Top 10 Ways to Increase Home Value + #1 Value Booster
We all want to live in our dream home. Some people call this their “forever home.” However, our budget, job, school, and time constraints don’t always allow this to happen, at least right away. The next best thing to do is improve your house to increase its value for your current use and future sale.
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Are you thinking of selling your home? Maybe you’re a new or up-and-coming empty nester, and you realize it’s finally time to downsize. If you’re like most of the market, you’ll probably plan a year to make your move. You want to make sure that you maximize the sale price of your home to put some investment into your retirement plan.
On the other hand, you may be in your dream home now. It may have everything you want minus a few improvements you’d like to make. You want to make sure your improvements will increase the value of your home in the long run when it finally is the time to move.
In either case, here is the list of the Top 10 Home Improvements that will increase the value of your home when you decide to move and sell.
1. Garage Doors
I bet you haven’t thought of this – #1 fast way to improve your home’s value & lower your energy bill.
Garage doors are relatively cheap to install. They improve the curbside appeal of your home substantially in comparison to the cost. When a potential buyer drives up to your home, they assess how it would feel if it were their home. Often, the number two most important asset to someone on a personal level is their vehicle. Because of this close and personal connection, people want a safe, warm space to store their assets.
Asset Protection
Whether it’s a sports car, recreational off-road vehicle, SUV, or other motor vehicle, the garage plays a significant role in adequately storing these assets. New and stylish garage doors give the potential buyer an immediate sense that the house is up to par and provide them with peace of mind that the storage compartment for their second most valued asset, their vehicle, will be stored well.
Home Security
Another significant role the garage doors play in a home is security. When assessing the current condition of the garage doors, consider a few things regarding home security. First, are the garage doors solid?
Second, is there an alarm system set up that includes all garage door entry points? Third, what automatic remote control system is installed for the large bay doors? Is it a secure system, or can it be hacked easily? Fourth, if the glass is broken on the single exterior door, could someone access the home? Is the glass positioned so that someone could not unlock the door even if it were damaged? Fifth, if someone does gain access to the garage, how easy or difficult is it to access the rest of the home? This is especially important if the garage is connected to the house.
Last, what sort of motion detection is installed on the exterior of the garage and home? Are they bright enough and sensitive enough to help deter an intruder? All these facts will affect how safe you feel about your home and how secure a potential buyer will feel as they consider buying.
Energy Efficient
A third aspect of garage doors is their energy efficiency. Are they well insulated? Do they block out the high and low temperatures outside? Do they help reduce mold and humidity? Well-insulated garage doors go a long way in helping to reduce your monthly energy bill. Replacing old garage doors could save you a lot of money every month. This savings could potentially pay for the cost of the doors over the first year after being replaced.
Replace old garage doors to improve the look of your home. The average cost is $6500, and it is well worth it. This is the same value that will increase the value of your property, giving a close to 100% cost-to-value ratio.
2. Walkway to Front Door
Curb Side Appeal
Your front walkway is a good investment in the cost-to-value ratio. When you decide to sell, it typically returns 100% of your cost in equity. More importantly, it will bring you high value during your personal use for several reasons.
The surprising truth most people don’t realize about their curbside is that it says much about the owners’ personality. People recognize this unconsciously but don’t typically make the direct connection outright.
What’s the State of Your Curb Side?
The curbside appeal is much more than providing a first impression to passers-by. It communicates a lot about your personality and current state of living. If the front-facing portion of your home is clean and in order, chances are you are too. And vice versa. If you can’t keep the front-facing portion of your house nice, what about the inside and back yard?
First Impressions
Think about it. When you approach someone’s front door, all the details about their curbside are communicated to your unconscious. By the time you step onto the front porch, you’ve already arrived at an evaluation of what the owner will be like. Your first impressions are usually confirmed when they open the door.
For example, if the front yard is unkept, the walkway is blocked by toys or other objects, and the front porch is dirty, how are you feeling as you press the doorbell, which may or may not be working?
On the other hand, if the front yard is trimmed, cut, cleared, and watered, and the walkway is clean with no green mildew in sight, you will feel pretty good as you approach the front porch. As you step onto it, if there are new-looking, clean accent features with a front door that looks clean and inviting, you won’t hesitate to ring the doorbell.
Chances are, the person opening the door will match the curbside condition. Maybe reading this makes you think you want to remove your leaf blower and clear some cobwebs around your front windows. If so, get to it!
Whether you like it or not, people judge by first impressions, and your curbside is a first impression to everyone who comes to your house or drives by.
Safety
The second value your curbside brings is safety. Whenever you’re hosting guests, it is essential to have a clear, well-lit, safe path to your front door. It’s not only inviting, but it’s also a liability risk you are reducing. You certainly don’t want invited or uninvited guests stumbling and falling trying to reach your door. You could lose a friend, a court case, or both.
It costs an average of $5,000 to install a nice stone step walkway that is lit and landscaped. This investment increases your home value by about the same.
3. Front Porch
The most undervalued room in your home is not even inside your home. It’s your front porch.
This often unrealized real estate space commands attention and sets the pace for all incoming guests and residents. Although its square footage is not officially included on paper, don’t be fooled. The value of the front porch is very high.
The front porch is center stage for all sorts of scenes. It’s the first and last place a date stands when he takes your daughter out on a date. It’s the place where packages are placed. Meals are delivered on the front porch. Your guests pass through this space on their way inside and out as they say goodbye. It’s the gateway to your home, family, and well-being as you go daily.
Your front porch communicates all sorts of things. For example, if you dislike visitors, make it stark and cold. Place a large video camera in clear view. Heck, even throw in a keep-out sign.
However, if you like people and guests, make it a Pier One Import welcoming room. Place inviting furniture that communicates, “Take a seat and stay awhile.” Use it as a canvas to communicate your personal style and artistic flare.
Your front porch and front door are also judged by cleanliness and quality of materials. If your porch has appealing flooring with new paint and decor, anyone entering your home will breathe a sigh of relief and have happy expectations before they even enter.
The average cost for a front porch remodel is $6,500. The improved value is 93%. Value for a good first impression is priceless.
4. Kitchen Remodel
Guess which room in your home is better than a professional therapist. If you guessed the kitchen – you’re right!
You may wonder, “how can a room filled with metal, stone and fancy sliding wood replace a therapist?” Here are two primary reasons why;
Survival
First, the kitchen is filled with food. Hello!? What better comfort to everyone in your home than food? When the sky is falling, what do people do first? They run to the grocery store to stock up on toilet paper and food!
If you think calamity is around the corner, but your shelves and frig are filled with comfort food, somehow you feel like everything is going to be ok. Your survival instinct and anxiety levels are quieted. The fear pouring in from the nightly news can wait until after dinner. And dessert.
Connection
There is also another therapeutic aspect to the kitchen. Now that the eat-in feature has been popular for at least ten years, most kitchens have it. The eat-in kitchen typically includes an island with a bar and bar stools for people to sit, eat, and talk while someone else serves more food and drinks in the primary kitchen prep area. This is where all the magic happens. In case you haven’t realized it, the therapist’s couch has been replaced by the eat-in kitchen.
This creates a solid opportunity to connect with family and friends that would otherwise be missed with today’s hectic schedules. Due to extra-curricular activities, families don’t sit around the formal dinner table as much anymore. If it’s not sports after school, it’s loads of homework or take-home work for adults. These added responsibilities make having a lengthy formal sit-down dinner very difficult.
It’s much easier to whip up something quickly and serve it while in motion. People can grab a bar stool and enjoy a meal without creating a mountain of extra serving dishes to clean up afterward. The multi-tasking continues as the eat-in kitchen area is usually loaded with charging stations to dock devices and give online rest for a few minutes while connecting in person.
Whether the kitchen has the all-important eat-in feature or not, here are two more features that raise the value of your kitchen in a big way.
Organization
An organized kitchen saves time, reduces confusion, and helps keep everything sanitary. Its organization is increased by loading the cabinets with intelligent space-saving features such as gliding silent drawers, built-in lazy susans, and a cabinet-to-ceiling configuration.
Lighting is part of the organization. Under-cabinet lighting and electrical outlets for plenty of appliances and charging capacity are essential. Lighting should be energy efficient and programmed for automation.
Materials
The final aspect of remodeling the kitchen is the materials, appliances, and finishes. The countertop material choices are endless. The element that is consistently popular is choosing a seamless material that is easy to clean and antimicrobial.
The backsplash doesn’t have to be seamless. However, it makes it easier to clean. This element becomes very important if there are many people in your home—especially children and teenagers. The less time spent deep cleaning cracks and grout, the better.
Appliances
Energy-efficient and gourmet appliances are essential. Installing quality appliances helps provide the best possible meals and experience cooking and cleaning up.
Finishes
Selecting quality finishes is the grand finale of the kitchen. If you’re thinking of selling, you’ll want to stick with the most popular finishes that match the overall style of your home. If you’re considering staying a while and want to get a little artistic, now is the time. Hanging light fixtures are the focal point of the room. There are at least two opportunities with these. They include the hanging light piece for the kitchen and the hanging light piece for the open room and formal dining room that may be connected or just off the kitchen. All three of these pieces should match or tie together meaningfully.
The second most crucial finish is the cabinet hardware. These should also tie in with the overall style of the home. They can also match the rest of the cabinet hardware used throughout the house. When changing out the hardware on the cabinetry, be sure to change all of the hardware, including hinges, pulls, and knobs.
Priceless
Your kitchen has the highest traffic count. Every person in a home will visit the kitchen at least twice daily. Your kitchen is the hub of the family. Its primary role is food, communication, time together, and enjoyment. Because of this extremely high value, it’s worth investing a lot into making it one of the best rooms in your home. Buyers agree.
When buyers view a home, the room they pay the most attention to and have the highest comments on is the kitchen. A minor kitchen upgrade averages $30,000. You may have purchased your home with a layer of kitchen upgrading done. If so, pick up where the updates were left off and add another layer of investment. It will bring you back 98% of your cost, not to mention your enjoyment.
5. Master Bathroom
3 Secrets Every Couple Should Know
Knowing these will make all the difference in the world daily. Ok, you may be thinking this sounds a little dramatic and too good to be true at the same time. It’s not, and I’ll prove it.
One thing is sure: It’s no secret that there is no perfect couple. Everyone has their ups and downs, good, bad, and ugly, which inevitably spill out all over each other. We can’t help it; we’re human, for goodness sakes.
Having said that, some key logistics can and should be arranged to give you the best possibility of staying together and being happy about it. These three tips can change your relationship for the better in drastic ways, and they all involve the master bathroom. Here we go;
Tropical Vaca
Everyone deserves a tropical rainforest vacation now and again. How about bringing that experience right into your master suite to enjoy daily?
The master bathroom’s primary feature should be an oversized, sexy, two-person walk-in shower. You should feel like you’re on a wild adventure underneath a tropical waterfall when you step into it.
It should allow you, as a couple, to feel lost in the moment whenever you choose to take advantage of the situation. The shower needs plenty of see-through glass, non-slip, easy-to-clean tile, and two shower heads, which should have multiple massage settings. A few other bonus features are a bench to sit or put your legs up on and heated tile for when you step out. Having a voice-activated sound and light system is also not a bad idea.
This shower is a must-have for couples for obvious reasons that won’t be typed out here. An additional bonus to the master shower is that it is easy to get in and out of. We’ll all have to consider this as we age and can’t climb into a tub any longer.
Double Not Trouble
Separate closets are a must for every happy couple. Depending on the luxury level of your home, they can be simple or elaborate. At the most superficial level, there are two separate closets. Now, I know newer couples are excited to share everything. It might seem sort of romantic to share a closet at first. Believe me when I say this will wear off—figuratively speaking—relatively quickly.
In the hubbub of daily life, it’s crucial to have a place to keep your attire in the order that you like. Maybe you want everything dry-cleaned, ready to go, and in order. You need your closet to accomplish this. In contrast, if your partner happens to be your opposite and you share a closet, this could ruin your relationship. If they like creative chaos, let them—in their own space.
Removing these logistical traps before they become a significant problem is a great proactive way of keeping happiness alive. As a side note, the same goes for the double-sink vanity. Be sure to make it a double sink, not a single one. Nobody wants to face what could have been left behind by their partner as a “present” in the sink. This is a significant romance killer.
Privacy Please
The third feature that a master bathroom should have is a fully closed toilet. Most men would think that they don’t care one way or the other about this. However, what goes on in the toilet should stay in the bathroom.
Having that space enclosed with a door is a crucial way to keep it tucked away. Out of sight, out of mind. If your partner communicates that there should be nothing to hide, they are full of *hit. We all know there are times when having a door shut is a good thing.
Investing in these three features could save your relationship. Better yet, find a home that already has them. If it doesn’t, the average cost of a master bathroom remodel is $40,000. When you consider the value of a happy, healthy relationship, upgrading this personal space brings a hefty return on investment.
An additional incentive to invest in your master bathroom is that upgrading it increases the value of your home more than improving any other bathroom in the house. Buyers view all other bathrooms as minor compared to the bathroom they will use.
6. HVAC
Don’t Neglect This Appliance, or This Might Happen to You
Replacing your HVAC unit(s) doesn’t sound exciting. However, this is an item that increases the value of your home and must be disclosed when selling. Most buyers want to know how old the units are. If they’re over 10 years old, a potential buyer will most likely try to get the replacement cost negotiated into the purchase agreement.
If you can say that your HVAC unit is five years old or newer and has a warranty, then this removes that item from being a negotiation point. It also puts buyers at ease, knowing that a large maintenance replacement item for the home has already been taken care of, and they don’t have to worry about it for a while.
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The newer HVAC units have a thermostat that can be scheduled and controlled with a phone app. If your buying pool will likely consist of first-time home buyers, upgrade yours to include that feature.
A new HVAC unit has the bonus of reducing your energy bill while you are still the owner. Replacing your unit or more than one unit for larger homes is pricey. Each unit typically costs $10,000, depending on the capacity, features, and brand you choose.</p> <p> </p>
7. Outdoor Room&amp;lt;/h2&amp;gt;</h2> <p>&amp;lt</p> <h2>;!– /wp:heading –>
This vacation never ends because it’s in your backyard. Be inspired to get yours started. This is not your parent’s patio. The outdoor room I’m talking about is an outdoor-in room. It has a roof structure. If you have a deck, you can build it underneath to take advantage of what’s already in place.
Key Features
It has waterproof flooring such as tile or stone. It may or may not have an outdoor fireplace built into one of the walls. Sitting above the mantle of the fireplace is a large-screen TV. The ceiling is equipped with lighting and a surround sound system.
The fireplace is not a requirement, but it is one of the features that take this space to the next level. Installing an outdoor fireplace is not cheap but worth it. It will add quite a bit to the ambiance of the room. You can do without it, but you’d be removing a lot of the romance and entertainment excitement from this space.
An additional perk of the fireplace is that it extends the use of this room into more seasons. When it gets chilly, fire up the fireplace and stay nice and toasty. If that isn’t enough, add a few outdoor space heaters. These can be installed along the upper wall line or add restaurant-style movable space heaters.
If you’ve decided to include the fireplace, you might consider building a brick-stone pizza oven next to it. A good builder will know how to incorporate both features in the fireplace structure.
Other features you can add as built-in elements include a BBQ and mini kitchenette. This is handy when you don’t want to carry all the food, dishes, and drinks back and forth from the house. It’s nice to have all of that self-contained and ready to be used.
Increase Home Value with an Entertainers Outdoor Venue
It can be used as an outdoor luxury camping space, an extra area for extra guests if your house gets full, or a fantastic place to throw football parties and other events.
Depending on the features and materials used, this outdoor entertainment room will cost anywhere from $40,000 to $120,000. For this cost, you will receive a resort-style space in your backyard that will draw your friends back repeatedly.
Unofficial Value Booster
You won’t be able to include this in your home’s square footage on paper. Initially, this doesn’t seem like it will help increase the value of your home. However, your real estate agent can include the cost for this room and the square footage as an added exterior space so that it will still be on paper.
Especially if you have recently had this room built and used by a reputable company, it will sit nicely with all of your other home listing information. The real benefit kicks in when a buyer tours your home. This space will make you stand out from the competition in a big way.
They will be mildly impressed as they stroll through your home, taking in your great interior features. Once they step outside, you can see excitement as they visualize themselves having fun. This element will take your home over the top and out of the norm. Any buyer who can walk through this fun outdoor space will be hard-pressed to walk away without giving you a solid offer.
8. Deck
Adding a deck to a home adds an entertainment room without a high cost. It provides a clean, organized space for a BBQ, party, or comfortable time in the sun. Even a simple deck can be dressed up to feel like a stay-cation get-a-way.
Chances are some improvements can be made to your current deck to bring it to the next level. For example, it may need to be refinished.
Installing an under-deck water system can create an additional shaded patio area. Enclosing the deck with pillars and screens helps keep bugs away.
You can also thoroughly enclose the deck to add a sunroom. A fully enclosed sunroom creates an air-controlled, bug-free room. The average deck comes in at $10,950, with 83% of that cost increasing the value of your home. In addition to the equity increase, the enjoyment factor of the deck should give you plenty of motivation to add or improve your deck.
Your deck’s square footage cannot be included in your home’s listed square footage. However, you can list it as a separate outdoor feature and include its square footage.
When pricing your deck improvement, get a quote to enclose it completely. If you enclose your deck and provide heating and cooling, you can include that square footage in the overall house square footage. Increasing your home’s total square footage will give you the most significant value increase.
9. Window Replacement
Replacing your windows costs an average of $20,000, depending upon the number of windows and window selection you make. The return on investment is 74% without calculating the utility bill savings you’ll experience with improved energy efficiency. Window quality has significantly increased in recent years. As soon as you have new windows installed, your energy bill will go down.
Asset Features on Paper
This is another item that sits well on paper if you plan on selling your home. Listing new windows along with the company warranty goes a long way in adding value.
Replacing windows—similar to the roof—should be done every 15 to 20 years. If you’re proactive and have this done before selling, you’ll remove this item from being one that a buyer could try to negotiate down the sale price for. The less opportunity a buyer has to reduce the sale price, the better for your bottom dollar. Don’t let leaking window seals cause you to lose money on the sale of your home.
Getting Out of Buying New Windows
On the other hand, if your windows are in reasonably good condition and you don’t want to pay to have all of them replaced, here’s a way around having them be a negotiating item. Check all the seals on your windows and replace any lost or cracked ones. A home inspector will check this.
The cost of replacing seals can be paid yourself, or you can hire a handyman to come and do a window once it’s over. In addition, check and repair or replace any screens with the same issue. This cheap and easy fix will help you get out of replacing all your windows.
Sound Barrier
Another thing to consider regarding windows is whether your property is near traffic noise. If it is and your windows are over 10 years old, it would be wise to have them replaced. Choose windows that are especially good at blocking sound. This will improve the interior sound quality and look good on paper.
Avoid this Window Pitfall
One final thing to know about windows when you’re selling your house is that it’s widespread for them to be requested to be replaced during the inspection period. This happens especially when a window pane is foggy.
Be careful about this. If you agree to replace even one single window pane and don’t have it replaced in time, your purchase agreement could become void. You don’t want to come to the final walkthrough of the sale of your home and have the entire contract fall apart because you couldn’t get a window repair company out quick enough to have the window pane replaced.
If you have custom windows, the order for your specific window pane could take much longer than expected. Be sure to have your real estate agent stipulate a grace period after the closing date for the window replacement.
Better yet, have your agent negotiate the price of a replacement instead of the actual replacement. This way, you’re not on the hook for replacing it and are not in danger of having your contract fall out at the last minute.
Everything and the Front Door
One last item related to replacing your windows is worth mentioning: the front door. If it is as old as your windows, consider replacing it. The front door makes the biggest impression. It’s similar to a book cover. People often read your home from your curb appeal. Your front porch and front door are essential to your curb appeal.
When pricing out your windows, get a quote for a new door while you’re at it. Often, you can negotiate a discount when you buy both simultaneously.
10. Roof Replacement
The average roof replacement costs $20,000, yielding a 68% return. The return factor does not consider that roofs typically last 20 years.
If you’re planning to sell your home, consider having a new roof installed. This will increase its value.
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Age Disclosure Requirement</h3>
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Your roof’s age must be reported on the disclosure statement and presented to all prospective buyers. In addition, some buyers may request roof repair or partial roof repair, which can put you in a problematic selling position. You could be pressured to pay for all or part of a roof repair if it’s old or damaged.
Be proactive and replace your roof to avoid this type of scenario. In addition, a new roof will eliminate leaks that can occur with older roofs that can cause expensive water damage to your home.</p>
A new roof makes the entire house look newer. When you have it replaced, keep a copy of your warranty. Most roof warranties are transferrable at the sale of your home. You’ll want to have this information handy to provide along with your home disclosure statement. Most roof warranties cover at least 10 years.
Drainage
One final consideration when replacing your roof is to assess your drainage system. You may want to have repairs done or replaced at the same time. Usually, the roof and drain pipes are the same age.
Installing a new drainage system will ensure that the drainage around your home is in good condition. All drainage issues eventually lead to foundational issues.
A foundation or water damage issue is significant in any home inspection report. A potential buyer may want to walk away from even the slightest inclination of a foundation issue. At the very least, they will want a repair budget taken off the sale price.
11. Bonus
In college, I was a store manager for Bath & Body Works in Marina Del Rey, California. I liked it because of the constant new product and marketing that the company would ask me and my team to market and sell monthly. There was always a new scent, new displays, and new specials. I managed this store for two years, and so saw the seasonal cycles that retail stores go through.
Holiday Frenzy
One of the most hilarious seasons was Christmas. Each Christmas happened precisely like the last. The number of customers increased starting on Black Friday. The intelligent shoppers came in with coupons and knew precisely when to load up early on Christmas gifts.
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De
cember was different. Beginning December 1st, there was no more special pricing or coupons. Everything was regular price. As the month started, shoppers came in to get their share of Christmas gifts. Our store was popular because our team would gift wrap anything needing to be wrapped for free, even if it was just one bottle per wrapping.
Low Inventory Equals High Prices
As Christmas neared, an exciting thing happened. Slowly and gradually, people started to get an anxious look on their faces. They started moving faster, grabbing products off of the shelves quicker. December’s sales were usually triple that of a regular month.
Then came Christmas Eve. Our staff was on the floor all day, and our store was open until 10 PM. In the morning, we started basket wrapping. Our bundled and ready-made wrapped offers were snatched up as fast as we could make them.
The closer we got to closing time, the more frantic our shoppers became. They would run in and grab anything on site without a glance at the price. There was no haggling. No one asked what the specials were. Nobody asked for a promo code or discount.
They were thrilled to have found a store open and one where they could buy something. You see, most other stores in the area were already closed. Their choices were slim. And they were thrilled at what they got. By 10 PM, our shelves were empty. A few male shoppers were reaching their arms under the closing storefront gate. They would beg and bleed for anything left. When we had mercy and sold them the last of the last from our store, the relief on their faces was priceless.
Make Your Home a Christmas Present
The same thing happens with housing during the holiday season. This is especially true if interest rates are low. People don’t like to sell during the holidays, so most wait until Spring. This creates high inventory and choices during Spring and low inventory during the Holidays.
How to Get the Highest Sale Price
If you want your home’s highest possible sale price, sell during the Holidays. Your competition will always be low. People who are shopping for a house will have very few homes to choose from. They will desire to find something to settle into as quickly as possible to enjoy their new home during the last portion of the holiday season. In addition, because of low inventory, they will be highly flexible and happy with what they get. They will be less apt to negotiate down the price.
If you’re okay with the inconvenience of one Holiday season and want the absolute highest sale price for your home, plan to sell anytime from October through January. February through September will have higher inventory and lower sale prices.
12. Bonus – #1 Way to Increase Home Value
Square Footage
Besides location and lot size, the square footage of your home is the #1 factor in determining your home value. Of course, you have no control over the location or lot size after you select your home. Now that that decision is behind you, the number #1 factor you do have control over is your home’s square footage.
There are many creative ways to increase your home’s square footage. Some popular room additions include a sunroom, attic conversion, separate guest house, garage guest suite, and garage room conversion.
Finished Basement
One of the best and easiest ways to increase your square footage is if you have an unfinished basement. Finishing a basement will increase your home’s square footage and room options. A finished basement can have so many different rooms. A few options include a gym, movie theater, kitchenette, guest suite, bonus room, and office.
VRBO
You can often configure your finished basement as a guest suite for in-laws, guests, or VRBO. Renting out this seasonally or long-term space can provide a new income stream. It is an excellent long-term investment whether you use the space for enjoyment, a new workspace, or rent out.
The ROI on a finished basement is typically double. This means that whatever cost you paid to finish it, you will receive a return of double what you paid. For example, if you pay your contractor $110/sq ft to finish your basement, most likely when you sell in six months or more, you will receive $220/sq ft back for the additional finished square footage when pricing the sale of your home. These numbers vary depending on your location and market conditions, but they give you a general ballpark on ROI when adding square footage.
Increase a Home Value with a Sunroom
Adding a sunroom is a great way to increase your home value. If the sunroom is finished, fully enclosed, and has heating and cooling, you can include all of the additional square footage to your home’s officially listed square footage.
Having a deck or patio structure already to convert may or may not save money on the addition. It will depend on the condition of the current structure. If it is more than ten years old, chances are it will need to be fully or partially rebuilt to have the sunroom appropriately built.
Southern Comfort
A sunroom is an intelligent addition to any home, especially if you live in the South. This fully enclosed room provides the ability to enjoy the outdoors behind protection. Bugs are kept out while you enjoy a sun-filled room. Plants also do well in a sunroom. You can often grow things that wouldn’t last if they were in the elements all year round.
Room Addition Ideas
A sunroom is very flexible. It can be an added entertainment space, a game room, a library lounge, a greenhouse, an extra guest suite, an office, or a workout room, among many other uses.
Adding a sunroom, finishing a basement, or converting other space into square footage that can be included in your home’s total listed square footage is the best way to increase your home’s value on paper and in person, with the added enjoyment of additional space.
The Realtor market data chart and other market research were referenced for the facts cited in this article.