If you are a homeowner, you have probably considered adding to your home. The big question becomes what is the best thing you can do to add value to your home? Your home is your castle, so however you choose to add to it, you need to be sure that it not only makes your home a more enjoyable place but that you are spending money in the best possible way so that your resale value on your home, should you ever decide to sell it, will help you recoup some of the money you spent on your improvement.
For example, many builders LOVE and recommend installing a new pool. “People spend upwards of $10,000-$25,000 on a decent-sized in-ground pool” said Brian Meiste, the manager and head-honcho at a local residential construction company who operates both in Virginia Beach and Chesapeake VA. Read more about him and his work at their homepage. Basically, the more ornate, the more expensive. Some might even think that by adding a diving board would help the pool become more enticing. Sadly, diving boards are an insurance nightmare and unless a pool’s board is “up to code,” a mortgage company may ask you to have it removed before closing. As much as we spend on these additions to our properties, unfortunately, you will not recoup much of the money you spend on the placement of that backyard oasis. You see, a friend of mine is a Realtor. Not everyone buys a home for a pool.
One of the BIGGEST investments people will buy a house on is an upgraded kitchen. Upgraded cabinets, marble countertops, stainless steel appliances and custom finishes are all things that you can purchase that will help you recover some of the expenses when you sell this home years later. If someone is house hunting, a realtor knows that updated kitchens mean big bucks. People like fresh and new takes on one of the most important rooms in the house. It’s where we sit and discuss our day around the dinner table, its where we chat with friends and family as we prepare a meal and its often a common place in the house that people tend to congregate during parties and family gatherings.
Another excellent home improvement is a bathroom! Many times, you will see continuity, especially in new construction, when a homeowner upgrades their kitchen that they will carry that thought with the countertops to the bathrooms. There is a common idea that if the kitchen looks fresh and clean and the bathroom looks similarly to the kitchen (even if it is only the countertops) that the bathroom is updated. With design ideas being so simple, for example, molds that can be placed over existing bathtubs and sinks that are made in one solid pedestal, an upgrade of a bathroom, fully, can be easy.
Decks are a fantastic idea for adding to the square footage of your home, without changing the actual footprint of the home. This is probably one of the simplest and easiest ways to make your home feel larger. When you take an area of your yard and add hardscaping or decking, you are creating more living space to entertain your houseguests or are making another space for you to enjoy when you are home.