Quality and efficient upgrades increase both home value and ensure promising return-on-investment. Prices for homes may drop, but at least your investments in upgrading the appearance of your house will be paid off. Major overhauling including kitchen and flooring renovations promise big ROI, but the initial cost for each is quite daunting for some. Siding and windows treatments are more budget-friendly remodeling with a promise of more than 75% ROI upon resale. Brief overview of each upgrade is outlined as follows.
- Kitchen Renovation
Kitchen is certainly one of the most important parts of a home. Anything you do to improve the appearance and comfort of this room will add the overall value of your property. Even a minor facelift such as painting, purchasing new cabinetry, or installing better lighting is good investment. Major upgrades for examples replacing the floors or complete design alteration promise big ROI, but the cost will be expensive as well.
- Pros: even in quite slow real estate market, upgrading kitchen can increase total resale value. Chances are you also get more potential buyers in line, because upgraded kitchen is often in buyers’ lists. As a matter of fact, kitchen upgrade has the highest ROI compared to other rooms in the house.
- Cons: cost has always been a major factor. Of course it depends on the size of project in your plan, but high-end kitchen typically starts from around $50,000. It can even reach to a whopping $100,000 for the equipment alone. Another drawback is the project duration; because most families rely on kitchen for everyday sustenance, you may need to have a temporary kitchen before the remodeling project is complete, which can take months.
- Custom Made Window Treatment
Unlike kitchen remodeling which requires thousands of dollars, custom made window treatments are quicker, easier, yet far less expensive. In terms of resale value, simple changes of window curtains or other related ideas may not be as huge as kitchen remodeling promises, but you don’t have to pour great deal of expenses as well. Let us not forget that curb appeal is the first thing you should consider when you plan to sell your house. The initial impression of your house from the street attracts potential buyers, and the most interesting house in the neighborhood will accept more calls.
Because most buyers are basically window-shopping from their cars as they drive, your front windows are among the first things they see. Well-designed windows encourage buyers to stop by and have more thorough inspection. You have better chance of making a deal when the buyers are actually inside your house rather than talking on the phone. Custom window treatment has at least three major benefits:
- Interior aesthetic: high quality custom window drapes bring the impression as if your house was designed by professionals. Curtains with the right color and material can highlight the exterior and become a major focal point. Proper combination of exterior color, furniture pieces, windows type, and windows treatments are highly appreciated by guests and prospective buyers.
- Protects the interior: some window treatment ideas such as blackout, light filtering, or shades, help to protect furniture pieces from harmful natural light. Paint, carpet, and even couch fabric can deteriorate over time due to constant exposure to sunlight.
- Improve energy efficiency: the benefits of installing custom made curtains and drapes do not stop at appearance, but they also improve energy efficiency. They help to control the amount of heat that penetrates your house from natural light, and therefore you can reduce energy from heating system. Potential buyers appreciate energy efficient houses, eliminating the needs for further upgrades after purchasing.
Custom made window treatment used to be time-consuming renovation because you need to measure everything and probably hire professional to do the installation. Fortunately you can now browse any style of curtain, drape, or shade made from many different materials online. Websites like Ulinkly, Blinds, and The Shade Store provide online catalogue of custom made window treatments with detailed sizes, colors, materials, and designs. Ulinkly even has 3D design which you can use free of charge to see how your windows look like after the installation is complete. It eliminates potential errors because you can match the size of window frames and shapes with any particular drapery, curtain, drape, or shade. There is also option for free in-home installation from http://www.ulinkly.com/. Online custom window treatment websites also allow you to choose specific patterns, prints, colors, or textures to complement the overall design of the house.
- Pros: cost-effective renovation for instant improvement in curb appeal. Custom made window treatments do not typically require changes to the existing window frames, so installation is quick.
- Cons: in some cases, only luxury window treatments will bring significant ROI, but even a luxurious curtains or drapes will not be as expensive as kitchen overhaul.
- Hardwood Flooring
In terms of home value improvement, hardwood flooring stands close to kitchen remodeling. It is considered a luxurious feature in a house; it is classic, expensive, and timeless. Because the price of hardwood floors is generally stable (if not increases) over time, the ROI can be more than any upgrade.
- Pros: upgrade that promises great return on investment. Also, houses with hardwood flooring tend to sell quicker than others with carpet or tiles. So if you plan to sell quickly, hardwood flooring is a great idea.
- Cons: cost is once again a determining factor. Depending on the material, hardwood floor can cost up to $12 per square foot. This is a serious renovation job that’s best left to professionals which certainly adds the total expense. Installing hardwood floor takes times, and if it involves large area in your house, you may need to relocate for about 2 to 4 weeks.
