Home Improvement: 7 Ways to Make Your Home Profitable

Entry #235, August 5, 2010

Are you considering on upgrading your home?  What parts of your home should you put more money into, and what areas should you focus on if you plan to sell your home? These questions are common when deciding to take on a home improvement job.  Consider your budget, and if you are going to do it yourself or hire a contractor.  Either way you need some guidance on what areas are worth it, right?

See what rooms will make your home more profitable

Do It Yourself.com has an article about finding the seven best home improvement areas to get a return on your investment! Check out the list here:

1.)Kitchen Remodel

Updating your kitchen’s look may come in various ways. You can choose to remodel the whole kitchen or fix one aspect of it; e.g. lighting, tiles or cabinetry. If a prospective buyer likes your kitchen, there’s huge possibility that the buyer will also look more favorably on the entire house. Almost all real estate agents agree that the status of your kitchen is a significant factor when selling your house.

One good example is getting a new kitchen counter top. For a little below $300, you can buy new kitchen counter tops; counter top laminates now come in a wide variety of colors and are stain resistant. You can easily install it yourself; the trickiest part is cutting the hole for the sink. Tile and granite counter tops will give your kitchen an elegant look that will not depreciate for years to come.

Kitchen renovation is at the top of the list!

2.) Tile Floors

Changing your tile floors is another investment that will boost your home’s value. Houses with beautiful and durable tile floors will give would-be buyers the impression of quality. To get the best value from your new tiles, make sure that they are installed correctly; e.g. the tiles have been laid evenly and securely.

3.) Replacement Windows

Installing new windows will also increase you house’s resale value. About half of central heating is lost through doors and windows so buyers typically gravitate towards houses with quality windows; look for energy efficient windows to keep your house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer; this can create a big savings on utility bills. If you have the extra budget, you can go for custom windows, tubular skylights or UV protection glazing application.

Your windows can make a huge impact.

4.) Bathroom Remodel or Addition

Another dollar-worth investment you can do is remodeling or adding new furnishings to your bathroom. A new set of light fixtures, faucet or shower will help you sell your house faster.  Updating your current bathroom’s look will also improve your daily routine so it’s a win-win situation on your part. Examples of bathroom remodeling ideas are artistic sink fixtures, jetted tub, skylight or new cabinetry and storage.  Water saving shower heads and toilets now come in a wide variety of styles.

5.) Basement Remodel

One great way to expand your living space is to remodel your basement. It is also cost-effective and will give you that much needed extra space. You can convert it to a guest room; children’s play room or home office.  You can do soundproofing or add new windows for additional lighting.  The use of eco-friendly products can be a cost effective way to create a multi-purpose basement; e.g. natural rubber flooring is great for an at home gym since it is easy on the joints and insulates your basement floor.

Remodeling your basement can add to the ‘finished’ sq. footage of your home

6.) Roofing

Choose from a wide variety of color palette that will complement best your house’s exterior. Roofing materials come in different types; metal, wood, slate or tile. You are doing your house a big favor if you do slate roofing. It will even last for more than 50 years.  Be sure to choose a color that is suited to your particular climate; e.g. houses in the more sunny climes should have lighter color roofs absorb less heat from the sun.

Don’t forget the exterior of your home

7.) Siding

Siding improvement is often overlooked. Aside from vinyl, you can choose metal, stucco, wood, brick or stone siding. Excellent siding ideas are natural bark, faux brick and natural stone.  There are many new siding products that are “high tech”; they insulate, are fire resistant, do not require painting  and are insect and weather resistant.

For more DIY ideas on Stagetecture, & Stagetecture’s YouTube Channel, click here.