Don’t be complacent to the minor annoyances in your home.
Home improvement doesn’t have to start and end with big renovations. Yes, large renovations usually add to the overall value of your home, but there is something to be said for paying attention to the little things.
We all have an extraordinary ability to ignore and then become accustomed to minor annoyances (this is how we’re able to endure most cubicle jobs). Why stay inconvenienced? These annoyances can be easily fixed when we take the time to look at them.
Micro-renovation is becoming a popular way to fix the home and add value to not only the overall cost of the home but also your lifestyle living in it. The key is to approach finished rooms with some objectivity and find small ways to make them better.
Get Creative with your Stairs:
Utilize spaces that aren’t working for you. Staircases can mean a lot of dead or awkward spaces in your home. Many people are using their staircases as storage, or a way to display their book collections; incorporating shelving units under the stairs or hinged openings for storage. More creative people are even building reading nooks, pet areas or a wine cellar under their stairs to utilize them more.
Cleanliness Counts:
The old adage that you only get one shot at a first impression is true. So, make the interior of you home shine from the moment someone walks through the door. Hire a cleaning service for a thorough top-to-bottom scrubbing. Even if you clean your home regularly, there are nooks and crannies that you may miss or overlook. Let a cleaning service do the dirty work to really make your home sparkle. Or take away the annoyance of cleaning by having a service come once every couple of weeks.
Elegance in Unexpected Places:
We love these little touches. These make you feel special and elegant no matter where you are in your house. Suspend a chandelier in your bedroom or bathroom for a bit of luxury in an unexpected place. Or consider adding jets to your laundry room sink, making it easier for you to wash your delicates. Some truly ingenious people are even turning their large closets into surprisingly sophisticated office space. Unhinging the door and trading hanging rods for shelves—a deep one for the desktop and two shallow ones above for storage.
Visually Increase your Home’s Square Footage:
The size of your home dramatically affects the value, but square footage isn’t the only space that counts. Visual space or how large a home feels also counts. The key is to make each room in your house feel larger. Replace heavy closed draperies with vertical blinds or shutters to let light in — a sunny room feels larger and more open. Also, try adding a single large mirror to a room to visually double the space. Finally, clear the clutter. The more clutter, furniture and plain old stuff you have in a room, the more cramped it will feel. Add an attractive shelving unit to an underused space and store your clutter out of sight.
Make your Island Work for You:
Kitchen islands are useful but they can definitely be doing more for you than housing the hot mess of Tupperware you’ve acquired. Build a second mini fridge in your island for wine or beer; this is especially useful if you’ have an outdoor island for your bbq. Or if there is some dead space, incorporate that wine rack directly into your island for easy reach. Finally if you don’t have too much space in your kitchen build in pullout cabinets. Giving you an instant portable island for extra counterspace while still providing storage and square footage.
Get Help with Getting Organized:
Hire a professional organizer for a day. They will show you how to organize various rooms in your home and teach you tricks for keeping it organized. How does this increase your home’s value? Simple — a clutter-free home appears cleaner and larger, which is more attractive to homebuyers and therefore more valuable. And you’ll now live in a home that makes sense and is relaxing to live in.
Paint Party:
Painting your home is a typical way to add value to your home and something usually recommended in a renovation. One of the simplest, most cost-effective improvements of all is paint! Freshly painted rooms look clean and updated—and that spells value. You won’t believe how much better you’ll feel in a freshly painted room after putting up with that peeling beige paint for years. Color has the power to affect moods and productivity, so painting a room with the right color can help you in many ways. If the actual task of painting is too bothersome to contemplate, consider hiring a pro or invite friends over for a paint party to get it done quickly.
Brighten Up:
A “bright” way to increase the value of your home is to lighten up. Adequate lighting in a home makes a big difference. Not only does a bright, well-lit room feel more cheerful but it also makes spaces feel larger and cleaner. A well-lit room also shows that you have nothing to hide, so should you decide to sell, prospective buyers will feel at ease when touring your home. Hire an electrician to add recessed lights to a dim kitchen or family room or to brighten up a formal dining or living room with elegant sconces. You’ll enjoy the bright effect now and your home will feel warmer and more welcoming to homebuyers.
