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In this time of recession selling your home is far from easy, house prices are on the whole decreasing as the value of homes are depreciating. If you are thinking of selling in the future when prices improve then you may wish to invest a little capital now in remodelling projects which will help to increase the overall value of your property. An alternative could be to buy a house with potential for thirty/forty thousand less than its market value was a year ago, and spend the difference remodelling in order to fetch a higher price in the future. This naturally can be a risk and gamble, and the extent of the renovation depends on imagination, available funds and personal skill. There are those who are handy in DIY, and who have self taught themselves useful skills such as plumbing, woodwork and wiring, and consequently large modelling projects can be undertaken with little labour cost, with just the cost of materials. Others do not have that useful skill and funds may not be available, however improvements do not have to cost hundreds of pounds, it is amazing what a new coat of paint can do to a room. This article will explore examples of potential remodelling projects varying in regards to cost and skill:

Superficial remodelling is easily taken of with little disturbance to the family and at a relative low price, especially when it is an ongoing project over a few years. The gardens could be smartened up; the old grass could be taken up and replaced with new, fresh lawn squares, compost soil could be dug into the beds, and any broken paving/patio stones could be replaced. A fresh, neat garden really helps to sell the house; it is often a useful selling point for working couples who do not wish to renovate a wild garden. The outside of the house can be freshly repainted, windows perhaps replaced, or at the very least the sills rubbed down, repainted, and the glass cleaned. A bright, welcoming house and garden becomes more to the eye than just a property, it looks like a home.

Another focus of direction for remodelling concerns the negative aspects of a property, eliminate these and there could well be an increase in the value of your home. Examples of these negative features could include double glazing the windows, or adding an outside light to a dark driveway.

A garage can add tremendous value to a property, and there are several uses for this building. If you inherit this with your property then you could remodel it to bring the price up. The garage could simply be fitted with extra storage around the car space; alternatively it could be renovated into an office or an annexe. The walls could be insulated, electricity wired through, laminate flooring put down, windows replaced, and curtained, and garage doors replaced with a smaller securer door with the rest bricked and plastered.

Remodelling within the house also adds to its overall value: The rooms could be re-plastered and painted, and worn carpets could be replaced with wooden floors. The bathroom could be remodelled or the units of the kitchen replaced, and a second bathroom or toilet always is a useful selling point. Space is often an appealing key factor for viewers, and freshly cream painted walls make the rooms look spacious to the eye. First impressions for the viewers are vitally important, thus any remodelling which takes place with the intent of increasing the value of a home should be made with this in mind.

Learn more about this author, Hannah Curtis.
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