The desires of homeowners are constantly changing. What buyers want now compared to what they wanted 20 years ago is drastically different since the market for homes is always shifting to accommodate new trends and wants.
If you’re thinking about selling your home, choosing to remodel before your put your home on the market is an extremely smart choice so you can get a higher value when you finally do sell it.
While some features of your home can’t be altered to fit a few of the categories on this list (see numbers one and two), there are many remodeling choices you can make to improve the sale value of your home and get the most for it when you put it out for sale.
Open Floor Plans
As we said in our post on Recent Trends in Home Construction, buyers are beginning to value open floor plans more and more. Old houses simply can’t provide the more spacious floor plans that new homes can.
Small Homes
Smaller-sized homes have been gaining popularity in recent years as buyers have been embracing minimalist lifestyles. Smaller homes are also more affordable, as energy and maintenance costs are far lower than larger homes.
Outdoor Living Spaces
Decks, patios and porches are becoming increasingly wanted features among prospective home buyers, as people are looking for outdoor living spaces that can provide the comforts of indoor living with the feels and views of the great outdoors. Hardscapes are in demand, giving a more polished look to your outdoor living space.
Energy Efficiency
In this day and age, energy efficiency is crucial. The more energy efficient the home, the less you spend on energy costs and the better your environmental footprint is. Energy efficient features include increased insulation, features that utilize natural sources of light, appliances that use less energy and renewable energy sources.
A State-of-the-Art Kitchen
An outstanding kitchen is one of the most sought-after features in any home. A remodeled kitchen can drastically increase the sale value of your home, especially when done by professional contractors. Choosing to let your kitchen go as-is is a big mistake before selling your home, so be sure to address that before putting your home on the market, because a kitchen outfitted with new appliances, quality flooring and countertops will be a shining attraction to any home buyer.
A Fresh Bathroom
Just as kitchens are crucial to improving the value of your home, bathrooms are also rooms you’ll want to spruce up, as just like kitchens, bathrooms often return over 100 percent of the cost of improvements.
A Finished Basement
Choosing to finish your basement offers an additional living space for prospective home buyers, one that can be designed and furnished to their specific plans. Plus, fixing flooding and moisture problems will definitely be appealing to those interested in your home.
Bonus Rooms
Bonus rooms show that you have paid extra attention to your home, and serve as an accessory to the main rooms of your home. Whether it’s a home office, game room or media room, bonus rooms will definitely be an attractive feature when you put your home up for sale.
If you’re looking for a new home that you plan on reselling later, choosing to build from the ground up can provide for the open floor plans and smaller designs that prospective buyers are looking for. If you’re looking to remodel your home, choosing a respected remodeling contractor to outfit your home’s kitchen, bathrooms and features can help to significantly increase your home’s value.
