fix or replace them accordingly. Moreover you can also replace the doors altogether to a better design that fits the overall house’s theme altogether.
Of course interior design is a complex field of its own and sometimes depending on personal abilities of a person they may or may not have a sense of style or the desire to make such choices for the overall renovation of a house; so feel free to consult an interior designer for a better result.
Speaking more of the interior; the walls are once again the most vulnerable subject to take care off. Whether you nudge the paint or chip the whitewash coat while moving furniture or have young kids that love to draw on walls; all lived in homes will have messes on their walls. It is best to repaint them and fill out any drilling and nail holes from the previous residents or of your own doing. These might seem like small and tedious things to look towards however the impact of seeing perfectly clean and shining walls upon entering the house during a visit is quite impactful to appreciate its value.
Other than the brick lined walls; the tiles may also need reworking. The tiles of a house getting chipped or cracked is quite common; they might need thorough cleaning or polishing from professional services, especially the rusted or lime scaled tiles in washrooms of houses.
The cupboards; usually made of wood might be withered due to weather conditions or frequent use; try to replace their handles or get the locking mechanisms fixed. The metal taps found in kitchens and washrooms could also get rusted or lime scale onto them; it would be more convenient to try and clean them out at first; however if not possible; it never hurts to replace them altogether.
One also has to see the functionality of the house; all due to natural wear and tear; the electricity circuits and outlets might have malfunctioned, the water pipelines or showers might be filled with rust, the gas outlets which came pre installed might not be ideally working. Some bulbs might have dimmed and some fans might have given up their pace; improving such aspects of a house truly makes the renovation shine. If you are living in the house you will certainly feel the change. If you putting the house for sale; it is common practice for visitors to check around the outlets and systems to see if the external aesthetic covers up the dysfunction of a property. Also it is the most honest thing for you to do to tell them about any faults beforehand.
As we stated above; the field of interior design is vast; whether you are living in the renovated house or hosting open house tours it would be key to take a professional’s advice. However if your pocket doesn’t allow for the extra budget try to make the house look and feel more spacious by moving the clutter to a store room or selling the unused things in your house. You can also make great use of the natural lighting y setting the rooms in such a manner that they get maximum benefit from it. Indoor plants and trendy décor also ads to the appeal of a house, so try it out yourself.
Beware! Do not settle for cheap alternatives:
Setting for cheap alternatives and fixes around the house is going to end up costing you your money and your reputation. Making quick fixes that come cheap might patch up the glaring flaws of a house and you might think you are good to go however as these subpar fixes wear out; you will have to pay again to bring the shine back. For a real estate businessperson; once the act of making cheap fixes to hide the inner flaws of property eventually comes to surface; people wouldn’t want to associate or deal with you any longer. Honesty is one of the greatest asset for a businessman; so do not let go off it due to trick people into paying extra.
We hope that this article was informative for you!
